Best Social Moments from Championship Sunday

By Guest On January 19, 2014 In Uncategorized with 2 Comments

Below are my favorite social moments (not overall strategy) from the teams that competed on Championship Sunday, with insight into why:

1. The perfect tease.

Sometimes you have content so great you want your entire audience to see it, even if it doesn’t live on the platform where they engage. Getting people to click through can be a hard task. If you understand and respect the platforms though, you can get people’s attention and have them take action.

The 49ers prove they get platforms with this post. As seen above, they know that simply linking to their infographic won’t get a lot of traction on Twitter. Instead, they tease their audience with a clip of the infographic that fits the platform.

2. Consistent look and feel.

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I love brands that know their identity- their look, their feel, their voice. A quick glance at the 49ers Instagram profile and it immediately screams consistency. This is important. When fans scroll through their endless and noisy timelines it helps stand out.

3. The right play on Instagram.

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Click the picture to watch the clip on Instagram.

This video is simple, effective and awesome. The 49ers get big props for thinking on their feet and capitalizing on Colin Kapernick’s infamous commercial. This is what social media is all about.

4. Vines, vines and more vines.

Vine was made for raw and unedited videos, so naturally it is a great tool for behind-the-scenes content. And, the Denver Broncos love the platform. I’m happy to see teams understand native platforms enough to share Vine on Twitter instead of an Instagram link. Let’s keep the trend going.

5. A simple, but powerful, post.

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Not only is this a powerful photo, but the Patriots also kept it simple with the copy. This is the perfect combination on Facebook. Studies show you can get up to 66% more engagement if you cut posts down to less than 80 characters (stat via Buffer). Look at that engagement. Well done, Patriots.

6. Brilliant engagement.

Not only do the Seahawks engage, but they engage CREATIVELY. They turned fan photos into branded photos. They tweeted a coffee to a fan. I think I’m in love (no, seriously).  As you can see, when the Seahawks engage they get retweeted.

Additionally, engaging with fans is much more powerful than just retweeting them. First, if you retweet as a way of engaging with fans you clog everyone else’s timeline with zero value. Secondly, social media is about being human… which means conversation. Take the time to build relationships with fans. It will pay off.

7. Easy color commentary. 

During a championship game, there is a really good chance your fans are watching. They don’t need play-by-play from you (and the ones that do, have other options). Instead, your fans want to feel connected with your team. Be human. Respond to the game action like they are responding. Show them that you are emotionally invested.

These are extremely simple tweets from Seattle, yet they gained some of the most traction for them during the game. I’ll leave you with that food for thought.

8. A peek behind the curtain. 

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I’m a big fan of behind-the-scenes content because it enhances the game day coverage for fans. It appears fans like it too. This Instagram post from Denver received the third highest engagement rate of the day for the team on Instagram.

The only thing that would have made this content better is copy that is a little more personal. Copy like “YOUR quarterback Peyton Manning” helps to inspire the fandom in your supporters. Remember, social media isn’t about you… it’s about them. It’s also about being personal.

9. Acknowledgment of a loss. 

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I’m a big believer that acknowledging a loss on social media can go a long way. It’s amazing how many teams simply ignore the fact. A loss is the perfect opportunity to empathize with fans and show your human side.

In this example, I think the key to success was using the word disappointing. It wasn’t just a loss, it was a disappointing loss for both the players, coaches, organization AND fans. The language of this post could have been a little more personal (again, don’t neglect words like we, you, etc.), but all in all, a solid job.

10. Just awesome.

No caption needed. This is awesome, Denver.

11. Timeliness when emotions are high.

The Seahawks were extremely timely with their celebration tweets. They aren’t fancy, but they worked. In moments of high emotion, timeliness trumps quality of content (sadly, I know). Not only is timeliness key when tapping into emotion, but it also ensures you tell your own story and not let others do it for you.

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2 comments.

  1. Agree with just about all of it, Jessica, except the Seahawks in-game 2nd screen content. I wasn’t tracking G+ or mobile app platforms and wonder how teams did in those spaces.

    • Thanks for the note, Neil! The points are not about their overall strategy, but about the particular moments. I agree with you completely, some of the Seahawks content could be improved (they don’t do a lot with visuals). I think sometimes the simple moments get more traction than actual play-by-play on Twitter, but these might not have been the best examples.

      I didn’t look at Google+ or mobile apps. If you find any good info, please share!

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