Over the past few years I have been asked by numerous drag racers and drag racing promoters what the importance of social media and the digital revolution. Specifically what it means and why it matters. So I want to touch on why this is important to all of us. 

For years now, actually almost decades, we as a society have been logged on and plugged into to what we call the digital age or the digital revolution. Long gone are the days of the yellow pages, and for the most part, with a couple exceptions like Drag Illustrated, gone are the need to wait on a printed story. There is an exception to every rule though and DI would be the exactly that, so don't think for a minute that print isn't important. 

More about the digital age we are in now though. Based on the numbers that I see on a daily basis, I can tell you that mobile devices make up more than 70% of our content is consumed by either a cell phone or tablet. Gone are even the days where a majority is consumed on a home PC. This is the age of information that never stops moving and with that, portable devices are more important for content now than ever before. 

Why does this have anything to do with drag racing though? The reason is that if we as a drag racing community want to continue to expand our reach to our existing audience and bring in a new audience, then we to make sure to get them content worth consuming, along with making racers more accessible via social media. Social media, along with sites like E3xtreme, Drag Illustrated, & Competition Plus are the key to moving the community forward. 

Look at the amount of content that you consume on your phone or device, whether it be news, social media, live streaming events, shopping, etc. You want to know what one of the biggest questions I get asked but people who understand the movement to these platforms and run businesses are? The question is simply "What is your reach?" and to correlate that, it's like asking 15 years ago what your subscriber numbers were. While subscriber numbers tended to stay pretty static for the most part, social media has the ability to reach tens of thousands of people by placing that content on platforms that don't require a physical mailbox or location limitations. All it requires is Wifi or a cell signal and any type of device that can access the internet. 

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of racers out there that completely shy away from social media for one reason or another, and all I see there is missed opportunities. The chances to connect with their fans and even new fans. They missed out on breaking news, potential sponsors, and a host of other great things. Yet some are dead set against it. Let me explain why they are wrong. 

Digital media is the way to get your name and your team out to the world. Let's look at Facebook as an example.. There are over 1.65 billion registered accounts on Facebook. Now why is it that you as a drag racer or promoter not use Facebook as much as you could. That is 1.65 billion potential fans, clients, consumers, etc. and it's all free and easy to use. You can post updates, photos, videos, and a whole lot more.

I think the reason is that people chose not to use the digital tools in front of them is because they get frustrated and don't understand how to use them. What would you think if I said that some, not all, professional drivers have someone else handling their social media accounts. If you are shocked, that's part of the issue.

Our reliance on digital information is going to get greater and greater everyday. The amount of 24/7 news in drag racing is constantly growing as well. There are nights that we are up till 4am reporting on racing, and that's not even when they are racing in Russia, Bahrain, or Qatar. So no longer are the 24 hour news networks the only ones reporting things. Drag racing is that way as well. The drag racing consumer base is not a 9-5 Monday through Friday base. It is a work in the garage until 1 am before getting up at 6 am to go to work. 

So with all that said, might I make a suggestion and start utilizing the tools at your disposal in an attempt to increase your reach for potential sponsors. If you aren't ready to manage it yourself, contact us. We handle that as well.