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If you’re spending money on Meta ads but don’t fully trust the numbers… you’re not crazy. In this episode, Jeremy Neisser breaks down why Meta’s reporting often doesn’t match ticketing reality—and what sports teams should track instead. You’ll get a simple, no-nonsense framework for measuring marketing performance using real revenue, not modeled guesses.

Key Topics Covered

• Why Meta’s reports and your ticketing software rarely line up
• What Conversion API (CAPI) actually does—and what it doesn’t
• The difference between optimization data and reporting truth
• Why your ticketing system and bank account are the real scoreboard
• A simple framework to track marketing without attribution drama
• New Customer Acquisition Cost (NCAC) explained for sports teams
• How Average Order Value (AOV) and Revenue Per Buyer reveal buyer quality
• Why judging ads every 48 hours leads to bad decisions
• How to evaluate marketing weekly (and ROI monthly or by homestand)

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why teams don’t trust their marketing numbers
• 02:16 – How this episode connects to Meta strategies & budget planning
• 04:37 – How Meta actually matches purchases (and why it breaks)
• 06:57 – CAPI helps optimization, not reporting accuracy
• 09:18 – Meta is better at finding buyers than explaining them
• 11:36 – Why attribution falls apart in real fan journeys
• 12:04 – A simple, spreadsheet-level tracking framework
• 13:58 – Measuring ROI the way owners and GMs actually understand
• 16:11 – NCAC: the metric that removes attribution arguments
• 18:31 – AOV vs. Revenue Per Buyer (offer strength vs. buyer quality)
• 20:40 – What to stop over-obsessing about immediately
• 23:00 – Final framework: delivery engine vs. scoreboard

Core Framework (This Is the Money Slide)

Use Meta as a delivery engine.
Use your ticketing system as the scoreboard.

Track:

• Real ad spend (including agency fees)
• Real ticket revenue
• New Customer Acquisition Cost (NCAC)
• Average Order Value (AOV)
• Revenue per buyer
• Repeat purchase behavior

Ignore:

• Platform-specific ROAS arguments
• Modeled attribution fights
• Day-to-day emotional decision-making

Call to Action

If this episode helped you, share it with someone on your team. The fastest way to kill “marketing isn’t working” conversations is getting everyone to agree on one scoreboard—your ticketing data.

Links mentioned:

Sports Marketing Machine powered by Revelocity Sports

Episode 135 - Simplest Way to Justify Your Marketing Budget

Episode 147 - Meta Ads Strategies That WORK in 2026

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Performance Max (P-Max) is showing up in more agency proposals—but most teams don’t fully understand what they’re buying.

In this episode, Jeremy Neisser breaks down what P-Max actually is inside Google Ads, why it sounds so attractive to sports teams, and how it’s often used to hide weak or undefined marketing strategy. You’ll learn when P-Max can help, when it hurts, and the critical questions teams should ask before letting automation take the wheel.

Key Topics Covered

• What Performance Max really does (in plain English)
• Why P-Max is an execution layer—not a marketing strategy
• How messy data causes P-Max to optimize for the wrong wins
• The danger of blended audiences and lost message control
• How agencies use P-Max as a reporting smoke screen
• When P-Max actually can work for sports teams
• Why segmentation and funnel clarity still matter in an AI world
• How to spot red flags in agency P-Max proposals

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – Why Performance Max keeps showing up in agency proposals
• 02:47 – What P-Max actually is (and how it works)
• 05:36 – Why automation without strategy is dangerous
• 08:58 – How P-Max steals credit and inflates “conversions”
• 11:49 – When Performance Max can make sense for teams
• 14:39 – Strategy over automation: the real takeaway

Key Takeaways

• Performance Max is often used to mask weak strategy, not enhance strong ones.
• Automation simplifies execution—but it doesn’t replace thinking.
• P-Max is only as smart as your data (and most teams’ data is messy).
• Blended audiences lead to blended messaging—and wasted spend.
• If you can’t explain who’s buying and why, P-Max is a blindfold.
• P-Max works best as a supporting channel, not your entire plan.
• Clear funnel logic beats “AI will figure it out” every time.

