Social Media Tracker: How can operators use Euro 2020 to boost engagement on social media?

For any sports betting operators, large sporting tournaments like the Olympics, Wimbledon and the UEFA Euro matches can be extremely useful for driving profit. Even those who don’t typically engage in sports or place bets like to get involved in some of the larger tournaments and so there are a lot of opportunities.

Operators typically plan their social media content and offers ahead of time and so the delay of the Euro 2020 to this year might have resulted in a huge change of strategy. We look at the opportunities that the rescheduled Euro 2020 brings and how operators can use it to boost engagement and drive sales.

UEFA Euro 2020 postponed

The UEFA European Championship (Euros) takes place every four years. This event gets a lot of attention from sports fans across Europe in a similar way to the World Cup. During the qualifying stages back in 2019, there were TV statistics showing that nearly 7.4 million people viewed the match between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Of course, due to the pandemic last year, the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament had to be postponed – something that disappointed football fans and operators greatly. This year’s event is set to resume on 11 June 2021 with the first group stage match between Turkey and Italy. After several group matches and a round of 16, the quarter, semi and final will be played in July.

So, how can operators use this tournament to their advantage?

Match predictions

Football fans love to predict the outcome of matches and those who believe that they are correct will then go on to place a bet. Betting odds are carefully selected based on a number of factors, not just what a football fan believes will happen. However, by asking followers to predict the outcome of a match, you can allow them to have their say and start a conversation.

Interestingly, fans are likely to engage with each other in the comments section of a post like this. The more comments, the higher the engagement levels so this is certainly something to consider. Additionally, odds on the outcome can be presented, allowing players to put their predictions to the test.

Updates on the latest matches

Due to the nature of the Euro tournament, many of the matches have not yet been decided yet. There are various rounds and the teams are announced as the competition progresses. So, there is an opportunity for operators to push news-style content around these matches and generate some interest. If fans haven’t yet heard about who their team will be playing, they are likely to engage with the post.

A good example of this kind of post comes from leading sports betting provider bet365. It has a huge following on social media with nearly two million Facebook likes. A recent post which announced that Manchester City and Chelsea would meet in the Champions League Final gained a lot of traction. At the time of writing, it had over 3.4k likes and 805 comments. Fans wanted to discuss the pairing and offer their thoughts on who might win. This can be echoed with the results of teams making it to the round of 16 and the finals.

Live quiz streams

Live video content is still very popular on social channels like Facebook and Instagram so it goes without saying that operators should use this to their advantage when promoting the Euros. There are some great ways to do this such as player interviews and discussions from a panel of experts.

However, if you want to boost engagement on social channels, a live quiz can be very effective. Football fans typically want to show off their knowledge of their favourite teams and players so getting them involved isn’t as hard as you might think. Why don’t you hire a football pundit who might be able to act as the host for the quiz? This will certainly drum up more attention.

Additionally, a live quiz should have a prize and this is up to the operator. However, signed football shirts, merchandise or simply a betting bonus can work well.

Take inspiration from bingo operators such as Gala Bingo which typically hosts live quizzes. Gala Bingo has over 163k likes on Facebook and recently conducted a live Chase quiz. This gained over 5.1k comments and lots of engagement, proving popular for the brand.

Don’t miss the opportunity

Even those who don’t offer sports betting have the chance to leverage the UEFA Euro 2020 to increase engagement on social channels. Players love to interact with football related posts and might just make their way to place a bet if they are encouraged to do so.

With the tournament kicking off in June, now is the time to start planning that content. Take inspiration from other operators who actively promote football tournaments and gain a lot of comments when they do so.

Sharon McFarlane is the managing director of Digital Footprints – a digital marketing agency that specialises in igaming. She has eight years’ experience in the industry and has contributed regularly to industry magazines and conferences sharing her expertise on all things digital marketing. Her company (www.digital-footprints.co.uk) offers an outsourced solution for igaming businesses when it comes to content marketing, social media, UX design, website design, branding and conversion rate optimisation.