http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/rss/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw http://c0179261.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/536545_fR9tbxMscaOaGh2Dg9XD_m.jpg http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/rss/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw en-us Fri, 18 May 2012 22:12:00 GMT Fri, 18 May 2012 22:12:00 GMT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/498044-Relationships-are-Non-Transferable
Joe and your predecessor worked together for 8 years. Their kids went to school together and spend their summers together at the pool. Your predecessor knew Joe and Joe knew him. Their relationship was built upon trust and, for that reason, your predecessor was able to work more effectively.

This relationship is a microcosm of the relationship between you and your community of supporters. If you get pissed off because your fans don't show up in droves or donate their estate to your program, maybe it's you or at least the relationship between you and them.

Relationships are built on trust and trust is non-transferable from one person to the next. You build trust with your fans by being there for them... and I mean being there for them more than they are there for you (because sometimes, they won't be there for you... sorry, it's part of coaching. Parents, you can relate.). You build trust by pulling back the curtain and sharing behind-the-scenes content, such as video of your pre-game prep. You send tweets that show real emotion and are not filtered through your pre-wired mental-bureaucracy that has been installed by your institution. When your fans know you as well as Joe knows your predecessor, then you can expect better attendance, increased support and stronger fundraising.

You can put your head down and trudge forward with the belief that if you just teach your athletes better technique, you will be successful. Or you can build relationships, network with your community and open the doors to true, lasting success.

Take action today and build a lasting relationship with your supporters based on trust.]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:22:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/498044-Relationships-are-Non-Transferable http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/497126-The-Worthless-Team-Website
Out-of-date: If your website has no new information, it is worse than having no website at all. Think about when you go to a team website and see three month old information! I recommend starting a blog and linking it to your website (or, if your site has a blog feature, get posting!). Blogs are easy to update.
No social media icons above the fold: You should have social media channels- Facebook and Twitter. You should have linked icons on your homepage. And they should be above the fold (visible without having to scroll). Vistors are looking for ways to stay connected to organizations in whom they are interested. Make it easy for them!
Pics and Video: You should have some media other than text on your site. People absolutely love video (so does Google search if you're interested in SEO).

When your site is optimized (not worthless), you'll have more fans, increaes awareness and dramatically increase your fundraising.

Take action today. Get your website optimized for your fans!
http://www.riotsportsmarketing.com]]> Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:37:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/497126-The-Worthless-Team-Website http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/494791-31-Things-Sports-Teams-can-Share-on-Twitter
Post-game stats
Pre-game hype
Live in-game updates
Injury report for your team
Injury report for opposing team
Quotes from athletes
Quotes from coaches
How practice went last week
What you will do at today's practice
Report on popular alumni
Ask for fan feedback
Hotel info for roadtrips
Fundraising requests
Congrats to other teams at your school
Team superlatives
@mention super-fans
Retweet fans or even the competition
Share your team's hashtag (#)
Share a hashtag relevant to your sport, community or an event
Tweet or retweet info relevant to your sport
Pictures
Links to videos
Links to useful or interesting websites
Introduce fans to each other "@Fan1 meet @Fan 2 You're from the same city!"
A link to a Twitter list that your followers might want to follow
Alert fans to an interesting event
A link to your Facebook Page
A link to your email newsletter sign-up form
A link to your text message alerts sign-up form
A link to your mobile website
Flashbacks

The point is, the options are virtually limitless. This is a conversation. Take action today. Join the discussion on Twitter! Get access to our on-demand Twitter webinar.
Email Marketing webinar: Get more from your email blasts. Tuesday, June 7 at 9 PM ET http://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/789949758]]> Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:24:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/494791-31-Things-Sports-Teams-can-Share-on-Twitter http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/492148-Get-More-for-Your-Program
I regularly preach the value of CEO skills for coaches. Networking is one of the most overlooked of them. Whether novice or experienced, every coach can improve his/her networking skills.

Contrary to popular belief, networking does not just mean getting to know someone. Just because you introduce yourself to a person in a key position that could open doors for you, does not mean that they will. Here is the most important piece of networking that you must remember if you want this skill to move your program forward.

Do something for them first without expectation of their being in your debt. Help them. Give them something of value. Make them feel special. Then, maybe, just maybe they will feel compelled to return the favor or, bettter yet, do something for you because they like you.