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In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses the often-overlooked aspect of lead generation in sports marketing. He emphasizes the importance of allocating a portion of the marketing budget to grow the fan database, rather than solely focusing on immediate ticket sales. Neisser outlines effective strategies for lead generation, including involving sponsors, creating compelling offers, and implementing follow-up plans. He also provides insights on budgeting for lead generation and the long-term benefits of building a larger audience.


Takeaways

• Most teams allocate 80-90% of their budget to single game ticket sales.
• Lead generation should be a key focus for sports teams.
• Growing your database is essential for long-term success.
• Lead generation is about capturing fan information, not immediate sales.
• Involving sponsors can enhance lead generation campaigns.
• High perceived value offers attract more participants.
• Follow-up is crucial after lead generation campaigns.
• Budgeting for lead generation should be a priority.
• Teams should think strategically about audience building.
• Lead generation is an investment in future ticket sales.

This episode makes the case that lead generation isn’t optional—it’s a core revenue strategy. Teams that dedicate real budget to list growth lower future ad costs, stop burning out their database, and give sales teams warmer leads to work. Whether sponsor-powered or self-funded, the key is high perceived value, simple opt-ins, fast follow-up, and intentional segmentation. Teams that treat lead gen as an investment—not an expense—build momentum that pays off all season long.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Lead Generation in Sports Marketing
02:35 The Importance of Growing Your Database
05:52 Lead Generation Strategies and Sponsor Involvement
08:42 Creating Compelling Offers for Lead Generation
11:54 Follow-Up Strategies for Lead Generation
14:37 Budgeting for Lead Generation in Sports Marketing
17:51 Key Takeaways and Action Steps

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Meta ads didn’t “break” — they evolved. In this episode, Jeremy explains (in plain English) what actually changed inside Meta over the last few months and why the old playbook of tight targeting, lookalikes, and lots of small campaigns no longer works. If you’re trying to sell more tickets in 2026, this episode gives you a clearer, simpler framework built around creative, behavior, and momentum — not guesswork.

Key Topics Covered

• Why Meta Platforms knows less about fans — and why that’s not a bad thing
• How privacy changes permanently weakened interest targeting and lookalike audiences
• The shift from labels (sports fan, parent, local) to behavior-based learning
• Why creative now does the targeting — not audience checkboxes
• How too many small campaigns quietly kill performance
• Why fewer campaigns + more creative = better results
• The real minimum budgets Meta needs to learn and optimize
• How sports teams can let fans “self-identify” through engagement

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – Why Meta ads feel broken right now
• 01:03 – What actually changed inside Meta
• 03:28 – Why interest targeting is fuzzy (and always will be)
• 05:49 – Why lookalike audiences are slower and less predictable
• 08:03 – The biggest shift: Meta learns from behavior, not labels
• 10:14 – Creative as targeting: showing moments, not audiences
• 12:14 – Campaign structure mistakes teams keep making
• 14:24 – The new Meta mindset: clear beats clever
• 15:39 – Homework, next steps, and final takeaways

Tactical Takeaways

• Stop asking “Who should we target?” — start asking “What moment are we showing?”
• Let Meta learn from scroll-stopping content, not assumptions
• Consolidate campaigns so Meta gets enough data to optimize
• Feed the algorithm with real fan experiences, not generic graphics
• Clarity sells tickets better than cleverness

Call to Action

If this episode helped clarify where Meta ads are actually heading, share it with someone on your team who’s frustrated with paid ads right now.
And if you want to pressure-test your current Meta setup, head to the website and book a quick call — even if it’s just to sanity-check what you’re running.

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Marketing predictions are everywhere—but most don’t help sell tickets. In Episode 146, Jeremy Neisser shares 13 practical marketing predictions for 2026, filtered through one question: does this sell more tickets, or is it busy work? This episode focuses on controlling the buying moment, personalization, signal-based marketing, and why the revenue loop replaces the funnel.

