Nascar and digital marketing

Let’s examine eight of these important lessons.

1. Utilizing NASCAR’s Star Power

 NASCAR optimizes its videos and metadata to feature the top-of-the-line talent they have available. Big stars often drive traffic through search and suggested videos.

NASCAR’s content marketing strategy is focused on:

• Knowing their audience: They understand which stars and races resonate most with their audience. How? By using tools like Google Trends to figure out what search terms to highlight in their metadata.
• Being true to their fans: While certain drivers may spike in search trends, NASCAR doesn’t feature them if they don’t appeal to their audience. Highlighting topics that aren’t interesting to their core fanbase (even if they are broadly popular) can lead their best viewers to unsubscribe.

For example, “NASCAR fans roar after Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishes fifth, honors father: Darlington Raceway,” is optimized for the search term, Dale Earnhardt Jr,” even though he finished in fifth place.

2. Using What Makes NASCAR Unique

NASCAR understands that its unique access to drivers or team owners can be a powerful tool. If you got it, flaunt it!

So, their content marketing strategy emphasizes:

• Showing something new: Most fans don’t get a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes. NASCAR has found success by bringing this previously unseen side of sports to their fans.
• Letting a star’s personality show through: NASCAR encourages its top stars to showcase their personalities in new and fun ways. This includes Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Busch, and Ty Dillon, who have started their own YouTube channels to reach fans.

3. Programming for the Off-Season

NASCAR has found that keeping a consistent flow of 2,604 uploads a year – an average of 50 a week – month in and month out is critical to cultivating a lasting audience.

Here are some additional elements of their off-season programming strategy:

• Planning ahead: The off-season often means limited access to drivers and team owners. So, NASCAR makes sure to shoot what it needs before everyone heads for the beach.
• Reviving library videos: NASCAR thinks about ways they can rework what they already have. And they create compilation packages or highlights of memorable races will keep their feed active without requiring brand-new footage.

For example, “Chase Cabre ready for big things in 2020 | NASCAR Home Tracks,” talked about next year’s season right after this year’s season ended.

4. Being Quick

NASCAR knows that speed is key when their audience is looking for something specific, like the results of the latest race or a multi-car wreck. So, they upload clips of highly searched events as soon as possible to capture every potential view.

Here are some additional things that help make this content marketing strategy successful:

• Putting their workflow in place: As mentioned above, NASCAR has streamlined its upload process to turn clips around quickly. For example, they’ve created a preset metadata template and a library of great thumbnails can make the process even faster.
• Utilizing their social media channels: Once NASCAR uploads a new clip, they communicate that to fans on all the social channels they use, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

For example, “Bowyer and Newman go at it on pit road after All-Star Race,” was uploaded to YouTube on May 18, 2019, the same day that Clint Bowyer walked up to Ryan Newman’s car on pit road and started throwing punches after the two had a confrontation in the All-Star Race.

5. Powering up for Tent-Pole Events

NASCAR races dot the calendar from February to November. But, the most important “tent-pole” events are:

• The Daytona 500 in February.
• The GEICO 500 (fka Winston 500) in April.
• The Coca-Cola 600 in May.
• The Southern 500 on Labor Day.

But, according to Google Trends, both Google and YouTube search interest in “Daytona 500” started in mid-December of 2018. So, that’s when NASCAR uploaded “Dale Jr. to drive first-ever Daytona 500 Chevy pace truck.”

For this “tent-pole” event, NASCAR uploaded 30 videos with “Daytona 500” in their titles during the 10 weeks before the race was held.

NASCAR uploaded 5 videos on the day of the race and another 7 videos the day after the race. And NASCAR uploaded a video a day over the next four days during the week after the race.

6. Thinking Outside the Box

Funny, genuine, and unique clips work well with YouTube audiences. Fans often share clips that make them laugh or leave them astonished. The more strongly your audience feels about a clip, the more likely they are to share it.

For example, watch “Daytona’s biggest moments told with toy blocks.”

7. Scoring Big by Building Community

Many video content creators have conversations with their fans to create a community.

NASCAR created the Official NASCAR Fan Council in 2008 to allow fans a way to communicate directly with the NASCAR organization, providing feedback on things that matter to them with the sport.

NASCAR also cultivates an invested fanbase by engaging with viewers on and off-screen.

For example, watch “Engine in the Brain: One fan’s incredible story.” It features Christian Sanchez, an amazing NASCAR – and Daniel Suarez – fan with autism.

8. Convert Drop-By Viewers into Loyal Fans

Finally, you should optimize your channel for long-term viewership.

You should use general best practices like end screens, calls-to-action, and channel trailers to help convert viewers into subscribers. Why?

Because subscribers typically watch twice as much as non-subscribed viewers.

For example, the current trailer on the NASCAR channel is “Six minutes of ‘Seven-Time’: Watch Jimmie Johnson’s career unfold.”

Why feature this video to visitors who haven’t subscribed to the channel yet?

Because 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has just announced that the 2020 season will be his last, so viewers won’t want to miss a single one of his races next year.

You can learn a lot from Nascar about social media. If you live in Prince George and need marketing help, contact us.