Send us a text

In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser tackles a critical issue facing sports marketers: how to bring back fans who came once — but never returned.

With 85% of single-game buyers not returning the following season, teams are leaving massive revenue on the table. Jeremy breaks down a proven, cost-effective solution: the “We Miss You” email strategy — a personalized outreach approach that leverages existing data to re-engage past buyers.

Forget the generic newsletter blast. This strategy is all about 1:1 connection: short, simple, text-based emails that feel like they’re written just for them. Jeremy shares tips, templates, and timing advice to help you set up a campaign that feels authentic and drives results.

Whether you're in-season or planning ahead, this episode gives you a repeatable, high-ROI tactic you can launch fast.

Top Takeaways

• 85% of single-game buyers don’t come back — but they’re still your warmest leads.
• Personal > Polished: A personal email that looks like it came from a rep gets opened. A newsletter? Often ignored.
• No fancy graphics required: Keep it plain text, use their name, and mention the game they attended.
• Timing is key: Don’t wait until they forget — follow up when the memory is still fresh.
• Set up audience segments: Group buyers by game, seat type, or date for stronger messaging.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – Why Single Game Buyers Don’t Return
• 03:40 – Personalization Beats Automation
• 06:15 – What to Include in a ‘We Miss You’ Email
• 09:10 – Segmenting Your List for Better Results
• 11:55 – How to Set This Up Quickly (Even Without a CRM)

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

In this episode of The Sports Marketing Machine, host Jeremy Neisser explores one of the most underrated tools in sports marketing: service recovery. Mistakes at games are bound to happen — a missed giveaway, a ticketing issue, a long concession line — but how your team responds can turn frustration into fierce loyalty.

Jeremy shares memorable examples from companies like 1-800-FLOWERS and Disney, illustrating how proactive, empowered customer service can create “wow” moments that stick. You'll walk away with real strategies to help your team not just fix problems, but build fans for life.

✅ Key Takeaways:

• Mistakes are inevitable — recovery is optional.
  Great brands aren’t perfect. They’re prepared.
• Fans remember how you made them feel.
  Especially when things didn’t go right.
• Your frontline staff is your brand.
  Empower them with tools, autonomy, and encouragement to turn tough moments into memorable ones.
• Service recovery is a marketing opportunity.
  A fan who had a problem and a great resolution will tell more people than one who had a smooth experience.
• Train for the unexpected.
  Small gestures in high-stress moments = lifetime loyalty.

💬 Sound Bites:

• “You won’t just fix the problem — you’ll be building a fan for life.”
• “Recovery is where loyalty is born.”

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Why Recovery Moments Matter
02:47 – Real-Life Examples (1-800-FLOWERS, Disney, and more)
06:10 – Fan Service Playbook: How to Train, Empower & Respond

If you found this episode valuable, share it with your team or drop a quick review on Apple or Spotify.
🎧 Subscribe, rate, and help more marketers learn how to turn mishaps into marketing gold.

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

In this episode of The Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser breaks down how sports teams can turn end-of-season fan surveys into a powerful tool for driving next season’s ticket sales and improving game day experience. Instead of sending out generic surveys that lead nowhere, Jeremy walks through five key categories every fan survey should cover — from ticket access to promotional impact — and explains how to structure questions for actionable insights.

He also reveals how dynamic dashboards (like Power BI) transform raw survey responses into strategic clarity by tying fan feedback directly to buyer behavior. Whether you're sending your first survey or looking to overhaul your current one, this episode helps teams ask smarter questions and make smarter decisions.

