The word “promotion” is defined as an attempt to make a product or event popular or successful, especially by advertising. I’ve met many speedway promoters and their remit would appear to be much wider, albeit this principal business outcome reigns supreme – getting folk through the turnstiles on a regular basis and encouraging them to come back for more. In a crowded entertainment sector, customer loyalty is often fragile, and the discerning consumer has an embarrassment of riches from which to choose – none simpler than staying at home and devouring a seemingly endless list of options on the gogglebox. Persuading anyone to abandon the comfort of their home, or the relative certainty of an indoor event, is hard work. Chuck in the typical British weather and the optics can be dispiriting. Keeping hardcore support is essential, although this can easily melt away for a variety of reasons. Verbally extolling the excitement of speedway, I nevertheless frequently feel frustrated when I hear these common responses: “I used to go to speedway” or, more disheartening, “what’s that?”
Speedway has a media footprint on TV, and the British Speedway Network (BSN) has expanded its reach. But in this digital age ─ where many commercial engagements are now conducted online ─ is there more that promotors and loyal fans alike can do to tempt back those who have abandoned their shale fix and, in addition, inspire newbies trackside?
I have dipped my toe into the world of social media but, other than knowing how to share a Facebook post, I don’t have much clue about how these platforms work and how the algorithms can be harnessed in order to capture new business. My investigation into this virtual world of key words, web rankings, and search engines ultimately landed at Vanguard Digital Marketing UK – a new start-up company that had, since incorporation, leapt to the top of Google rankings in a matter of days ─ above a similar sounding entity based in the United States with a turnover of a trillion pounds. By clever manipulation of the cyber highway, they were able to promote their brand in ways larger organisations could only dream about. Co-founder Brandon Payne was good, but in the words of Shania Twain – unless they could do the same for speedway – “That don’t impress me much!”
He eagerly rose to my challenge and attended the Oxford Speedway press and practice day, and two weeks later, the opening meeting against Poole Pirates, bringing with him with a digital dream – to create a social media advertising campaign that would not only appeal to regular supporters, but perhaps more excitingly, engage with a potentially untapped audience. Following up after his first meeting, I posed a series of questions to this social media guru.
Tell me more about Vanguard Marketing and what you do?
“Vanguard Digital Marketing Ltd is a digital marketing agency. We specialise in creating tailored ‘pay per click’ advertisements, as well as building a complete online presence for our customers. We ensure everything is updated and running in the most efficient way, making it perfect for all kinds of customers. We create new websites, complete search engine optimisation (SEO), or even manage socials where we post and create the right content at the right time to maximise customer engagement.”
Had you been to speedway before?
“I hadn’t heard of it before, but it transpires I know a few people who have. From my brief research it looked very exciting and dangerous, which is always pretty good entertainment! I definitely wasn’t disappointed.”
How did you initially frame your response to my online challenge?
“The original challenge sounded like a perfect fit for my skills. Utilising my professional film experience ─ gained running my business Indie Shorts Productions Ltd ─ I was able to create the perfect plan to create content, and market Oxford Speedway.”
What did you create and how did you go about it?
“I noticed that speedway uses a lot of legacy media, so my decision was to modernise their production with some newer filming techniques and really get as close in on the action as possible ─ I want the viewers to be drawn into the action by creating something that really stands out from anything else they’ve ever seen.”
“Legacy media includes mediums like posters, radio, TV adverts and print; essentially anything that doesn’t particularly involve the internet as its core backbone. They can still be highly effective for particular audiences; however, they must be harnessed correctly. If there’s a new animated movie coming out, targeted towards younger people, print advertisement would have a significantly low return on investment because a very small amount of that demographic opts for magazines and newspapers to get information, instead choosing social media platforms and the internet.”
How can you use the power of the internet to supercharge speedway?
“The internet will allow us to connect with people who haven’t yet been reached. Many speedway viewers are relatively local; however, if we broaden our horizons, we can expand much further, increase footfall, and introduce a lot of new people to this amazing sport. Through specialised advertising, content creation and web SEO, we can ensure everyone hears about speedway and gives it a chance to impress.”
What are the typical costs and what can be the return on investment?
“It varies based on the type of work and the scale of it. Essentially, the more you put in, the more you get out. We specialise in making sure every penny is spent exactly how it should be when advertising, so you get the best click through and conversion rate. It can also vary heavily based on services required. We can create and run advertisements on a monthly retainer, but also manage social media pages long term, and create an entirely new and vibrant website. We will optimise your online presence and make sure every aspect of your brand looks the best it can. A return on investment will definitely be increased page visits, enquiries, and leads. Marketed correctly we can fill your stadium.”
Can supporters do anything to help promote the sport online too?
“Always share to friends and post on your story and social media platforms. Spreading the word, and in-person recommendations ─ everything will help the sport. You can even a use hashtag (#) to help bring all related posts together for anyone that uses it; this could be as simple as #oxfordspeedway which will then group together every post on the platform that uses that specific hashtag. The more posts related, the more likely it is to be recommended to users who don’t follow ─ growing the fanbase organically. Facebook is a good place to post longer videos of the races, whereas highlights on your TikTok page (if you have one) would get really good views, especially next to a trending or popular song.”
What was your impression of a night out at the speedway?
“It was amazing. Super action-packed and exhilarating! It was great to be up close on the action and hear the crowd throughout. It also felt like a completely safe environment, and it really didn’t matter who you were there to support ─ everyone was there for a good time.”
As Professor Erik Qualman – formerly of the Hult International Business School – once said, “Social media isn’t a fad, but a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.” And speedway needs a deafening digital voice.
© Ian Kirke 2023 & all uncredited photographs.
@ianjkirke