10 Pieces of Offseason Content for Your Race Team, Track or Business

Right now, most of us are still in the offseason. If you’re one of the blessed few that are actually racing now, know that we wish you the best but can’t truly be happy for you at the moment in the nicest way possible. (Mostly kidding.)

During the season, the business side of a race team or track most often goes into maintenance mode. You’re not taking on new projects. You’re focused on the performance and day-to-day of your car or event. 

The offseason, then, is a critical time for all of the off the track work that most of us can’t get to during the season. For you, that might include: pitching sponsors and securing marketing partners (you know that I can’t help putting that first on the list!), building and doing major maintenance projects, gathering and assessing data, doing taxes and paperwork, and giving your team a much-needed breather.

One of the things that often gets overlooked in the offseason is the ability to build your brand because in our minds there isn’t much going on. If we’re not racing, we’re not promoting.

The fact that we’re not racing, though, means fans are hungry for information and there is generally a lack of it. It’s the perfect time to grab some attention for your team or business, and lay the groundwork for in-season content and opportunities.

(P.S. Our 30 day free Build a Brand Challenge has generated results for countless teams. Sign up here for a month’s worth of ideas on strengthening your brand’s presence.)

So, what do you talk about in the offseason? Here are a few ideas for you:

10 Pieces of Offseason Content for Your Team, Track or Business

1. Countdown posts. Tried and true, and maybe a bit tired, these are the easiest way – especially for tracks – to both create content that promotes your upcoming schedule, shares your excitement and most likely involves other profiles that you can tag for maximum share-ability. I don’t recommend a daily countdown because fans tend to tune out, but think about how you can incorporate this into your promotional schedule.
2. Building or improvements. Most race teams are pretty good about sharing their shop photos throughout the build process, but I don’t see many tracks, events or businesses showing the behind the scenes of getting ready for race season. They’re not always the sexiest photos, but showing billboards going up, track work, tickets being sorted, picking up trophies…anything you do behind the scenes shows fans the passion and hard work that go into making a racing season when all they see is a closed gate.
3. Sneak peaks or teasers. New event coming up on your schedule? Different paint scheme? Make sure you tease it and release it. If you’re a track or event, share news from the teams that support you, too!
4. Marketing partner promotions. Guess what? Just because the calendar turned to a new year, it doesn’t mean your partnerships expired. Most partnerships don’t run from January 1 – December 31. If yours didn’t, you can still get lots of mileage for you and for your past season marketing partners by promoting their products, services and involvement with your team. Plus, they’re much more likely to return if they’re still seeing the benefits of an effective marketing strategy. Another bonus? When another potential sponsor sees what a good job you do for your existing partners, they’re much more likely to sign on, too.
5. Upcoming schedule. Another obvious one, but I rarely see tracks or racers promote specific events other than the first one on their schedule. Usually, they’ll announce their first race or swing or put out their whole schedule. There is a whole lot of ground that can be covered between those two tactics, and it’s a great time to highlight why you’re so excited about specific events or promotions.
6. Apparel and ticket offers. Yep, you can still generate income in the offseason. You can offer last season’s apparel at clearance prices, create early bird or pre-order offers for this season’s merchandise or tickets, or advertise season ticket packages. I highly recommend making these offers available on your website because every step you require a potential customer to take, the less likely they are to purchase. That goes for sponsorship, too. Check out this post on how and why you need to make buying easy.
7. Team member highlights. Guess what? It’s probably not just you making your team or event go. The offseason is a great way to make the people who support you feel valued. A quick post on your crew chief, your flagman, the racers who support your track…there are any number of people that your fans might want to get to know.
8. You. Yep, you read that right. How many track promoters put their face on social media and tell fans why they’re doing what they’re doing. How many drivers actually talk about what got them into the sport, who influences them and who they are away from the track. Those kind of personal connections are what make people like you. In so many ways, that’s what makes this racing world go round. Shameless plug: I share most of that behind the scenes info on me and my business over on Instagram as @kswartzlander. Come say hi!
9. Past season highlights. Proud of what you’ve built? Now is a great time to throw it back to your favorite event or track from the last season, a finish you fought particularly hard for, a fan that you loved connecting with or a marketing promotion that left you with a sense of accomplishment.
10. Trivia. Offering a ‘did you know?’ post or asking a trivia question is a really broad, easy way to drive engagement. You can tie it to a giveaway, which is a great way to both grow your following and highlight things that a fan can purchase if they don’t win. Bonus idea: let’s say you’re sponsored by the best iced tea company in Pittsburgh and have mentioned your favorite tea flavor in past press releases. Wouldn’t that be a great way to promote a marketing partner while engaging your fans with their products and your brand?

If you’re searching for ways to promote your team or business in the offseason, the list above will give you a great starting point for creating content that strengthens your brand, engages your audience and lays the groundwork for a successful season. Bonus points if you generate income!

xo.
Kristin

P.S. Need more ideas on how to utilize your off-season? Check out Offseason Got You Down? Beat the Funk. or Off-Season Panic Setting In? How to Get Back on Track. You might also like Searching for sponsors this off-season? Ask yourself these 2 questions.