Here are four examples of how you can use networking skills to advance your program and make your job easier:

Potential sponsor: You have an ideal business in town that you think could sponsor your team. After you have done the first part of networking, which is introducing yourself (or having an introduction arranged), but before you make any type of ask, find a way to offer something of value to them. If they are a B2C business, mention on your team Facebook Page that you met the owner and include a link to his website. Give value first and do it with a genuine heart. Don't be surprised if in return, they volunteer their help, financially or otherwise.
Administrator: Having good relationships with our administration is key to getting things done. Make your athletic director feel special and recognized for her efforts. Invite her to practice so that you can introduce her directly to your team. Discuss the role of the AD in the success of your program. If you are an athletic director, bring the principal or vice-president "backstage" to experience behind-the-scenes at a special event.
Unaccommodating teacher/professor: If there is a particular teacher or professor at your institution that seems to go out of his way to make life difficult for student-athletes, be sure to go out of your way to understand him first. Then, determine an appropriate way to bring him into the fold and help him develop a relationship with your athletes. Make him an "honorary coach" for a competition, for example.
Uninterested Reporter: You likely want more media coverage for your team or athletic department. And you probably have that reporter in town that just will not give you the coverage that you want. Instead of expecting them to come to you, you should go to them. Call or email her to compliment her on a completely unrelated story. If she has a blog, comment on it. By making her feel important and valued, you are more likely to get what you need.

While some people are naturally more social, true networking skills are developed over time. Take some time today to go out of your way for someone that can be a strategic partner in your program's success.

Take action today. Network.]]> Wed, 25 May 2011 06:51:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/492148-Get-More-for-Your-Program http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/489461-Three-Ways-to-Take-Your-Sports-Team-Mobile
86% of Americans own a mobile phone
There were over 5 billion mobile subscribers in 2010 (there are 6.8 billion people in the world)
Over the next five years, more people will connect to the internet via mobile than by a computer

If you want your fans to be educated, involved and engaged, then your team needs to be mobile too. It doesn't have to be complicated. Let's break down a few options that you have for making it easy for your fans to be fans by using mobile technology.

1) Text Message Alerts: Ninety-five percent of text messages are read within the first 15 minutes of their receipt. This is far higher than email and direct mail... combined! Send fans text messages about important events, announcements or results. Sign-up for an account with EZ Texting, iZigg or Clubtexting (or just Google "mobile marketing"). You will have the options to put a subscription form on your website or have users subscribe with a keyword ("Text TEAM to 654321 to receive alerts"). Sending messages and managing your list is usually done through a simple web interface.

2) Mobile App: For your ever growing population of smart phone users among your fan base, you can take it the next step. Create a mobile app, which is really just a mobile website. These can be simple and created in a few minutes yourself or as complex as you want to make it. I suggest starting out simple with a base package from Widgetbox, MobileRoadie or bMobilized.com. You can create an mobile website that acts just like an "app". When a user pulls up your website on their mobile phone, they can be redirected to your mobile site automatically. Or if they pull up your mobile website directly, they can add it to their home screen just like an app. The best thing is, if you have an RSS feed (from a blog), a Twitter account or a Facebook Page, you can have updates from those sites show up on your mobile app with no additional work on your part!

3) Be social: Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare are social and, now, inherently mobile. There are tons of mobile apps that people use to access their own social networks. So, be social and your fans with smart phones will be able to follow you.

If you want more funding, more community support, more attendance, more awareness... if it is fans that you want, then mobile (and social) is where you need to be. The fact is, the more mobile that you are, the easier it is to be a fan.

Take action today and go mobile!]]> Mon, 09 May 2011 15:25:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/489461-Three-Ways-to-Take-Your-Sports-Team-Mobile http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/488184-4-Cs-of-Social-Media-Marketing-Fundraising If you look at high profile teams, both professional and amateur, you notice that they work hard at cultivating fans. They develop multiple channels of communication with their fans and then fill those channels with quality content- videos, interviews, updates, personal interest stories and promotions.
And they do this for good reason. They understand the value of building this community of supporters because they are the reason that the team is able to exist. Running a team, whether professional or amateur, requires money. Even the smallest youth or non-profit requires some type of resources. Without someone buying into your vision, you cannot get those resources, financial or otherwise. So, for this reason, the four C's of social media marketing and fundraising are relevant to sports organizations of all shapes and sizes.
They are: Create, Connect, Community, Collect

Create: Create quality content that your fans like. Not sure what that means? Visit sites of pro teams and high-profile amateur teams and see what they are doing. Video interviews, articles, and insider information. This is what fans crave.

Connect: Now you have to not only have that content on your own website, but you have to deliver it to your fans. People are busy and now more than ever you have to take your content to them. Where are they? Well, 600 million people are on Facebook so that's a start! Additionally, just about everyone has an email address these days, so you should be in their email inbox. Throw in Twitter and Youtube and you're off to the races!

