The NFL regular season hasn’t even started yet, but there are still plenty of great social media ideas coming from NFL teams. I’ll track and profile many teams and ideas throughout the season, but thought I would share five solid ideas from the preseason. Here’s to being inspired by these NFL examples and many more in the regular season to come.
1- Plan for unpredictable, predictable moments.
Sports are a weird beast. In order for coverage to be top notch, there’s a need to plan for the unexpected. Planning for the unexpected starts with defining the moments that can happen during a game. For football, it’s about the touchdowns, field goals, interceptions, sacks, etc. Define the moments you know will (or could) happen during the season and create evergreen content for it. Below are examples from the Panthers and Dolphins.
Another big play! Rookie LB Brian Blechen picks off Landry Jones! #CARvsPIT pic.twitter.com/bYNVmhuEhf
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 4, 2015
TOUCHDOWN, MIKE GILLISLEE!!#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/JZt2UEXFnr
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 4, 2015
Want more advice on planning for the unexpected? I’ve got a blog post on it here.
2- Think of games as a series.
The 49ers have created photo overlays for each game of the season. Think about how we use hashtags to group content. The overlays function in a similar way. The game themes turn into “collections” for fans that make it easy to follow along and piece together the full story. The design is also simple and sleek so it doesn’t detract from the heart of the content.
The pick that sealed it! #SDvsSF pic.twitter.com/oKnsDFt7Av
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 4, 2015
It's gameday! 7pm kickoff #SDvsSF #BeatTheChargers pic.twitter.com/huitQ82ZC3
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 3, 2015
#SACKCITY #MON5T3R pic.twitter.com/fqzz9YBL7T
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 30, 2015
Patiently waiting for kickoff… #BeatTheBroncos pic.twitter.com/ruCHghoKIr
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 29, 2015
3- Tie in sponsors, naturally.
All too often sponsored social media content looks like it’s sold in, then teams slap logos on content without understanding why. You can’t create content, slap a logo on it and call it a win for anyone (fan, sponsor or team).
There is a way to do sponsored content right though. The Browns and Panthers are just two of the teams that have produced sponsored content that makes sense. Take a look:
In these examples, there is a natural connection between the content and the sponsor. The content doesn’t add noise to fans’ timelines and there’s an actual tie-in to the sponsors’ products and the content. Win, win, win.
4- Work with influencers, content creators.
There are creative people all around you, from fans to artists, who see things through a different lens. Don’t go on the content journey alone. Instead, enlist creative people who can help you tell a more powerful story. Influencers, artists and photographers provide a different angle and/or unique content; they will also bring in their own audience when the activation is cross promoted.
The Chargers and 49ers give us two good examples of enlisting influencers and/or content creators. The Chargers enlisted a YouTube influencer for a Snapchat takeover, while the 49ers use content creators to create branded Vines in a series called the #FortyViners. Both are big wins in creating unique content.
Snapchat OfficialBolts hijacked by YouTube superstar @MikeyBolts . Don't miss it! #SEAvsSD ⚡️🏈⚡️ pic.twitter.com/f42fumq4N2
— Nicoletta Ruhl (@Etta07) August 30, 2015
The bottom line is this: Find other creatives around you and don’t be afraid to let them help you tell your story.
5- Think about GIFs differently.
Reaction, pop-culture GIFS are no longer the only type of GIFS we see. Can I get a hallelujah? In all seriousness, teams are starting to think about GIFS differently and it’s refreshing to see. GIFS have gone beyond humor and moved into a bigger storytelling role. From score updates to countdowns and sticky content, teams have used GIFS in a more creative and engaging fashion.
But why do GIFS work so well on Twitter? I have a few theories. The cadence of GIFS makes the content more memorable and shareable. They catch fans’ eyes as they scroll through the feed. Additionally, while GIFS are engaging, they tend to be short and sweet (which we all knows wins on social). Find a way to use them creatively.
Below are a few examples of teams creating on-brand GIFS this season that are used for much more than a reaction:
Next Sunday. It's going down for real! #NYGvsDAL pic.twitter.com/wvNt4a5qx5
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 6, 2015
Home.
Field.
Advantage.#WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/rgyBNQ8dVl— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 27, 2015
Meet the #Texans 53-man roster heading into Sunday's regular season opener against the @chiefs. pic.twitter.com/kHrxmU1yKN
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 9, 2015
RT if the first day of September has you feeling like this pic.twitter.com/FdvNwAziJZ
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 1, 2015
Seahawks scoring in all three phases of the game.#OAKvsSEA pic.twitter.com/4CmfpgG3Bt
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 4, 2015
This list only skims the surface of the great social media ideas from NFL teams during the preseason, so let us know what has stood out to you so far. Comment below!
Thanks for reading!
