[Guide] Playoff Digital Ticketing Tips for Schools and Fans

The 2024 football postseason is ramping up nationwide. Ticketing policies might differ from what schools and fans are familiar with in the regular season. 

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or will be using GoFan for the first time in the playoffs, you can set your staff and fans up for success with this guide.

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• Communicate your digital ticketing policy to your fans.
• Promote playoff events with social media and email.
• Pre-sell tickets online and consider incentive purchasing.
• View ticket sales data and plan accordingly.
• Send event alerts to notify fans of important protocols.
• Train staff and volunteers on ticket redemption.
• Provide support resources to staff and fans.
• Display self-checkout signs and instructions at the gate. 
  
  

Communicate your digital ticketing policy to your fans ahead of time.

Some schools may use a different platform in the regular season than the official partner for the playoffs. Make sure your fans know your digital ticketing policy for the postseason with flyers on campus and announcements on your website, social media channels, newsletters, and other forms of communication.  

You can also forward your announcement to your league commissioners, other association schools, and local media outlets to get the word out. Your digital ticketing provider can assist you with these announcements by providing standard messaging templates and social media graphics.

Promote playoff events with social media and email.

In addition to posting playoff events on your website, you can amplify your reach with social media and email. Social media can be a quick and personal way to connect with fans and direct them to the right link to purchase tickets. 

You can also use your email database to communicate with fans with regular newsletters or individual emails specific to each round of the playoffs.  

Pre-sell tickets online and consider incentive pricing for purchasing in advance.

By pre-selling tickets online, you can operate more efficiently before the event and at the gate while creating a safer and enhanced experience for staff and fans. 

Encourage fans to buy tickets early and communicate that it will help them get into the playoff events much faster. If you can provide an extra incentive, offering a reduced price for purchasing tickets in advance can be a great way to appeal to fans.

View ticket sales data on demand and plan accordingly.

With a modern digital ticketing and event management platform, you can view ticket sales in real-time and take appropriate action. For example, you can close ticket sales when an event is sold out, adjust capacity restrictions as needed, plan your staffing and security measures, and more with instant access to your playoff ticketing information.

Send event alerts to notify fans of important protocols.

Communication is key to successful playoff events. With digital ticketing, you can easily send event alerts to notify your fans of important protocols, including capacity restrictions, weather advisories, and more.

Train staff and volunteers on ticket redemption.

Along with some of your fans, some event staff and volunteers may not be familiar with your official digital ticketing platform for playoffs. Make sure that anyone working at the gate knows how to use the digital ticketing system and answer common questions. 

Your digital ticketing partner can provide helpful content to guide gate attendants through this process.

Provide support resources to schools and fans.

Schools and fans may occasionally have questions aside from the ticket redemption process. You can direct them to your digital ticketing partner’s school support and fan support resources for more in-depth assistance.

Users can easily navigate these content libraries and find answers with a simple search.