Club websites provide information for potential players, members and sponsors and a way to update and promote your club to the wider public. Things to include are: 

• Contact details of key club roles
• Where to register for your club
• Weekly match reports and results 
• Club policies, procedures and rules
• Opportunities to be a volunteer or coach at your club
• Sponsor information and promotion 
   

A simple marketing and communication tool for clubs to broadcasting information to the audience on a regular basis. Suggested email sends are:

• Volunteer spotlight – recognition of your volunteers
• Coaches update – match day report or tips for players/parents
• President address – key upcoming events or club operations
• Player profile – fun facts or profile of players in the club to promote a community feel
• Sponsor profile – spotlight a sponsor each with exclusive offers and recognition of their contribution to your club

Ensure you refer to the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) (‘the Spam Act’) which governs email marketing in Australia. This will ensure you are following the key laws of consent, identification and the unsubscribe option for your club database.

For more information about The Spam Act, visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority website

Unsubscribe Option

You must provide the recipient of the newsletter the option to unsubscribe from the emails. You must also present the unsubscribe instructions in a clear manner.

If you receive a request to unsubscribe, you will have to honour that request within five business days. You can add an unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email or get the recipient to reply to the email saying that they wish to unsubscribe.

More information about The Spam Act visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority website.

Social media is one of the best communication tools available to clubs. It is a great tool to promote your club, gain more members and reach new audiences.

It has the power to:

• Increase the size of the club’s audience
• Increase members’ sense of belonging with the club
• Create depth within these relationships
• Engage future participants
• Support the delivery of club objectives

Evolution of social media is fast paced. It is often hard to keep up with what platform would be best for clubs to use as it seems like an existing system becomes overridden by a new system every season or two. The priority platforms for the club will depend on why the club is looking to use social media – including the audience that you are looking to engage & connect with. Solutions that clubs are using effectively include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & more. This list will continue to evolve.

Every footy club will have someone within the club (a player, player’s family member or someone on the Committee) who understands all the platforms and would be happy to share their knowledge to help the club maximise their opportunities through social media. Ask around for someone to help the Committee:

1. Review your current social media presence
2. Recommend the priorities to focus on – platform, how the club would use the platform, what the club will gain from establishing (or improving) its presence, frequency of activity and how long it would take to undertake these tasks.

Once the Club Committee has considered this recommendation, it will likely lead to the club considering the appointment of a Social Media Coordinator to oversee this important work.

Social Media Tips

1. Have a plan
   Having a plan for each platform will help you remain focused on each post. Does this post / tweet align to what you set out to achieve? A “call to action” for messages is important e.g. “Click here to find out more” … or to buy early bird tickets to an upcoming function … or to simply vote for your favorite image from the weekend etc.
2. Be aware of the risks
   Not everyone will be respectful of others in the site and extreme examples could be viewed as cyber-bullying. Whilst stopping this before it becomes apparent is not always possible, it is important to take very seriously any breach of the club codes of conduct (7 generally acceptable community standards) when it comes to people’s use of your site. The club still has a duty of care to ensure that the club platform is not used as platform for cyber-bullying. If you are worried about an incident (or what more information generally) check out the resources via the Office of eSafety Commissioner.
3. Get some great images
   The profile needs an image promoting the best feature about your club (inclusive, full of people, fun etc.) Regular content needs great images too, so invest time in creating an asset library that you add to often.
   
   Learn about Community Club Photography Guidelines.
4. Get everyone to buy-in
   Explain the importance of your players & the wider club network in getting involved in supporting social media activities. Perhaps run a competition for the most engaged player, supporter, committee member on your social media posts. Consider the use of facebook live when announcing weekly teams to bring more people (virtually) in to the club – so long as it doesn’t encourage people to stay away to just watch on-line).
5. Use Hashtags & tags
   Hashtags help people find similar content to that message. e.g. You run a fortnightly Volunteer spotlight post and include #xzyfcvolunteer. People can click on the link to see past volunteers that have been recognised where that same # has been used. (Don’t include any gaps though!). Tagging people by adding the “@” symbol followed immediately by their name alerts them to the post and helps you reach a larger audience - especially if they comment, share, like your post. This is especially handy to tag people connected to your club who are well known & popular on that platform.
6. Monitor & interact
   If you put up a post/tweet, make sure you monitor any comments. Remove or report ones that will negatively impact your clubs if viewed by sponsors, members, families connected with the club. It is great to engage in positive / constructive comments & banter to encourage more people to engage in your future posts. It also helps to reach a wider audience when people engage.

Marketing is important for all clubs.

When marketing your club to ensure effective activities and optimal results, consider the following points:

• Brand: Is your club positive, supportive, family-friendly, etc.?
• Tone: Is what you say positive, optimistic, and friendly?
• Language: Is it professional, inclusive, and respectful?
• Purpose: Does your message inform, engage, and motivate your customers?
• Audience: Have you considered who you are marketing to? (e.g., current or prospect players, kids, youth, adults, parents, volunteers?)

There are many ways to promote your club and engage current and new members, including print & radio advertising, Facebook marketing, outdoor advertising, flyers in schools, and social media.

Facebook Marketing:

• Create a Facebook Advert from your Club’s Facebook page.

• Ensure the content, such as photos or videos, is emotive or showcases your local club.
• Within Facebook, you can identify the target audience, set a budget, and decide on the placement of adverts.

Outdoor Advertising:

• Use signage including vinyl banners, corflute signs, large window posters, and car decals.
• Ensure a clear call to action and consider placement in high traffic areas or at your local ground.
• Consider promotion at a local business/shopping center at the start of your registration period.

Flyers:

• Create a club-branded flyer or contact your local league for generic play.afl creative.
• Identify places to distribute, such as local schools, letterbox drops, community centers, summer sports, and workplaces.

Advertising in Schools:

• Speak to someone connected to local schools in your areas to find out what works and what is possible. This might include:
• Distributing flyers or placing them on noticeboards or school bag apps.
• School Newsletter adverts.
• Promotional clinics.

Phone Call to Participants:

• Club committee and coaches can call past players to encourage re-registration or involvement in a Past Players group.

• If not re-registering, ask why to ensure quality program delivery in the future.