Community: Make those that follow you feel that they are part of something special. Give them insider information. Just as importantly, host events that bring them together in a social setting. Tailgates, golf outings, socials, etc. Not only is this human conection important to building your fan base but also anyone that comes anywhere near that community wants to be a part of it.

Collect: When you do the steps above, this step is easy. Now that you have a growing and engaged fan base, you can count on them for support. They buy tickets. They buy concessions & merchandise. They volunteer. They support fundraisers by donating or buying "stuff". And, often overlooked by smaller organizations, they represent a demographic that advertisers want to reach so you have potential for landing sponsorships.

Remember the four C's of program development and you will build a foundation to take you to new levels of success!

Register now to join me and David Jacobson, of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Wed evening at 9 PM ET for a free webinar. "Why Positive Coaching is Good Business". We will discuss how to build a positive organizational culture and ways to benefit from it (including using positive coaching to build a fan base and raise more money). Space is limited.
http://www.riotsportsmarketing.com/blog/32760-Why-Positive-Coaching-is-Good-Business-Webinar]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 06:40:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/488184-4-Cs-of-Social-Media-Marketing-Fundraising http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/487035-Coach-that-Knows-Why-Beats-the-Coach-that-Knows-How When I was a young NCAA Division I head coach, I thought I knew how build a successful program and successful athletes. I worked hard, built bridges, burned others and generally moved forward with the vigor that we all do with youth. ("Youth is wasted on the young," they say.) Unfortunately, much of what I was doing was not founded upon a solid why- why I was doing what I was doing. Luckily I had good mentors who knew why and guided my how. Still, I worked more inefficently and ineffectively than I would have if I were coaching full-time today, now that I have a more solid foundation of why that comes with experience and perspective.

When you know how to do something, you can move from point A to point B to point C until a task is complete. The problem is, most of the time you cannot move from A to B to C because of a myriad of issues that can derail a task. Sometimes a major derailment can cause you to ask deep and profound questions of why- Why did the athlete do that? Why did more people not show up? Why am I doing this?

If you spend time both exploring your soul as well as learning about other people to understand the why, then the how becomes more clear. The how may take you more steps, it may take you a different route, and it will often lead to a different result than if it had not been based on a concrete why. For sports coaches, this could be an injury to a key athlete, a decision from an athletic administrator, or the weather.

This is why success is a challenge. Successful coaches understand why and, because of this, can figure out how, even when the how is not apparent.

When the BP oil spill disaster struck, the "why" in why the spill needed to stop was evident. The how could only be achieved if the why were understood.
When Google understood why internet search was going to be such an important part of our lives, only then could they discover how to make a business out of it.
When you know why your athletic director makes the decisions that she makes, only then an you know how to best position yourself for favorable decisions.

When J Robinson understood why getting more fans was so important to his University of Minnesota wrestling team, he easily figured out how to get them in the door (setting NCAA attendance records). This mentality also led to three NCAA Division I team titles.

How do you implement this practically in your athletic program? Search your soul for the answers to these questions:

Why do you coach? Understand this and you will better know how to be the best coach that you can be.
Why do your athletes come out for, and remain on, the team? Understand this and you will better know how to motivate them.
Why are your fans the most important asset to your team? Understand this and you will figure out how to reach them and leverage them to help you attain your goals.

Learn more about why positive coaching is good business and how you can use it to help you reach your goals . Join me, Jim Harshaw, as I talk with David Jacobson of Positive Coaching Alliance for a free webinar "Why Positive Coaching is Good Business: How to Benefit from Building a Positive Team Culture" on Wednesday, May 4th at 9 PM ET (6 PM PT). Space is limited. Register now!
http://www.riotsportsmarketing.com/blog/32760-Why-Positive-Coaching-is-Good-Business-Webinar

*I have to credit Binghampton University volleyball coach Glenn Kiriyama for sharing this quote with a group of us recently. He credited a coaching colleague of his with sharing this bit of wisdom with him.]]> Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:22:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/487035-Coach-that-Knows-Why-Beats-the-Coach-that-Knows-How http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/485284-Create-Awareness-and-Get-More-Fans
The demonstration in the video is using the Cavalier Wrestling Club, a non-profit wrestling organization. First, go to your page and click "Use Facebook as (your page)". Now, you are no longer using Facebook as yourself but as your page.
Next, visit the page of another organization that your your fans or prospective fans might like. Find a recent post and, if you are genuinely interested or have something to add, make a comment.
Now, anyone who has liked that page will see that post on their own news feed as well as any accompanying comments, such as yours. When they see your comment, they may click on your page name and visit your page. Once there, if you have interesting content and show signs of activity, visitors tend to click the like button.
That's it!
I suggest that you do this on a regular basis. At least once per week you should visit several key pages. You can make it easy by liking the pages then click "Home" to view the news feed of the pages that you (your organization) has liked. This makes it easy to scroll through to find good content on which to comment.

