That's it, most of the national championships have come to an end, and now it's time for several weeks' well-deserved break before serious business resumes with the start of competitions.

This moment allows us to take a step back from the operational side of things, review the past season and tackle more fundamental issues. It's the perfect time to check that data collection systems are working properly, and to assess the impact of the fan engagement actions that depend on them. 

In this article, we share a few tips and actions to take in the off-season to ensure you're well prepared for the start of the new season.

Newsletter registration forms

On your site, you've placed several forms inviting visitors to subscribe to your newsletter: in the footer, at the end of an article or in a pop-up. Take a quick look at your site to make sure they're still in place. We also invite you to test them by signing up, to check that the data collected is actually being fed back into your CRM.
You'll also be able to follow the path you've devised for new newsletter subscribers, with the welcome message that may be sent to them.

Collecting data from different sources

If all goes well, the change of a season should not generate any "bugs" in the data integration from the various connected sources such as online ticketing, the online store, the mobile application, etc. Nevertheless, we advise you to quickly check if the contact and transactional data is the same in the data sources and in your CDP. 
Further, it could be a good time, to think about adding a new data-source to your CDP. For example accreditation and volunteering systems or gamification tools are ofter a second thought even though they are precious data-integration platforms

Database analysis and fan segmentation

As the season has gone by, have you taken advantage of this time to analyze your database? Have you identified which fans are as loyal as ever, and which haven't returned after the Covid period? This analysis will enable you to personalize your messages and address differentiating campaigns to boost your sales.

Data overview tables in an Arenametrix database

Your fans' journey

Whether it's via your ticketing tool or thanks to marketing automation you probably send communications to your fans at specific occasions (after a season ticket purchase, on the contacts' birthday, after 3 years of regular attendance, etc.)
It's essential to check the emails you send out: does the text still correspond to the message you want to convey? Has the club changed its logo and/or graphics? Are the sponsors still the right ones? Are the players featured in your "birthday e-mail" or "post-match thank-you" still with the club?

Arenametrix and its support staff wish you a new season full of success !