FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer (MLS) club based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The club was founded in 2016 and plays in the Eastern Conference of the MLS. FC Cincinnati is one of the newest expansion teams in the MLS, having joined the league in 2019. As a relatively new club, FC Cincinnati is still working to build up its brand recognition and fan base. Digital marketing efforts are crucial for helping the club connect with supporters and grow its presence both locally and nationally.
The Importance of Digital Marketing for FC Cincinnati
For a new MLS club like FC Cincinnati, having a strong digital marketing strategy is extremely important. Some key reasons why digital marketing matters for FC Cincinnati include:
- Building awareness and growing the club’s fanbase – As a new team, many potential fans locally and nationally may still be unaware of FC Cincinnati. Digital marketing helps increase awareness and enables the club to connect with new audiences.
- Engaging with supporters – Social media, email marketing, and other digital tactics allow FC Cincinnati to engage fans, share news and updates, and foster an online community.
- Ticket sales – Digital marketing promotes and enables online ticket purchases, which is invaluable for driving match attendance and revenue.
- Merchandise sales – Email campaigns, social ads, and other methods can drive product awareness and online sales of FC Cincinnati jerseys, hats, scarves, and other items.
- Promoting the FC Cincinnati brand – Digital content and assets help establish FC Cincinnati’s brand identity and personality with current and potential fans.
- Sharing match updates & highlights – Digital channels allow FC Cincinnati to share photos, videos, recaps, and more from matches and events to create excitement and FOMO (fear of missing out).
Given the importance of digital marketing for achieving these objectives and fueling business growth, FC Cincinnati needs a strong digital marketing manager to lead its efforts.
The Role of FC Cincinnati’s Digital Marketing Manager
The digital marketing manager at FC Cincinnati oversees all digital marketing initiatives for the club. This is a critical strategic role with a wide range of responsibilities, including:
- Developing the overall digital marketing strategy and managing its execution across channels like email, social media, SEO, and paid advertising.
- Establishing goals and KPIs for digital marketing campaigns and measuring success.
- Growing FC Cincinnati’s presence and engagement across social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
- Creating and overseeing email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and drive ticket sales.
- Managing the club’s website and improving SEO to increase traffic.
- Overseeing creation of digital content and assets including videos, graphics, and more.
- Staying on top of digital marketing and MLS trends, platforms, and innovations.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams across the organization on digital initiatives.
- Tracking analytics and insights to guide optimization.
The digital marketing manager must balance creative strategy and analytical thinking. They need to understand MLS and soccer yet also know how to connect with fans locally. Overall, this role is critical for advancing FC Cincinnati’s digital marketing capabilities and enabling its continued growth.
Introducing FC Cincinnati’s Current Digital Marketing Manager
The current digital marketing manager leading FC Cincinnati’s online and social media efforts is Jamie Watson.
Jamie Watson joined FC Cincinnati in January 2021 as the club’s new Digital Marketing Manager. Based on her background and experience, Watson was seen as the ideal candidate to fill this important role for the ambitious MLS club.
Key Background & Experience
- Earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Miami University in Ohio.
- Previously served as Social Media Manager for Xavier University Athletics for 2 years.
- Gained additional digital marketing experience at Cincinnati Bell and 84.51°.
- Played Division 1 soccer for four years in college – so she understands the sport well.
- Native of Cincinnati and has been immersed in the city’s soccer culture.
With her blend of social media management experience, soccer knowledge, and local familiarity, Jamie Watson was perfectly suited to become FC Cincinnati’s Digital Marketing Manager as the club entered its third MLS season.
Achievements & Initiatives as Digital Marketing Manager
In just over a year leading FC Cincinnati’s digital marketing efforts, Jamie Watson has already overseen significant growth and executed impactful campaigns. Some highlights include:
- Oversaw a 63% increase in FC Cincinnati’s Instagram followers in 2021.
- Launched several successful email campaigns promoting ticket plans and packages resulting in strong sales.
- Implemented new social media content strategies to showcase players’ personalities and drive engagement.
- Created the #ForCincy digital campaign featuring fan and player videos that generated over 2 million video views.
- Established commitments from players to create exclusive digital content for fans during the season.
- Implemented tracking and analytics to monitor digital marketing performance vs. goals.
Jamie Watson’s approach of combining creative campaigns and influencer content with data-driven execution has propelled FC Cincinnati’s digital marketing success so far. With Watson at the helm, FC Cincinnati’s digital strategy appears poised for continued success in connecting with fans both locally and further afield.
Keys to Success as FC Cincinnati’s Digital Marketing Manager
Based on Jamie Watson’s effective tenure thus far, we can break down some of the keys to success as FC Cincinnati’s digital marketing manager:
Soccer Knowledge & Passion
Watson brings first-hand experience playing competitive soccer in college along with a lifelong passion for the sport. This enables her to develop digital content and campaigns that genuinely connect with other fans who share this passion.
Creativity & Storytelling
Digital marketing today is all about creating compelling and emotionally engaging stories and content. Watson has embraced creativity and great storytelling in FC Cincinnati’s digital campaigns.
Data-Driven Approach
While creative, Watson also takes a data-driven approach by setting quantifiable goals, tracking KPIs, monitoring analytics, and using insights to iterate. This enables continual optimization.
Collaborative Style
Cross-team collaboration is essential in digital marketing. Watson adopts a collaborative approach working across PR, content, sales, and other departments to drive integrated strategies.
Local Connections
Being from Cincinnati herself with long-time local soccer connections has helped Watson craft digital campaigns that resonate with the club’s core local fanbase.
Forward-Looking Mindset
In digital marketing, staying cutting edge is crucial. Watson keeps up with the latest trends and innovations to continually push FC Cincinnati’s digital marketing ahead.
This blend of creative talent, analytical thinking, soccer knowledge, and local connections makes Jamie Watson the ideal digital marketing leader for FC Cincinnati as the club continues charting its MLS journey.
The Future Looks Bright for FC Cincinnati’s Digital Marketing
Under the leadership of Jamie Watson, FC Cincinnati’s digital marketing efforts have already made great strides and are poised for future success. The club and Watson seem to have all the necessary ingredients – ambition, creativity, analytical rigor, and digital savoir-faire – to engage fans and propel continued growth.
Powered by data-driven digital marketing, FC Cincinnati aims to continue surging up the MLS standings while also becoming one of the most popular and followed clubs in Major League Soccer. The future looks bright for FC Cincinnati, and Jamie Watson will play a key role in shaping it through innovative digital marketing leadership.