5 Easy Contests for Sports Marketers to Pump Up Fans

Creating ways to stand out and engage with fans can be difficult. A t-shirt toss may bring some quick excitement to the arena. I know this because I used to operate a t-shirt cannon at sporting events, so take it from someone with experience; it limits engagement. Not everyone has the opportunity to get a t-shirt, which is disappointing to fans (especially that kid who lost out on a shirt to the dude with longer arms behind him, sorry kid).Luckily, there’s a better way! You can engage everyone in the crowd, and even your viewers at home, with online contests.Read on to discover new ways to engage with your fans during and after the game and reward them with seat upgrades, prize packs, team swag, food and beverage discounts, or whatever else you want to offer! These ideas use ShortStack templates so you can get your contest in front of your fans quickly.

Photo contests

Photo contests are a favorite of many marketers and for good reason! Fans can share their experience at the game, from a selfie with their friends to the iconic food to a snap they got of an incredible play. Entrants’ submissions can be shared with the crowd during the game. The user-generated content you collect can be posted to social media to get folks excited for the next home game. These entries are uploaded to your list automatically and can be displayed on the big screen at the game or posted to the team’s social media.

Built with ShortStack's Photo Contest template[button size='medium' style='white' text='View and Create Your Own' icon='' icon_color='' link='http://m.shortstack.page/JpXF0K' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='' margin='0 0 10px']

TikTok video contests

Want to reach a younger audience of fans? Then a TikTok contest is right up your alley. Encourage entrants to create a video around a team-related theme. For example, they could submit videos doing their favorite player’s touchdown dance, “announcing” a play or reviewing the food at the concession stand. These videos are a great way to spread the word about your team while allowing younger fans to get creative.

Built with ShortStack's TikTok Video Contest template[button size='medium' style='white' text='View and Create Your Own' icon='' icon_color='' link='http://m.shortstack.page/PGd6xQ' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='' margin='0 0 10px']

Instant win contests

The one good thing about a t-shirt cannon? People know right away if they “won” the prize or not. After all, why wait to award a prize when you can offer it now? Use an instant win giveaway to give your fans instant gratification. Plus, it allows them to redeem their prize and show it off right away, which will get more folks interested in entering.

Built with ShortStack's Instant Win template[button size='medium' style='white' text='View and Create Your Own' icon='' icon_color='' link='http://m.shortstack.page/3n6cS4' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='' margin='0 0 10px']

Hashtag contests

Let fans share the best parts of the game with their friends at home using a hashtag contest. Hashtag contests require entrants to post to Instagram or Twitter to enter. Their posts must include the branded hashtags you choose. Because fans are posting to their profiles, their friends see their entries, which will spread the word about the fun they had at your sporting event.

Show your entries in a Hashtag Gallery Using ShortStack's Template[button size='medium' style='white' text='View Template' icon='' icon_color='' link='http://m.shortstack.page/LZ88D1' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='' margin='0 0 10px']

Guess the score contests

Want to entertain fans before the game starts? A guess the score contest allows your audience to try their best to predict the game’s outcome. Emails you collect can be used to send folks information on future games, a discount to the concession stands or some team swag at the gift shop.

Built with ShortStack's Guess the Score template[button size='medium' style='white' text='View and Create Your Own' icon='' icon_color='' link='http://m.shortstack.page/lw7Zzr' target='_blank' color='' hover_color='' border_color='' hover_border_color='' background_color='' hover_background_color='' font_style='' font_weight='' text_align='' margin='0 0 10px']

Bonus – Embed your contest on your website

While individual landing pages can be used for all of the above contests, you can also embed them on your website. Adding the contest to your website allows you to promote upcoming games, team merchandise and other ways for fans to stay connected with the team.Ready to get started? Just click on one of the templates above. If you have any questions along the way, our all-star support team is here to help: theteam@shortstacklab.com