Backward rakes. Sharks and minnows. Headers. Jerseys. Schedules. Rosters.

What?

Sorry, but it’s soccer season and I (and my husband) are coaches — so I have soccer on the mind. And — believe it or not — what I’ve learned as a soccer coach has a lot to do with content marketing.

How so? Ask any coach and they’re likely to tell you they face two challenges: keeping parents happy and making sure kids have fun while learning. The best way to meet those challenges? Relevant, timely information. Delivering that information on the favored platform. And delivering the right information to the right audience.

Let’s start with the timely information. Parents, understandably, want to be “in the know.” Summer is busy, busy, busy so they need to know in advance when they can get their rosters and jerseys, when pre-season practices are and what the schedule looks like. Last minute communication does not get you started on the right foot. As for the players, they appreciate a practice or two before the first game — many of them haven’t played before and that first game can be overwhelming if they don’t feel prepared. As for those who have played before, they like to get to know their coach and teammates so they can get a good feel for how things work and who they work best with.

And the right platform? Well, that all depends. I’ve learned the hard way that just because a parent shares their email address with you doesn’t mean they necessarily use it. Ouch. So, I play it safe and reach out via phone and email. And the kids — well the soccer field is our best platform. One of my soccer handouts says it best: “What I hear I forget. What I see I remember. What I do I know.” So our best exchange of information involves a little talking, a lot of demonstration and even more doing.

The most critical element? The right information for the right audience. A soccer game between six-year olds is nothing like a soccer game between ten-year olds. Sound obvious? You’d be surprised. I find parents enjoy the games more if they have a better understanding of what the major accomplishments are for their child’s age group. So I share what Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association kindly posts to their site. More work? Yes, but then you don’t have parents’ second-guessing what you and the team are doing on the field — because they understand what’s happening on the field. More importantly, the information shared with our U6, U8 and U10 teams is highly customized to their ages. Imagine how frustrating it’d be for a six-year old to try playing zones — it’s all you can do to get them to look up from the ball and share.

And that’s what makes for success — giving everyone the tools they need to enjoy the game from the sidelines or center field. Do the same for your audiences and you’ll build a lot of good will that can score some strong brand loyalty.