This week Cam Newton signed a five-year $103.8 million extension with the Panthers. Throughout the day the team shared robust content on social media to celebrate their franchise quarterback. The Panthers’ coverage was fantastic and garnered a lot of traction. Their approach is a great reminder that any big announcement is an opportunity to build engagement, excitement and pull in fans that were not following before.
There are some great takeaways from how the Panthers handled the extension news. Here are four quick social media lessons from the coverage:
1- Plan.
It was clear the Panthers had a plan in place for the announcement of Cam’s extension. Their approach to the announcement was not just one and done—instead, they prepared enough content to drum up excitement throughout the entire day.
When you plan for a big announcement, game or moment like the Panthers did, it shines through in the content. It’s important to create compelling, strong and valuable content your consumer cares about with all the noise online today. It’s the only way to stand out.
Planning also helps you tell a cohesive story. The Panthers were able to tell every angle of the story from Cam’s highlights, the signing, his stats, his press conference, etc. because they prepped.
Don’t waste a golden moment that could catapult engagement and growth. Plan.
2- Diversify the content.
The Panthers shared a wide range of content from video, to GIFS to Vines to curated tweets and digital packages. Not only that, but the content was a range of serious, happy to humorous. Whatever type content a fan wanted to consume on Cam’s extension, there was a good chance they would find it. Here are a few examples:
Curated tweets showing the reaction of Cam Newton’s extension across Twitter.
A sampling of the stats the Panthers shared.
The mood right now pic.twitter.com/xnoPIHXKMP
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 2, 2015
Ink to paper! @CameronNewton makes it official! pic.twitter.com/01dKfhJlCn
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 2, 2015
The sports industry lends itself to storytelling in many different forms. Written word, spoken word and visuals can all tell a powerful story for fans when you approach content the right way. As you plan for a big event or game, take a step back and ask yourself how many ways you can tell the story. Diversifying content is key in keeping the story and your platforms engaging and interesting.
Need some help on your content strategy? Here’s a blog post that can help you out.
3- Design for each platform.
Every social media platform is unique, from the correct graphic dimensions to the type of content that works. Still, all too often teams take one graphic and share it across all platforms even if it isn’t the optimal size (or best type of content) for the platform.
The Panthers actually took the time to create graphics for each platform, ensuring that each one was designed and sized for the platform itself. While the style and substance is all the same, they made design tweaks to fit the proper dimensions and set the content a part. Take a look below:
Creating graphics according to each network’s optimal size makes the content more consumable and shareable. Fans won’t have to “click” to see the full picture. Do the extra work it takes to ensure the content is ideal.
If you want to take this idea even further, consider swapping out images for each platform so fans are seeing some variation in visuals like the Panthers did above. This helps to mix up content, even if he messaging is the same, so fans aren’t seeing the exact same thing over and over again.
4- Engage!
One thing that sets social media a part from other forms of advertising and marketing is the direct connection it gives teams, leagues and brands to fans. Thanks to social media, you can form relationships with consumers, pick their brain, receive immediate feedback and show your appreciation for their support instantly. Engaging with them in a one-on-one manner is important.
The @Panthers took the time to engage with some of their fans during all the buzz about Cam’s extension. Not only does it help humanize the team, but it shows that they actually want to take the time for their fans. Here’s a small sample of their replies below (note how fans retweet these too):
@IGpanthernation True. Good point. Best photo of all time…so far.
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 2, 2015
@SamJordanTurner still gives us chills. Press box was shaking from fans jumping and cheering.
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 2, 2015
The Panthers also aren’t afraid to just brush off a troll in an appropriate way. I love this simple “nah” response.
Make the time for your fans during the day. It’s easy to get jaded when you work in this industry, but don’t underestimate for a second what a reply to a fan can be for them. It leaves a lasting impression and builds ambassadors!
So there you have it! Four lessons from the Panthers’ coverage of Cam Newton’s extension: Plan, diversify the content, design for each platform and engage.
What do you like about the Panthers’ coverage? Be sure to share your thoughts below!
Thanks for reading.