✅ Top Takeaways:

• Generic Surveys Waste Time: If your survey questions aren’t connected to outcomes, they’re not helping you improve.
• Targeted & Segmented = Actionable: Separate your ticket plan holders from single-game buyers for more accurate insights.
• Dynamic Dashboards > Static Reports: Interactive reporting helps teams spot patterns and pivot faster.
• Ask the Right Questions in 5 Categories:
  • Experience: "Rate your overall game day from 1–10."
  • Ticket Access: "How easy was it to buy or access your tickets?"
  • Promotions: "Did a theme night influence your decision to attend?"
  • Intent: "How likely are you to come back next season?"
  • Demographics: Age, Zip, Family status — all crucial for targeting.
• Use Surveys to Shape Strategy — Not Just Summarize the Season: Align fan feedback with ticketing data to guide promotions, pricing, and messaging for next year.

🧠 Key Insights:

• Fans who found ticketing confusing are less likely to return — use conditional logic to uncover friction points.
• Promotions matter — asking which themes drove attendance helps teams double down on what works.
• Knowing if fans have kids, their age range, and location can directly shape outreach and offers.
• Connecting survey sentiment to actual buyer behavior unlocks more strategic marketing and retention plays.

🗣️ Sound Bites:

• “If you don’t segment your responses, you’ll miss the most important patterns.”
• “Don’t ask a question unless you plan to act on the answer.”
• “Dynamic surveys + sales data = a goldmine of strategy.”

⏱️ Chapters:

• 00:00 – Intro: Why Surveys Are a Hidden Power Tool
• 03:08 – The 5 Essential Survey Question Buckets
• 05:53 – Static vs. Dynamic: Why Dashboards Matter
• 09:13 – Sample Survey Questions You Should Be Asking
• 12:03 – Final Thoughts & How to Use Surveys to Guide Strategy

📬 Looking to level up your fan survey process?

We now offer a full-service solution for teams: from survey setup to dynamic reporting dashboards that tie fan feedback directly to outcomes.
📅 Schedule a demo to see how it works.

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help more teams grow their fan base and sell more tickets!

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

In this episode of The Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, host Jeremy Neisser gives sports marketers a hands-on walkthrough of Vibe.co — the self-service streaming TV ad platform that’s changing how teams approach awareness and brand marketing.

Jeremy breaks down how sports teams (even with limited budgets or staff) can now create, launch, and track targeted TV campaigns without needing an agency or a massive media buy. From selecting your audience to understanding how Vibe’s IP tracking works, this episode demystifies the streaming TV ad space and shows you how to make it part of your fan acquisition strategy.

Whether you’re promoting theme nights, ticket plans, or simply trying to build brand awareness, this is your crash course in modern TV advertising that finally works for sports teams.

✅ Top Takeaways:

• TV Advertising—Without the Gatekeepers: Vibe lets teams launch streaming TV campaigns as easily as Meta ads.
• Hyper-Targeting Built In: Filter by age, location, interests, and more — just like digital ads.
• Real-Time Reporting = Real-Time Optimization: No more waiting weeks for reports.
• IP Address Tracking = Attribution: See what happened after your ads ran — including visits to your ticketing site.
• Affordable for Every Team: Run awareness campaigns without a six-figure spend.
• TV Is Now Part of the Funnel: Use Vibe to layer awareness into your digital strategy.
• Creative Still Matters: Good ads = good results. Keep it sharp, relevant, and action-oriented.

🗣️ Sound Bites:

• “You can now do what used to require an ad agency — and do it yourself on TV.”
• “Think of it like Meta, but on connected TVs.”
• “They track by IP, so you’re seeing true campaign impact.”

⏱️ Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 – Intro: Why TV Advertising is More Accessible Than Ever
• 03:01 – Campaign Creation: Audiences, Targeting & Setup
• 06:11 – What Does Audience Reach Really Mean in TV?
• 08:56 – How to Think About Your Creative & Reporting Metrics
• 11:51 – Real Campaign Examples + Key Takeaways

📢 TV Ads Just Became a Real Option for Sports Teams.

Vibe gives you the power to run streaming TV ads on your terms — budget-friendly, easy to manage, and built for sports marketers.