There are a few simple tactics that you can use to get more likes and, more importantly, increase awareness of what you are doing. This is one of them. Check it out! Take action today!]]> Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:24:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/485284-Create-Awareness-and-Get-More-Fans http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/482959-Revolutionize-Your-Athletic-Program-with-Video-Content
"Heretofore, television has done a remarkable job of bringing the game to the viewer. Now we are going to take the viewer to the game!!," stated Arledge. "We have a supply of human drama that would make the producer of a dramatic show drool."

Think about it. You don't watch sports to see a quarterback throw a ball, a volleyball player set the ball or a wrestler shoot a double-leg takedown. NO! You watch because you have a relationship with that person or team. Even if you've never met the players, you may have attended the same university, your father was a fan when you were a kid, you watched interviews of the team, you know the backstory or are somehow emotionally connected to the athletes.

Do not think for a moment that your fans are any different.

If you want more fans then build a relationship with them. Connect with them and let them connect with you.

For example, what if the head coach of your favorite team sent you a message and copied thousands of other fans on this message? This is what happens on Twitter everyday! How would that change your relationship with that team? Would that make an indifferent fan an engaged fan? Would that make an avid fan a rabid fan? Absolutely! An rabid fan for life!

Roone Arledge continued: "...the viewer must meet the players, but he will meet them as he would if he were at the game. This will be accomplished by using a blowup of the cover of the actual game program and introducing the individual players by means of pictures of them in their normal street attire..."

You can do better than this! Buy a Flip Camera and do in-person interviews at practice, at school or in a casual setting. Let your fans get to know your personnel- athletes, coaches, trainers, administrators, other fans, sponsors (that would be stoked to get in front of your audience) and alumni.

Arledge also stated, "...We will utilize every production technique...to heighten the viewer's feeling of actually sitting in the stands and participating personally in the excitement and color...In short, we are going to add show business to sports!"

Don't worry about production techniques. Authentic "Youtube-quality" video's tend to go viral more than highly produced videos anyway.

The point here is that you can learn from what the professionals are doing. For decades, professional sports marketers have understood that they must give their fans an experience in order to keep them and move them up the escalator from fringe fan to fanatic. You can do this now too!]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:09:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/482959-Revolutionize-Your-Athletic-Program-with-Video-Content http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/481625-What-Will-Make-Your-Team-Good There are a lot of things that coaches spend their time on. Most of them will not make you good. It is the same when you are an athlete, a business owner or a parent. There is a difference between working hard, and working smart. Working smart does not often payoff today. Bummer. We like to build now and see results today. Sometimes we have to zoom out and look at the big picture. Sometimes we have to focus on different things. In the case of Cornell Wrestling, it took years of building to reach the elite. Their focus has been different from that of the average team. To squeeze the most possible potential out of their situation, Head Coach Rob Koll could not go about things the exact same way as the average coach. He could not do the status quo. He could not reach the elite by doing the same thing as his competitors. The same thing as the guy next to him.
So.... what makes Cornell Wrestling so good? I will bring you some juicy insight into this in the coming weeks. In the meantime, consider this. Their athletic director Andy Noel credits generous donations from key alumni. Further, consider that they bring in significant revenue from ticket sales (for an Olympic sport) and have over 9,000 Facebook fans.

What will make you good?

Want to learn how to get more fans? Download our free Social Media Sports Marketing and Fundraising Quick Start Guide. http://www.riotsportsmarketing.com/page/Ebook]]> Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:50:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/481625-What-Will-Make-Your-Team-Good http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/481316-Attendance-Media-and-Money-for-Wrestling Co-Host: Anthony Flatt: Chairman of Georgia Amateur Wrestling Association, Team Georgia USA Wrestling. USA WRESTLING "2010 Chairman Of The Year" Wrestler, Coach, Administrator and Businessman.]]> Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:44:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/481316-Attendance-Media-and-Money-for-Wrestling http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/480554-Are-You-Comfortable
In my experience, I talk with coaches who know that their team's success lies in their ability to cultivate a community of supporters around their athletic program yet they avoid doing the very things that they need to do to make it happen. That may mean learning how to use Twitter to connect with fans or other social media sports marketing and fundraising tactics.

