#SMSports Highlight Reel: Michigan Football

By Jessica Smith On September 22, 2015 In Highlight Reel

In case you missed it, this is a new series on the blog that highlights quick, winning hits from teams or leagues from a social and digital perspective. The first post was about the Oakland Raiders. Next up? Michigan (specifically football).

I’ve admired Michigan’s social media presence for the beginning of this blog. One of my first Q&A’s was about their strategy, and year after year they continue to raise the bar.  Michigan is one of the programs that knows their brand through and through. The athletic department always has great graphics, content and approach to social.  And, this football season they are antihistamine-meds.com winning with their GIFS, game photos and storytelling ability. Here are my three #smsports plays from Michigan Football recently:

 

No. 1- Short & Sweet Video Content.

Michigan Football released a couple videos leading up to the season that tapped. The video series tapped into the emotion of the program and all were short and sweet (less than 30 seconds).  The video length works well for Twitter and Instagram where fans will move on quickly. Take a look at some of the videos below:

https://instagram.com/p/656tv9gk1J/?taken-by=umichathletics

 

 

I love these videos because they prove it’s possible to tell a good, emotional story in short bursts.  When thinking about a series like this, it’s important to think about the theme for each video and how they will all tie together. Keep the ideas short and sweet. If you have less than 30 seconds to tell the story, it shouldn’t get too complicated.

 

No. 2- A Fan Focus.

It’s important to take time for fans. They are the pulse of your community and what keeps it going. A happy community is an engaged community; take time for them. Michigan takes time for their fans, whether they are thanking hem for their support through content or bringing fans’ tweet into their story.

Small gestures for fans go a long way. And, when you put in the right prep work, don’t have to be too time consuming. Make it a priority to put your fans front and center at certain moments. Focusing on your fans is essential.

 

No. 3- A Good Pulse on the Moment.

A huge part of working in social media and sports means being the eyes and ears of your fans. What content can you offer to bring them into the moment? What’s extraordinary in the ordinary? Capture content that will bring your fans chills, excitement, awe and emotion.

Michigan Football has a great pulse on the moment. They don’t overload their fans with content, but pick and chose stellar moments in time to highlight for their fans. They’ve got a great pulse on what’s going on before during and after the games. It’s quality, not quantity.

The bottom line is this: Find the strong moments that make for power highlights instead of going into content overload.

 

Extra Point: Transparency

When the Michigan Football, Michigan Basketball, and Michigan Athletics Facebook pages were hacked, the athletic department joined forced with university relations to give a great case study on what they learned from the hack. The transparency was phenomenal and an opportunity for all of us to learn. Read the case study here.

 

 

 

What do you stands out to you about the Michigan Football’s social? Share your thoughts below!

Thanks for reading! 

Like what you read? Please share!
RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Google+
Twitter
LinkedIn
0