Key Topics Covered

• Personalization as a ticket-sales differentiator
• Creative as the new media buyer
• Signals over pixels (Buyer data)
• Saves, comments, & DMs as buying intent
• Zero-click checkout & social selling
• Data reclamation from marketplaces
• First-click ownership as a revenue KPI
• Warm audiences vs. cold acquisition

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:08 Personalization
04:31 Creative as Media Buyer
06:51 Signals Over Pixels
10:34 DMs as Soft Leads
12:56 Zero-Click Checkout
15:15 Social Selling
18:04 Data Reclamation
19:58 First-Click Ownership
21:26 Warm vs Cold
23:49 Per Persona Campaigns
25:10 Marketing as Inside Sales
26:35 Revenue Loop

Supporting Links

https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-advertising-changes-2025/
https://www.jonloomer.com/understand-meta-advertising-8-episodes/
https://www.jonloomer.com/interactions-post-engagement/
https://www.emarketer.com/content/social-commerce-2024
https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/social-commerce/
https://www.brightedge.com/resources/webinars/owning-the-first-click
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/search/brand-vs-non-brand-search/
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/secondary-ticket-market
https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate
https://baymard.com/blog/checkout-usability
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/03/02/retargeting
https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/146787991656572?id=561906377587030
https://hbr.org/2016/07/ending-the-war-between-sales-and-marketing
https://www.forrester.com/blogs/b2c-marketing-and-sales-alignment/
https://www.meta.com/business/help/1438417719786914

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In this episode, Jeremy Neisser reviews his previous predictions for sports marketing and fan engagement for 2025, assessing where he was right, where he was wrong, and what the implications are for 2026. He discusses the impact of AI and personalization, the shift towards membership models, the rise of short form video, the importance of user-generated content, and the challenges of holistic attribution. He also delves into the complexities of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in sports, donor engagement strategies, and the significance of focusing on fan quality over quantity.

Key Themes Covered

• AI & personalization (where it works and where it doesn’t)
• The continued shift from season tickets → membership models
• Short-form video becoming the backbone of ticket marketing
• Why creative is now the targeting
• The messy reality of attribution
• NIL’s impact on ticket sales and sponsorships
• Donor engagement at scale
• Why fan quality matters more than fan quantity

Takeaways

• AI and personalization are crucial for sports marketing success.
• Membership models are replacing traditional season tickets.
• Short form video has become essential for engaging fans.
• User-generated content builds trust and engagement.
• Holistic attribution is challenging but necessary for understanding marketing impact.
• NIL has complicated the landscape of college athletics.
• Donors seek meaningful engagement beyond transactions.
• NIL platforms need to simplify for small market teams.
• Focusing on fan quality leads to better outcomes than quantity.
• Auditing marketing strategies is essential for future success.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Self-Audit of Predictions
01:01 AI and Personalization in Sports Marketing
03:54 Membership Models and Fan Engagement
05:46 The Rise of Short Form Video
08:04 User-Generated Content and Micro Influencers
09:28 Holistic Attribution Challenges
13:11 Navigating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)
16:31 Donor Engagement and Experience
18:54 NIL Platforms and Market Scaling
20:20 The Importance of Fan Quality Over Quantity
22:13 Conclusion and Advice for 2026

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Episode 95 – 12 Marketing & Fan Engagement Predictions for 2025
• 80/20 Principle (Pareto Principle)
• Sports Marketing Machine Strategy Call

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The marketing landscape changed fast in 2025—and sports teams felt it in their revenue. In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine, Jeremy Neisser breaks down 13 real-world marketing lessons that directly impacted ticket sales, renewals, and average order value. No trends, no platforms, no vanity metrics—just the decisions that actually showed up on the revenue report and matter heading into 2026.