Whatever that task is for you, today, be uncomfortable. Because if you do, you'll sleep better tonight.]]> Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:37:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/480554-Are-You-Comfortable http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/477525-Working-Smarter-Not-Harder Coaches work hard to get their program to the next level. When working with our athletes, we often say to our hardest working prodigies, "Work smarter, not harder." What does that mean? And how can you turn that back around on yourself?
"Work smarter, not harder" simply means making wise use of your time and energy. If you're job is to dig a hole and you're digging in the wrong spot, you'll never reach your goal. Working smarter means taking pause to lift your head, look around and evaluate your situation. So take this advice. Turn off your computer and your phone then lock the door. Pull out a blank sheet of paper and a pen. At the top, write down your goals (bear with me- this is not a goal-setting lesson). Then write down what you need to attain those goals. If your goals are, for example, to win a certain championship then you may need quality training, better facilities, more/better athletes, etc. If your goal is to teach life lessons and build quality people, then you may need to host a Positive Coaching Alliance workshop, travel to competitions with unique cultural benefits, or otherwise help your athletes develop into confident and positive people.
No matter your goals, you likely need support. You need money and you need people to realize your team's full potential. When you care about your fans and supporters then the financial and human resources will follow.
What do you need to do today in order to cultivate a fan base and provide the financing for your team? Take action.

* Have an active Facebook Fan Page for your sports team
* Secure sponsorships for your team
* Cultivate a fan base


Register today for a webinar co-hosted with USA Wrestling's 2010 State Chairman of the Year Anthony Flatt: Increasing Attendance, Media Coverage and Fundraising for Sports Organization through Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Text)]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:54:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/477525-Working-Smarter-Not-Harder http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/475922-Twitter-for-Coaches-Waste-of-Time
These coaches work insane hours and, in order to be successful, they must spend their time wisely. The last thing they need to do is to focus on social media, let alone be active on Twitter. It's a big waste of time. They work for athletic departments who have full-time marketing and promotions staff working to drive attendance, sell more tickets, connect with their fans, grow their fan base, increase value to sponsors, and bring in more money.

But...what if I told you that all of these highly successful coaches are active on Twitter? What if I told you that they see Twitter as important because they understand the value of having fans. That they understand that fans are the lifeblood of any athletic program?

"But they need the fans more than we do so that they can support their huge budgets," you say.
Are you somehow different? Do you not need more fans to support a larger budget? Is it somehow ok for you to ignore your community of followers while complaining of not having enough money to reach your goals?

If you are not convinced of the value of building your fan base through social media, learn from those who are doing your job at a very high level.

Download our free social media sports marketing Quick Start Guide to learn more about building your fan base through social media.]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:43:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/475922-Twitter-for-Coaches-Waste-of-Time http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/472769-Top-4-Things-that-You-Can-Do-to-Get-More-Facebook-Likes
There are lots of actions that you can take to grow your team's Facebook page. I'm going to give you 5. They are listed in order of actionableness (yeah, I made that up).

1. Utilizing the "Share" Link: On the bottom of the left column on your page is a link that says "Share". Click that link and a window pops up that gives you two options for sharing a link to your page. You're going to do both. First, you can post it to your profile by simply typing a message and clicking the "Share" button. Do that and your personal friends will see it. Then, click the "Send as a Message Instead" link on the bottom of that pop-up window. Here you can choose which of your friends that you want to send a message to with the page link. Send the message to all of your coaching staff, athletes, alumni and parents. Ask them specifically to do exactly what I just told you to do. (Copy and paste the first 7 sentences of this paragrpah into that message to them).
2. Your Alter Ego: You have fans that don't even know that they want to be fans yet. Facebook recently launched what I believe to be the best feature ever for page owners. You can go to your page, click "Use Facebook as..." and take on the persona of your organization, team or athletic department. Pretty cool! Now, find a page where your fans and potential fans are hanging out (like another sports team or local school page), "like" it, and comment on recent posts. By becoming part of the conversation, your organization builds awareness to fans who never even knew you had a page! Readers can click on your name to visit your page (and hopefully "like" it). Further, click "Home" and you will find that your organization now has a news feed of it's own. Posts from the pages that your organization "likes" show up there so you do not have to go hunting for pages on which to comment.
3. Be Findable: Put links to your Facebook page into your email signature, email newsletter campaigns and websites. (Tell your webmaster to go here)
4. Facebook Ads: Finally, try some Facebook Ads. Click on "Promote with an Ad" on the right side of your page. You can select who sees the ad based on city, gender, age, and interest. Start with two ads and a $25 campaign to test it out with training wheels.]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:27:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/472769-Top-4-Things-that-You-Can-Do-to-Get-More-Facebook-Likes http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/470810-Securing-Sports-Sponsorships-with-Social-Media However, you can immediately see the size of your fans, followers and subscribers where as you don't know how many people got your poster or heard your radio public service announcement. Regardless of the apparent vagueries that accompany the ROI of marketing, there is one very tangible means of generating real cash on a recurring basis through your social media properties.