🎯 Want to see how it works?
Check out the full walkthrough in this episode — or schedule a call and I’ll show you how teams are using Vibe to sell more tickets.

Full YouTube Walk-Through Video

Vibe platform

Request an Intro to Vibe.com

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help more teams market smarter, grow their fan base, and fill more seats!

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

Summary
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser discusses how to strategically plan your marketing budget to maximize ticket sales. Whether you're just starting out with a small email list or you have a $20K marketing budget, Jeremy walks you through exactly where to invest at each stage.
You'll learn why building your owned audience first is crucial, where display ads and Meta campaigns fit in, why smart list buying beats random ad spending, and how to stretch every marketing dollar for maximum ROI.

✅ Takeaways

• Match your marketing spend to your stage of growth.
• Focus on building your email list before jumping into higher-cost tactics like texting.
• Think about your marketing budget like a sales funnel: Awareness ➔ Interest ➔ Conversion.
• Invest in low-cost, high-impact awareness tools like Awarity and Blip billboards.
• Smart list buying (e.g., Chamber of Commerce lists) can deliver great ROI for group sales and hospitality packages.
• Always stretch every dollar by segmenting audiences and retargeting high-intent fans.

🎧 Sound Bites

• "Build a strong owned audience first."
• "Buying a chamber list is a great ROI."
• "Low-cost awareness always wins."

📖 Chapters
00:00 — Introduction: Maximizing Your Marketing Dollars
01:12 — Building a Strong Owned Audience First
03:59 — Smart Budget Allocation for $20K Teams
07:22 — Advanced Tactics: YouTube, Spotify, CTV
10:30 — Why Awareness & Retargeting Should Dominate
12:52 — Final Key Takeaways

🚀 Episode Outline

Stage 1: Foundation First (Small Email List Teams)

• Prioritize building your database (email over texting).
• Start Meta ads for lead generation.
• Layer in low-cost digital display (like Awarity).
• “You wouldn’t build a house on quicksand — same thing here.”

Stage 2: Smart Spending ($20K Budget + Sizable List)

• Funnel your spend:
  • Awareness (40%) ➔ Awarity, Blip billboards.
  • Interest (40%) ➔ Meta ads (Landing Page Views, Lookalikes).
  • Conversion (20%) ➔ Direct mail to a bought Chamber list.
• “Buying 1,000 mailers for $2K can drive real group sales and sponsorship ROI.”

Optional Upgrades for Bigger Budgets

• YouTube Pre-Roll Ads (great if you have game day hype content).
• Spotify Audio Ads (for big promotions).
• Connected TV (for major pushes like Opening Night).
• SMS Marketing (ONLY if you’ve built a good opt-in list).

Summary

• Build the base first.
• Think like a funnel.
• Stretch every dollar.
• Invest smartly based on your current stage and goals.

🎧 Don’t forget:
If you found this helpful, please subscribe, rate, and share the Sports Marketing Machine podcast to help others grow their fan base and sell more tickets too!

Episodes Mentioned:

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser wraps up the 4-part Meta Ads 101 series with a deep dive into retargeting—what it is, why it works, and how to do it effectively.

Jeremy walks through step-by-step how to retarget website visitors and social media engagers, while showing you how to exclude recent ticket buyers so you’re not wasting ad dollars. Plus, he explains why timing matters more than you think and how to set the right window (3–7 days or 10–14 days) for maximum conversions.

🧠 Takeaways

• Retargeting helps you re-engage warm, high-intent audiences who didn’t convert the first time.
• Website visitors from the past 3–7 days are your best bet for quick wins.
• Use exclusion lists to avoid showing ads to past ticket buyers—save budget & reduce fatigue.
• Social media engagers (likes, shares, comments, video viewers) are great to retarget within 7–14 days.
• Set up rolling audiences to keep campaigns automatically refreshed.
• $5/day budget can go a long way when ads are highly targeted.
• These tactics work best during your season when web traffic is high.
• Big brands do this daily—you can too, without a big budget.
• Combine retargeting + exclusions + time window for highest ROI.

