What Internet Marketers Can Learn from ESPN and Lebron James
As I am sure most of you are aware of, ESPN is one of the largest sports broadcasting network in the world. I actually just got through watching a show called "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN, and I realized the marketing tactics ESPN are using can easily be applied to internet marketing.
What really got me thinking was the fact that Lebron James is set to announce where he will play next year (He is currently a free agent). Now, most players just sign with their team, and the news breaks via a reporter.
However, with the incredible amount of hype the Lebron James situation is receiving, ESPN is covering a one hour special event on Lebron James tomorrow night, and during this time he is revealing his team selection for next year.
A lot of people are going to view this television program tomorrow night, because Lebron generates a ton of interest within the sports world. However, do you know specifically what ESPN has done to make sure that the maximum amount of viewers will be in front of the television tomorrow night?
They have incorporated this one event into almost every aspect of their marketing campaign. By telling people ahead of time that this event is going to take place, they are building up the hype. Now, most of the time hype with internet marketing is a negative thing, only because the majority of internet marketing products do not deliver on the promises they make.
ESPN is trusted by nearly all sports fans, and these people know that ESPN will ensure that their programming lives up to the hype. They have marketed the product well, and in turn a vast amount of people are going to flock to the televisions to view the special one hour program.
This can be tied back to internet marketing quite easily, and I am sure that many of you are already using a similar strategy within your marketing campaign.
So, it comes down to this:
Having an immediate audience for your product or an affiliate product (building an email list will accomplish this).
Establish credibility with your audience (Provide value, and do not push crappy products to your subscribers).
Request that your audience tune in/create buzz for your product (Emailing your list with the "exciting news" of your new product takes care of this).
Deliver the quality product that you have promised your audience!
I guarantee that ESPN is going to deliver a quality product to their audience, and in tune the people will come back again and again for future programming.
I hope that you will also deliver a quality product, so your audience will come back.
What really got me thinking was the fact that Lebron James is set to announce where he will play next year (He is currently a free agent). Now, most players just sign with their team, and the news breaks via a reporter.
However, with the incredible amount of hype the Lebron James situation is receiving, ESPN is covering a one hour special event on Lebron James tomorrow night, and during this time he is revealing his team selection for next year.
A lot of people are going to view this television program tomorrow night, because Lebron generates a ton of interest within the sports world. However, do you know specifically what ESPN has done to make sure that the maximum amount of viewers will be in front of the television tomorrow night?
They have incorporated this one event into almost every aspect of their marketing campaign. By telling people ahead of time that this event is going to take place, they are building up the hype. Now, most of the time hype with internet marketing is a negative thing, only because the majority of internet marketing products do not deliver on the promises they make.
ESPN is trusted by nearly all sports fans, and these people know that ESPN will ensure that their programming lives up to the hype. They have marketed the product well, and in turn a vast amount of people are going to flock to the televisions to view the special one hour program.
This can be tied back to internet marketing quite easily, and I am sure that many of you are already using a similar strategy within your marketing campaign.
So, it comes down to this:
Having an immediate audience for your product or an affiliate product (building an email list will accomplish this).
Establish credibility with your audience (Provide value, and do not push crappy products to your subscribers).
Request that your audience tune in/create buzz for your product (Emailing your list with the "exciting news" of your new product takes care of this).
Deliver the quality product that you have promised your audience!
I guarantee that ESPN is going to deliver a quality product to their audience, and in tune the people will come back again and again for future programming.
I hope that you will also deliver a quality product, so your audience will come back.