Sponsorships.

College and high school sports teams are the rallying point of local communities and businesses want to be associated with them. Put a little effort into growing your Facebook Page and email list and you will have not only a stronger fan base but a platform from which to solicit sponsors. It is likely that you already have sponsors or businesses that support in some way. What if you could give them recognition through mentioning them on Facebook? Thanking them in your email newsletter or Tweeting their link and handle?

USA Track and Field is hosting the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. They posted the following on their Facebook Page: "It's TV time! Tune in to ESPN to watch the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships presented by BMW! One minute till showtime!"

Do you think that this recognition to the 60k USATF Facebook fans figures into their sponsorship package? I would think so.

You may not have 60k fans on your Facebook page but you're also not luring the likes of BMW. But you can get 1,000 fans easily. Even 10k depending on the size of your organization. (The local wrestling club that I run has over 3,000)

So, as I usually do, I will give you some actionable steps to take...

1. Maximize your Facebook following by asking... no, requiring your athletes to click the "Share" button on the bottom left column of your Page. They should share it both as a wall post and as a Facebook message to their relevant friends.
2. Ask each athlete to collect 20 email addresses of friends and family who want to receive your email newsletter.
3. After doing the above, you should have grown your following by over 1,000 fans more than you previously had. Now, go to your sponsors and sell them on the benefits of being associated with your great organization. You can recognize them with a public thank you, an event sponsorship (like BMW above), posting a video interview, and/or sharing a link to their website.

This is called fundraising through fan-raising.
Good luck!]]> Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:35:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/470810-Securing-Sports-Sponsorships-with-Social-Media http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/463848-Why-Athletics-Part-II
Jim: Why athletics?

Littlepage: There are two things we do in athletics better than anywhere else within our institutions...we bring people together and we develop relationships. These are not the most important things that go on within the universities but they do bring added value to the work done at the institution.

Consider the fact that a major college program in a given year will host more than a hundred events (sporting events, dinners, recognition programs, etc.). In an academic year literally hundreds of thousands of 'friends of the university', friends of athletics, alumni, students, local residents, parents, and corporate sponsors will come to together in Charlottesville to celebrate their affinity with UVA and UVA sports, you get a sense of the magnitude of how we 'bring people together'; so whether it's 60,00 for a football game, or several hundred for a volleyball game, no one has the ability to bring so many friends of UVA together at one time (that doesn't even take into consideration millions of people that will watch uva sports on TV, or the internet). Next consider the diverse make-up of these gatherings (students, alums, parents, faculty, tourists, and residents) and our unique ability to develop relationships among these groups is significant. This is why it is important for UVA, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA, etc. to have top performing sports programs.


Jim: How does that look when the rubber meets the road? what specifically are you talking about? how does it bring people together more than just sitting next to someone in a hard chair for a couple of hours?

We can put the parent in a position to know the faculty member, we can have the student-athlete get to know the corporate sponsor, we can have the donor meet the coach, etc., etc. This is why so many cultivations by college presidents are done at major college athletics events.

For example, Professor Ed Burton brings students to athletics events at the same time he hosts executives from companies for whom he consults. He probably gets more students in the pipeline for jobs, internships, etc. as a result of the work he does around the University community, especially sporting events.

photo credit: www.virginia.edu]]> Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:33:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/463848-Why-Athletics-Part-II http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/455532-How-to-Change-People Cry me a river. Then buy a copy of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Published in 1937, it has sold 15 million copies worldwide and can be found on the shelves of every major bookstore in the country today. One of the many messages in the book is that if you want to change others, you must first change yourself.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but look at the bright side, with the realization that the key is in your hand, you can take positive action to make change.
Here is what I am talking about.

* You work your butt off, you work long hours, sacrifice time away from your family and deserve more support from your administration. First, thank you for doing your job. Second, think about what your athletic director wants to see and who he has to answer to. What would you want if you were in his shoes? What are the factors that he looks at to determine where to allocate resources. Don't know? Then ask. Think you know? Ask anyway. Then determine actionable steps that you can take to change the athletic administration's perceptions of your teams value.
* You work your butt off and blah, blah, blah... and you deserve more alumni support. Look around you. Are your competitors getting more alumni support than you? If so, ask why and how. You will likely learn that they are doing more than you in the area of alumni development and fundraising. Or they've been doing it for a longer period of time (consistency and perseverance). What steps can you take to change you before trying to change the prerogative of your alumni?
* You work your butt off and you deserve (barf) more community support and student body support. What are you doing to earn it? Apparently not enough so try harder or better yet, try smarter. There are teams doing what you want to do, getting what you covet and being successful at what you are striving for. Instead of complaining about the lethargy of your student body or that your school is "a basketball school", find a way to succeed. Think outside the box. Every idea is on the table until it is dismissed with good reason. Even then, you might be able to tweak the idea into a smash hit and set an attendance record. Then you are likely to get that administrative support that you wanted followed by the alumni support and then more community support and the cycle continues.