🔊 Sound Bites

"If you're spending $35 a week to stay in front of high-intent fans—that's worth it."

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro to Retargeting
01:12 – Website Visitors: The Most Valuable Warm Audience
03:46 – Creating an 8-Day Retargeting List
06:10 – Building Your Ad & Excluding Ticket Buyers
08:48 – Social Media Engagers: Likes, Shares & Views
11:36 – Why Timing (3–7 or 10–14 Days) Matters
13:22 – Recap & How to Test for Just $5/Day

Watch the tutorial on Youtube

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help others grow their fan base and sell more tickets too!

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser explores one of the most powerful (and underused) Meta Ads tools: Lookalike Audiences. As part three of the Meta Ads 101 series, this episode unpacks how sports teams can find new, high-quality fans by targeting people who are most similar to those already engaging—like video viewers, past ticket buyers, and website visitors.

Jeremy walks through how to build these audiences, when to use them, what mistakes to avoid, and how to combine them with smart exclusions for even better performance.

🧠 Takeaways

• Lookalike Audiences let you find new fans similar to your best existing ones.
• Use high-quality source audiences: video viewers, past purchasers, website visitors.
• Avoid low-quality sources like general followers or homepage visitors.
• Target hot, warm, and cold audiences separately for better optimization.
• Combine Lookalikes with exclusions (from Ep. 108) to avoid wasting ad spend.
• Update your source audiences regularly to keep your targeting fresh.
• 1% lookalikes = most accurate match, 5% = broader but less precise reach.
• Run A/B tests across multiple audience “buckets” to identify top performers.
• Categorize video viewers: 25% = warm, 75–95% = hot leads.
• Track landing page views and conversions, not just clicks.

🔊 Sound Bite

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Lookalike Audiences
01:10 – How Meta Tracks Behavior
02:50 – Building Lookalike Audiences from Video Viewers
05:32 – Better Sources = Better Results
08:24 – Layering Location, Demographics & Exclusions
10:46 – How to Organize Campaigns by Audience Type
13:20 – Cold vs. Warm vs. Hot Audiences
17:15 – Recap & Best Practices

📺 Want to see Jeremy build a lookalike audience live?
YouTube tutorial link.

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a text

In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser continues the Meta Ads 101 series with a practical deep dive into exclusion lists—one of the most underrated ways to stretch your ad dollars and reach the right fans.

Jeremy walks through why every sports team should separate their audiences (like single-game buyers vs. season ticket holders) and how to use Meta’s built-in tools to make sure you’re not wasting money advertising to people who’ve already converted. Whether you're promoting mini-plans, season tickets, or group packages, this episode gives you a clear game plan to refine your targeting and boost your ad performance.

If you’ve ever wondered how to avoid annoying your most loyal fans or throwing budget away on audiences that already bought—this one’s for you.

🧠 Takeaways

• Separate your lists: Create distinct lists for single-game buyers and ticket plan holders.
• Exclude past purchasers from ads promoting plans or packages.
• Helps reduce ad fatigue and increase relevance score.
• Boosts ROI by only showing ads to people who haven’t converted.
• Exclusions work for more than just tickets—use them for groups, one-time events, and more.
• Meta allows layered exclusions, giving you precision control over who sees your ads.
• Regularly update exclusion lists to keep your targeting sharp.
• Saves budget and increases campaign efficiency.

🔥 Sound Bite

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro to Episode 108
00:28 – Why Exclusion Lists Matter
02:18 – Setting Up Targeted Campaigns in Meta
06:06 – Real-World Use Cases and Pro Tips

Want to watch how Jeremy builds these campaigns in real time?
🔗 Check the YouTube walkthrough.

Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedIn
Sports Marketing Machine on Instagram
Book a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine