Symposium: Opportunities in Digital Marketing

During a University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program Global Symposium on Racing and Gaming, experts on social media encouraged racing to move beyond just the raw numbers of social media and sharpen their digital media efforts.

Rob Key, chief executive officer of Converseon Inc., has put together a digital marketing campaign for the United States Trotting Association. Key encouraged racing to move beyond just counting the number of Twitter followers and engage in the conversations.

He said if conversations turn negative, it's important to realize the agenda of the people on the other end of those conversations, noting some people can be won over through education while others already have made up their minds and cannot be won over. He said racing can make efforts to educate and win over the first group, which he called "reasonable detractors," but should isolate the second group, who he called "determined detractors."

Key recommended tracks invest in apps and programs that allow businesses to track when they're a topic in conversations on social media and whether those conversations are positive or negative.

Key also said it's important for racing to engage potential new customers. Using Standardbred racing as an example in a trend that holds up for all racing, he said too many social media efforts and conversations never go beyond the core fan group.

Sean Frisby, the founder and chief brand ambassador of the consultant firm BrandTenet, encouraged tracks and other racing industry groups to hire people who focus on digital marketing. He said the use of what he calls "Big Data," which examines trends on social media, is critical to businesses today.

For instance, Frisby said tracks need to know who is driving the conversations about racing and their tracks and engage those people. Frisby noted that customers instinctively know that advertising claims should be viewed with a raised eyebrow but when someone they trust recommends an experience, it can drive traffic to the sport.

Key said campaigns that give people points every time they show up at the track or bet a race mean a lot to customers. He said racing needs to engage its core customers, who today those customers want to feel like they are part of the sport.