Looking for a place to start? Buy the book that has changed lives for decades and will change your too. Take action here.]]> Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:39:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/455532-How-to-Change-People http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/448113-Why-Athletics
He posed the simple question, "why athletics?" and then made an excuse to leave the room for a few minutes to give the young coach time to think.

Winning? Building character? Adding to the academic experience? Building awareness of the university's brand?

Nope.

When he returned, Steve offered his version of the answer, trying to give a few different versions hoping to hit the "right" one. Then the highly respected AD stopped him and offered his own answer.

"Athletics brings people together."

Sounds nice, right? Kinda fluffy. The type of stuff that you might expect from an average leader who is offering weak excuse for not doing well in the "W" column.

It could not be further from the truth. Since Littlepage took over in 2001, UVA has become one of the top athletic departments in the nation. They win. A lot. They finished 3rd in the Learfield Directors' Cup last year and are currently in 10th place after the fall sports season. (The highly sought-after Learfield Directors' Cup is given to the most successful college or university athletics department in the NCAA.)

Bringing people together does a lot of things. Athletics builds relationships as tight as family. And when you need support, you can count on family, whether they are family through bonds of blood or bonds of athletics.

How important are your fans?]]> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:22:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/448113-Why-Athletics http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/437074-A-Better-Way-to-Fundraise Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:06:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/437074-A-Better-Way-to-Fundraise http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/429089-The-Value-of-Your-Fans
Money comes from fans. Fans buy tickets. Fans donate money. Fans purchase apparel. And if you have more fans who are buying more tickets and donating more money then you will have more administrative support. You'll get better equipment, better facilities, more attention, more media coverage and.... you get the picture. Afterall, are these not the things that you say that you need to succeed? Remember who feeds you- your fans. Think about them.

Here's a quote from this article by Jim DeLorenzo, VP of Octagon Digital

"One of the truly great aspects of sports fandom is that it is inherently social. It's just no fun cheering by yourself. Fans want to be around other like-minded fans, regardless of whether that occurs at the actual sporting event, at the local sports bar, or during viewing parties held at our homes in front of a TV."
Jim DeLorenzo
VP Octagon Digital]]> Mon, 24 Jan 2011 06:14:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/429089-The-Value-of-Your-Fans http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/419030-9-Ways-to-Use-Social-Media-for-Your-Team Only then can you decide if you should use social media. Because it will give you all of the above.

1) Email newsletters: Where is the first place you go when you turn on your computer? Your email inbox right? Your fans are no different. You can't control your tv, newspaper, and radio coverage but you can control when you send an email.

2) Facebook Fan Page: Where is the second place you go when you turn on your computer? If you're like the 500 million of us on Facebook, then that's where you go. Once again, be where your fans are.

3) Delete the Facebook profile that you started for your team. Your team is not a person and it doesn't have friends. Don't be an amateur. Start a Fan Page.

4) Video: Youtube, Flocasts and Ustream are popular for a reason. Learn from others and have a video presence for goodness sake! Buy a $150 Flip Camera and get shooting. Your fans crave video. Give it to them or suffer the consequences of a poorly engaged fanbase.

5) Tweet: Even if you think its stupid, hundreds of millions of us out here don't. That's how we keep up with the world. Not on Twitter? You're not in my world... at least missing from a big part of it.

6) Meet them: Meet your fans in-person. When you tie in the high-tech and high-touch, then you have fans for life.

7) Utilize them: Ask them for ideas, suggestions or input. Give them ownership and they'll be bought in. Coaches learn this in Coaching 101. It works with your fans too.

