Newsletters are not new to athletics. Everyone from your favorite college program to the biggest professional teams has one.
But did you know you can do the same thing at the high school level? Starting a newsletter for your high school’s athletic department could not only improve engagement but also create a reliable revenue stream.
Here’s how you, as a high school AD, can turn a simple digital newsletter into a powerful funding tool for your program.
1. Boost Ticket Sales for Games and Events
A newsletter is a perfect platform to boost ticket sales for your events. Let’s break down how this works:
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Get the Word Out: A regular newsletter keeps your audience informed about upcoming games, events, and tournaments. If your community doesn’t know about the events, they can’t attend! Consistent reminders in a newsletter ensure everyone knows when and where to show up.
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Make Ticket Purchase Easy: Simplify the ticket-buying process by including a direct “Buy Tickets” button in each newsletter. By linking this button directly to your online ticketing page, you reduce the number of steps for your audience and increase the likelihood that they purchase tickets.
A clear call-to-action & easy ticket purchasing leads to higher attendance, a fuller cheering section for your athletes, and increased gate revenue for your program.
2. Attract Sponsorships from Local Businesses
Local businesses love supporting community initiatives, and your athletic department is no exception. Your newsletter is prime digital real estate for local businesses to advertise to your readers.
There are a couple of things that make your newsletter a super valuable sponsorship opportunity for local businesses. Make sure to leverage these when approaching potential sponsors:
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Targeted Exposure: Your newsletter reaches key demographics, including students, parents, staff, and local community members. This targeted audience gives businesses a great return on investment (ROI) for their sponsorship dollars.
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Real Numbers = Real Value: Approach potential sponsors with concrete numbers about your newsletter’s reach. For example, sharing that your newsletter goes out to “2,000 students, 4,000 parents, and 500 staff members” shows just how many eyeballs will be on your sponsor's ad. You can even couple your newsletter placements with social media mentions and website ads to maximize sponsor reach.
A digital newsletter sponsorship is a win-win for both you and your sponsor. It brings in valuable revenue to your program while also boosting local businesses in your community.
3. Promote Fundraisers and Merchandise Sales
Newsletters are also perfect for promoting fundraisers and merchandise sales, which can be crucial for supporting your program’s funding needs.
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Keep Fundraising Accessible and Consistent: Regular newsletters keep the community up-to-date on the great work your athletic department is doing, which can positively impact fundraising efforts. People are more willing to contribute when they see the benefits their support brings, and a newsletter is a great way to share these successes regularly.
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Highlight Merch Sales: School-branded merchandise is a fun way for fans to show support, but they need to know where to buy it! By promoting merchandise directly in your newsletter and including a purchase link, you simplify the shopping process. Whether the newsletter goes out monthly or weekly, it gives fans regular reminders to grab new gear, directly driving up merch sales.
By keeping your fundraising and merchandise promotions consistent, you’ll build a base of dedicated supporters who feel connected to your athletic program and excited to contribute.
In Summary: Drive Revenue with Your Athletic Newsletter
With these three strategies, a regular digital newsletter can become a significant revenue driver for your high school athletic department:
- Increase Ticket Sales by promoting events with easy purchase options.
- Grow Sponsorship Revenue by offering valuable, targeted ad placements to local businesses.
- Boost Fundraising and Merch Sales through consistent, direct communication.
With these strategies, your athletic newsletter can help secure the funding your program needs to thrive.
Looking for a newsletter tool to get started! Try Gipper Newsletters for free today!
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