Four Cornerstones of Digital Strategy:

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1 Four Cornerstones of Digital Strategy: IMPROVE PARTICIPATION & GROW YOUR SPORT NATIONALLY 2014 WHITE PAPER Prepared for National and State Sporting Organisations

2 2014 thinkrelativity Pty Ltd. This white paper has been produced as an informative guide only. If you would like more information on the topics discussed within, please contact us: > WEBSITE > revolutionise.com.au

3 FOUR CORNERSTONES OF DIGITAL STRATEGY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY "We use technology, but to be honest with you, it's pretty rubbish." This is the message repeated loud and clear by peak sporting bodies nationwide when asked about their use and understanding of digital technology in sport. Our analysis of over 50 governing bodies in Australia indicates to us that Australian sport is in the midst of change - a paradigm shift where governing bodies are no longer content with a technology solution that is "good enough". Sports are coming to grips with the fact that they must have a cohesive strategy to unify the direction of their digital assets. This white paper aims to provide governing bodies with understanding and practical tools to implement the four cornerstones of successful digital strategy: 1 Collecting meaningful data from your members 2 Analysing and drawing insights from membership data 3 Maximising the reach and impact of social media 4 Building a strong, integrated and professional website Digital strategy is more than just 'having a Facebook'; it's about knowing how and when to use your digital assets, and being able to draw meaningful and measurable analytics to grow your sport in line with your strategic plan. We have developed, free of charge, a digital strategy health check for State and National Sporting Organisations. To participate, please visit: 1 Alex Mednis DIRECTOR Alex Mednis has over a decade of experience in managing and working with grassroots sports. He is a regular speaker at sports technology conferences, and is engaged by the NSW Department of Sport & Recreation in training clubs in digital best practice. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Australian Sports Technologies Network. revolutionisesport is the emerging industry leader in digital sports club management, supporting a range of sporting organisations from local grassroots clubs to peak governing bodies. revolutionisesport provides a whole of sport solution across a number of recognised sports in Australia, including Diving, Gridiron and Boccia, as well as complete solutions to over 150 grassroots organisations nationwide.

4 FIRST CORNERSTONE Data collection 1 Where would sport be without its members? The #1 priority for State (SSOs) and National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) should be its members - attracting new and engaging existing members. And in growing this membership pool, digital technology has proved itself an invaluable asset. However, interviews conducted across more than 50 N/SSOs around Australia in Q revealed that most had no concrete plans to design or implement a digital strategy to lower the barriers to entry. There is plenty of discussion identifying the need to lower entry barriers. What is missing from this discussion are specific ways to achieve this. Below we outline a number of practical steps that S/NSOs can implement to encourage participation and improve growth through the use of digital member management. Consider whether these measures are possible within your current solution. PRIOR TO REGISTRATION > Rationalise your membership types. Simplifying your membership types will reduce cognitive load on a prospective member - less is more. > Capture your social and recreational members. > Capture your non-paying officials, life members, staff and volunteers. DURING THE REGISTRATION PERIOD > Be clear on which level (local, state or national) registration occurs. Do they become a member of your organisation when they register? If registering at the SSO level, do they become a member of the NSO too (and vice-versa)? > Collect demographic data - but not beyond what is necessary, as potential members will be discouraged by having to disclose too much detailed personal information. MAINTAINING YOUR MEMBERSHIP > Consider a membership system that can split payments automatically between you and your peak body - this will free up time previously tied up with the transfer of funds, and will ensure that each level receives their correct portion at the same time. > Avoid transactional fees - look for fixed-rate systems that don t penalise your growth as a sport for every registration or online payment you take. > Avoid custom-built systems - the more customisable and bespoke your solution becomes, the harder it will be to maintain, update and extract meaningful insights from