8) Engage: Have contests,

9) Make time: After all of this, you're telling me that you don't have the time. Of course you don't. You have to watch Dancing with the Stars, waste hours of your life with hangovers, and gossip about your boss. It is a matter of priorities. On a scale of 1 to 10, how important are your fans?]]> Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:46:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/419030-9-Ways-to-Use-Social-Media-for-Your-Team http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/419022-How-Do-You-Decide Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:45:00 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/419022-How-Do-You-Decide http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/387711-Get-Your-Fans-to-Take-Action If you want people to act, you must motivate them to do so. You have to talk to them, sell them, and then call upon them to take action. Tell people that you are running a fundraising campaign (or new member drive or whatever it is that you want) and that they should "click here" to help you raise money for your trip to Katmandu's for the annual toad licking conference.
Without a call to action, that button is just taking up space.]]> Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:31:49 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/387711-Get-Your-Fans-to-Take-Action http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/374229-Social-Media-Overload Things to consider: * Outcomes- what are the outcomes that you want? Stronger donor relationships, better attendance, more media coverage, a closer knit community of supporters? ("Who is Your Target Market") * Budget- do you have someone who can dedicate themselves to this full-time? Part-time? Can you outsource this? Will this be something that you will be doing? If so, how often will you set aside time? * Competition- what is your competition doing? Is this a way for you to get ahead or just catch up? What are they doing that is effective?
Set aside time for strategic, high-level planning. Then attack!
At Riot Sports Marketing, we build and maintain multiple channels of communication for you so that you can focus on other tasks while we grow your community. Email your news, results, announcements and information to us. We do the rest.
This includes maximizing Facebook, Twitter, blogging, websites, email newsletter marketing, even mobile (text message) marketing.
When consulting, Jim focuses on social media as well as increasing efficiency building profitable and replicable systems.]]> Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:39:20 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/374229-Social-Media-Overload http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/365422-Riot-Webinar-Marketing-for-Money RSM was founded by Jim Harshaw, an All American in wrestling at the University of Virginia. With a background in small business management, non-profit leadership and as a Division I wrestling coach, he developed RSM systems with the goal to increase attendance, media coverage and fundraising for sports programs organizations, both for-profit and non-profit. RSM's vision was developed with input from college and high school coaches, marketing and small business consultants and other leaders in the athletics community.
Riot offers the "off-the-shelf" highly-effective and simple to use Riot Marketing System as well as custom consulting packages.]]> Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:42:47 CST http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/365422-Riot-Webinar-Marketing-for-Money http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/363337-How-to-Market-for-Money When programs need money, too often they turn to selling cookies, coupon books or candles; none of which create a sustainable source of revenue or fans. Build a community of followers around your program and you will have a dependable source of income and support on which you can rely to help you achieve your goals.
Jim Harshaw, founder of Riot Sports Marketing, will share three techniques that you can implement immediately to begin raising serious cash while increasing administrative support, community awareness and participation.
Sign-up for this free webinar at www.riotsportsmarketing.com to be held Tuesday, November 9 at 9 PM EST.
Build sustainable revenue. Make your job easier. Get what you need to succeed.
Riot Sports Marketing helps programs communicate with fans, alumni, and supporters to help them get more of what they need- fans, support and money- through building and maintaining multiple channels of communication.]]> Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:19:21 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/363337-How-to-Market-for-Money http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/379300-Worldwide-Sport-Tour http://www.wwsport.com/ Take a tour of the Worldwide Sports Supply facility. Worldwide Sport Supply is a leading wrestling, volleyball and running online store. Selling top quality gear and equipment since 1981, we specialize in offering customized gear and clothing to teams, coaches and athletes. Our on-site warehouse helps to guarantee products are in-stock and available for quick shipping both domestic and internationally. wwsport.com offers detailed information such as product reviews, size charts and wrestling blogs and volleyball blogs. You can shop our closeouts section for the latest sales, deals and specials.
Wrestling

Worldwide Sport Supply represents the premier wrestling brands such as ASICS, Brute and Cliff Keen. We're the number 1 wrestling gear supplier, providing adult and youth wrestling shoes, headgear & earguards, knee pads, wrestling singlets, socks and other wrestling accessories. Some of the apparel we feature is wrestling t-shirts, warm ups, shorts and briefs, state wrestling singlets and Under Armour (UA) compression clothes. We also offer wrestling equipment including mat tape, weight certification instruments, score clocks and timers.
Volleyball

We're a trusted source for volleyball shoes, apparel, gifts and equipment. We carry popular name brands such as Mizuno, ASICS and Tachikara. Our web site has a large selection of spandex/volleyball shorts, socks, T shirts, sports bras and jerseys. Customers can buy a wide variety of novelties, trinkets and gifts such as volleyball blankets, pillows and jewelry.
Running

Worldwide Sport Supply sells men's and women's running shoes, gloves, socks, hats, bags and discount running apparel. We offer top brands such as Brooks, adidas and Saucony. Our site also features nutritional products such as gels and power bars, fuel belts, scales and more.]]> Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:28:00 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/379300-Worldwide-Sport-Tour http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/362191-The-Value-of-Time Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:20:38 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/362191-The-Value-of-Time http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/361817-Learning-How-to-Think Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:05:50 CDT http://www.cavalierwrestlingclub.org/speaker/2308-Jim-Harshaw/video/361817-Learning-How-to-Think