Social media is a great tool for youth sports organizations, but should it be the main focus of your online presence? Marketing experts think not. 

There are many reasons why your league should be on social media. Chances are, most of your members are already spending time there. Having a profile for your organization is an easy way to promote registration dates, share results and photos from the season, and interact with your members.

Despite the benefits of social media, your website should be the main focus of your online efforts, ultimately serving as your “home base” while social media serves as an “assist.” Here is why. 

Marketers may love social, but they also recognize its limitations. In the industry, social media is often referred to as “rented land.” 

In other words, you don’t control what happens in the online spaces that you don’t own – even on your own profiles. With unplanned outages and social media algorithms constantly changing, there’s no guarantee that your members will see the content you work hard to build. 

Posting content on your website gives it guaranteed, evergreen space. You choose what to highlight, where it appears, and when; unlike social media when your important post gets buried in newsfeeds, never to be seen again. 

Think about the last time you considered purchasing a product based on a Facebook ad or post. You likely end up on the business’ website before making your purchase. If it looks outdated and scarce, you would probably reconsider your purchase. 

Keeping your website up to date gives your organization credibility. No matter how great your sports program is, without an up-to-date website, new potential members/players may question your legitimacy. In fact, studies show that 75% of people judge the credibility of a business based on its website. 

SEO might sound daunting, but your webmaster is probably implementing some basic SEO intuitively. Download our eBook, “Search Engine Optimization: A Play-by-Play for Beginners” to learn how a few tweaks to your website can help drive more traffic and ultimately grow registration numbers.

With Sports Connect, all of your communication tools are built directly into your website. While email may seem dated compared to the fast-paced world of social media, it remains one of the best-guaranteed ways to get in front of a large audience. Not all of your members are on social media, so requiring a login to see important league updates is limiting your reach, but almost everyone has an email address. Using the built-in email feature is important to stay in touch with your members and drive them back to your website. When done well, this is an easy way to increase your registration numbers each season.

For email and text best practices, check out our blog – Never Miss a Message: Email & Text Tips.

Updating your website is easy with Sports Connect. You have access to dozens of code-free, professional designs that save you time and provide you the flexibility you need to stand out from the crowd. Take full advantage of the benefits of a great website by implementing some of these best practices. You can learn more by watching our recorded feature webinar, “Managing Your Inner Pages.”