5 SECOND CORNERSTONE Data analysis & insights 2 Most sports collect a large volume of data about their members - from basic demographic data, event and competition histories to payment information and officiating accreditation - yet for many sports, this data is siloed amongst different vendors and systems, without any useful way to connect, aggregate or draw actionable insights from the data. This multiple-data-silo approach can also lead to confusion for members, who, for example, may have to register through one vendor portal, enter their results through a second, and purchase merchandise through a third. Effective integration is critical to achieve the scale and whole-of-sport management that will enable a sport to grow and compete in the marketplace only a sport fully integrated in this fashion can plan strategically for the benefit of the whole sport and operate with optimal efficiency. AUSTRALIA S WINNING EDGE, AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION (ASC) In interviews conducted with over 50 N/SSOs across Australia in Q , fewer than 20% could quickly identify key metrics about their membership (e.g. age, gender or geographic distribution). 3 Organising and extracting insights from membership data is key to governance - how can a sport plan for the future without an accurate picture of both past and present? To plan for the future, sports should consider abandoning the multiple-datasilo approach, and focus on one vendor, one pathway, and one interface for their members. Your membership management provider should allow you to: > Collect a range of membership information > Disseminate news and information to members > Organise events > Sell merchandise > Organise competition fixtures and results > Have an online presence that integrates all of the above Most importantly, your solution provider should be able to provide you with quick and easy access to synthesised, high-level reporting drawn directly from your membership data. Don t work for the system - make the system work for you.

6 YELLOW SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT, DIGITAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, 2013 THIRD CORNERSTONE Social media presence 3 Social media is the future of connecting with your membership. Photos from a junior grand final can be on Facebook within seconds of the game finishing - well before a club can publish the content themselves. Fans can engage with live scoring of games in real time. And the next generation of members can be reached in a matter of seconds. Over 65% of Australians use social media; Of those, the average usage is 7 hours per week. Despite this, discussions with peak bodies reveal how few organisations employ a social media strategy. Policy is reactive rather than proactive. Social media management is often distanced through outsourcing to external bodies. Channels are updated infrequently, without focus or drive on how to lead their sport by example. To establish a strong social media strategy, peak bodies should consider the basic measures below. > Have an Acceptable Use of Social Media policy - provide clear guidance about what content is and is not acceptable, and what content will (or won t) be published from clubs and other sources. > Have a dedicated social media role - an individual who is responsible for the creation of engaging and meaningful content that will add value to the sport. > Ensure consistent branding and communicate a cohesive message across all social media platforms. > Consider using a social media management suite such as HootSuite to manage all networks from one interface. > Consider scheduling posts (some platforms such as Facebook allow this), to release content over a given week - rather than having to come up with content every morning. > Follow or Like local clubs and your state/national body, and share engaging content from those sources with your followers. > Use social media as a means to drive traffic to your website - for example, when sharing a news story from your website on social media, simply share the article title and link instead of reposting the article in its entirety. > Include social media links alongside your organisation contact details, wherever they appear - website footers, signatures, letterheads, print material. Finally, keep in mind that each form of social media has its own quirks, which you should identify and leverage to your advantage.

7 FOURTH CORNERSTONE Website integration 4 Your website is the first port of call for prospective and existing members looking to engage with your sport. It is your information hub and the professional face of your organisation; it needs to be clear, consistent and easy to navigate. But in reality, not everyone is, or can engage, a fully-fledged web developer. This leads to the well-intentioned board member with basic web knowledge building a home-grown website for their sport - but when that person moves on, that website is stuck in freeze-frame, with no one able (or willing) to step in to maintain it. The end result is a frustrated prospective member and a poor perception of your sport. Being spoilt for choice in today s sporting climate means that they can easily take their participation elsewhere. Organisations that are managing public investment and member interests must reflect a greater level of professionalism. AUSTRALIA S WINNING EDGE, AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION (ASC) Below are the common problems and mistakes encountered when browsing peak body websites. > Content is not updated frequently - members need this week s content, not information about competitions held six years ago. > Navigation is poorly laid out - having multiple navigation tiers is not considered best practice. Two levels (primary pages & subpages) is ideal, and all links should be visible on page load (i.e. no hidden or dropdown menus). > Websites have no mobile equivalent or are not responsive for mobile devices. Finally, consider the three main points below to allow your sport to maximise your website s full potential. > Looks are important - if your website looks unprofessional, you won t attract new members. > Content is king - information should be relevant and accessible, and should empower your members. > Integration is the future - by integrating your membership, events, merchandise, sponsors and other key aspects of your organisation under the one umbrella, you will stay ahead of the curve in a very competitive environment.

8 2014 WHITE PAPER Prepared for National and State Sporting Organisations by