Key Topics Covered

• Why buying friction quietly kills impulse ticket sales
• How revenue exposes bad marketing faster than engagement metrics
• Why timing beats messaging when it comes to conversions
• The costly mistake of choosing clever over clear
• How personalization (not tech) drove higher sales
• Why owned channels became the safest revenue engine
• How creative replaced targeting in paid media
• Why familiar offers outperform “new and shiny” ideas
• Bundles vs. discounts—and why bundles win
• The overlooked revenue power of single-game buyers
• How promotions train (or damage) fan behavior
• Why retention quietly became cheaper than acquisition
• How top teams turned marketing into a revenue system, not a department

Episode Chapters / Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why these aren’t trends, platforms, or vanity metrics
• 01:30 – Lesson 1: Buying friction kills impulse sales
• 04:53 – Lesson 2: Revenue exposes bad marketing
• 07:15 – Lesson 3: Timing > messaging
• 09:07 – Lesson 4: Clarity always beats cleverness
• 10:54 – Lesson 5: Personalization as a revenue lever
• 13:32 – Lesson 6: Owned channels = owned revenue
• 15:28 – Lesson 7: Creative became the new targeting
• 17:24 – Lesson 8: Familiarity sells faster than novelty
• 19:20 – Lesson 9: Bundles beat discounts
• 20:17 – Lesson 10: Single-game buyers as a growth engine
• 21:42 – Lesson 11: Promotions train fan behavior
• 23:09 – Lesson 12: Retention beats acquisition
• 25:00 – Lesson 13: Marketing as a revenue system

Call to Action

If this episode sparked an idea—or exposed something you need to fix—reach out at sportsmarketingmachine.com or connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn. And if alignment still isn’t happening between sales and marketing on your team, this episode is required listening.

Why This Episode Matters

The teams that won in 2025 didn’t shout louder or spend more—they reduced friction, showed up at the right moment, personalized their offers, and aligned sales, marketing, and data around revenue. These 13 lessons are your blueprint for turning marketing into predictable ticket sales in 2026.

Links mentioned:

Episode 140: Mystery Park Promo that Sold 700 Tickets

Episode 137: Make Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Offer So Good!

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The way fans decide where to spend their money has fundamentally changed—and many sports teams are still marketing like it hasn’t. In this episode, Jeremy Neisser breaks down the post-COVID “experience shift” and explains why fans are choosing experiences over products, convenience, and even price. By studying how restaurants reinvented themselves after COVID, Jeremy shows sports marketers how to drive urgency, attention, and ticket sales by turning games into moments worth sharing.

Key Topics Covered

• How consumer behavior shifted dramatically after COVID—and why it didn’t “go back to normal”
• The rise of the experience economy and why experiential spending has exploded since 2019
• Why restaurants leaned into the weird, the wacky, and the visually shareable
• What “the experience is the marketing” actually means for sports teams
• How social media now directly influences purchasing decisions, not just awareness
• Why Millennials and Gen Z choose events based on what they see online
• How attention and urgency outperform discounts and promotions
• What every game needs to have to stand out in a crowded entertainment market

Timestamps

• 00:00 – The post-COVID landscape and the experience shift
• 02:35 – Why restaurants are the best case study for sports marketers
• 05:45 – The experience economy and why attention beats paid media
• 08:33 – Social media as a buying decision, not a branding tool
• 11:51 – What sports teams should steal from restaurant marketing
• 13:30 – Selling moments instead of schedules and discounts
• 15:51 – Final takeaway: how experiences create urgency and revenue

Links mentioned:

1. Forbes – Experience Economy Growth Post-COVID
   https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2023/11/09/gen-z-and-affluent-consumers-are-re-shaping-the-experience-economy/
2. Restaurant Dive – Thriving in the Experience Economy
   https://www.restaurantdive.com/spons/how-restaurants-can-thrive-in-the-experience-economy/728365/
3. Restaurant Social Media Statistics (Discovery → Purchase)
   https://cropink.com/restaurant-social-media-statistics
4. Deloitte – Social-First Restaurants & Revenue Growth
   https://www.deloittedigital.com/us/en/insights/perspective/social-media-strategies-restaurants.html
5. Gen Z & Social Food Trends
   https://www.fb101.com/why-84-of-gen-z-are-trying-social-media-food-trends-and-what-that-means-for-restaurant-marketing/
6. Episode 90: How Chili’s Leveraged User-Generated Content to Driv

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