Catgory: Social Media

Arizona Coyotes Integrate “Throwback Night” with Social

By Jessica Smith On March 10, 2015 In Social Media with 1 Comment

Last week the Arizona Coyotes hosted a “Throwback Night”, celebrating the team’s original logo and uniform. The players wore the franchise’s black Kachina-style jerseys for the first time since the team switched logos and uniforms in 2003-04. Former players also dropped the ceremonial first puck. People love nostalgia, so as you can imagine, the night was a big success.

One of the things I loved about the Coyote’s approach to “Throwback Night” was how they also told the story online. They didn’t push out fan promos they ran in-venue; they found a unique, relevant and compelling way to tell the story for the fans at home. Here are a few examples of their content:

Screen Shot 2015-03-10 at 9.30.03 AM

If your team hosts a themed night, think about how to tell a parallel story about it online in a compelling way. It’s not about showing pictures of the fan promotions from the game, but figuring out the online story would interest your social media community. If you want to integrate your in-venue promotions with your online story, consider these three things:

No. 1- Don’t focus so much on the in-venue pieces; focus on the theme.

No. 2- From the theme, find the story.

No. 3- Execute initiatives to get your social media audience engaged.

Integrating your in-venue promotions into your social media strategy is important. That said, it’s important to remember that it’s not so much about the promos but about the big idea. Don’t focus on snapping pictures of the in-venue promotions; focus on telling a creative and compelling parallel story that your fans will care about, just like the Coyotes did.

 

What do you think are the keys to integrating event promotions with social media? Share your thoughts below!

As always, thanks for reading. 

Content Inspiration from Kansas Men’s Basketball

By Jessica Smith On March 22, 2015 In Social Media with 2 Comments

If you follow NCAA basketball at all, then you know the Kansas men are all a roll. There’s no arguing their dominance. They won their 11th consecutive Big 12 title and have found themselves dancing.

In addition to their great ball skills though, Kansas also has a knack for social media. A quick glance at the Kansas men’s basketball accounts and it’s easy to see they have defined a look and feel, planned ahead and put time/energy into their content. There’s a lot of inspiration in their work.

What I love most about Kansas’ approach to social media is their focus on good content. It’s not just about play-by-play, but about creating good content that stands out from the noise. Remember: A good social media strategy starts with a strong content strategy.

I’ve compiled a list of some of Kansas’ best content. Their presence is a great example of what a thoughtful and strategic approach to social media looks like. Hopefully some of their content and ideas will serve as an inspiration to you:

 

Bracket Graphics

For the tournament, Kansas Hoops has created bracket graphics to showcase matchups and the road to Indy.

 

Quote Series

A quote from a student-athlete or a coach can make a strong content piece, especially if the quote is emotional. Kansas does a great job picking compelling quotes at the right moment and turning them into beautiful and consumable graphics:

 

Commemorative Graphics

Kansas recently celebrated its 60th anniversary of the first of (then) 726 victories in Allen Field-house. As part of the celebration, graphics and images from the night were black and white. This series is a reminder that design can be a great way to denote/celebrate something special. Don’t be afraid to mix things up to make a statement:

 

Fans Tweets Turned Content

Turning fan tweets into content is a great trend. It’s a simple and smart way to make fans a part of the community, while also generating free content. And, @KUHoops is one of the accounts that does this the right way. This is a smart use of user-generated content and an easy idea to replicate:

 

Videos of the Perfect Moment

Part of the key to success in social media is keeping an eye out for the extraordinary in all the chaos that’s around. Keep your eyes and ears open, always looking for that perfect moment to capture. Kansas has done a good job capturing some strong candid moments on video. Here are a few examples:

 

Creative GIFS

This GIF is on point. It’s simple and sleek, but also engaging. A reminder that good content does not have to be complicated:

 

Simple Stat Graphics

When infographics became all the rage, teams started throwing a lot of information at fans. Sure, infographics make the data a lot more consumable, but they are typically still a lot of information. Kansas does a good job of highlighting the right stats and in a way that is simple and powerful. More does not always mean better:

 

Statement Graphics

Simple but strong statements are a great way to rally fans. As these statement graphics below prove, short and sweet often wins. It’s all in the copy:

 

Stellar Game Day Graphics

Kansas has created a look and feel for their game day graphics. The series focuses on the starting lineup, coverage and score/stats updates. The look is so fresh and so clean. Not every piece of content needs a lot of graphic design work, but creating certain templates for content you will create consistently (like score updates) is a great way to create a cohesive look and feel:

 

So as you can see, the Kansas men’s basketball team social media team does a great job with their presence. It’s all about taking the time to plan the content. Do it the right way, not the easy way!

Be sure to give Kansas men’s basketball a follow on Facebook and Twitter for daily inspiration.

 

 

 

What stands out to you most about Kansas men’s basketball’s social media presence? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading! 

A Look at UNC’s Successful Social Media Night

By Jessica Smith On March 3, 2015 In College Athletics, Social Media with 4 Comments

StudentSectionBridging the gap between the online world and the offline world is powerful at events. When you have fans’ attention in-venue, it’s the perfect opportunity to enlist brand ambassadors and bring new ones into your community. Social and digital initiatives are also a great way to entertain fans during lull periods. And, there are many ways to bridge the gap between the online world and the offline world. From hashtag campaigns to contests and full-blown social media nights, the opportunities are endless.

Just last week UNC held a robust Social Media Night that is a great example of how to plan and execute one. According to Lynnea Phillips, the social media coordinator at UNC, their goal was to drive awareness, action and engagement. Here’s a look at all the moving pieces:

 

Coke Zero Fan Cam

The Coke Zero FanCam was a 20,000 megapixel interactive image that allowed fans to zoom in and explore every inch of Dean Smith Center in face-level detail. After the game, fans visited www.cokezero.fancam.com to zoom, tag and share. They had the opportunity to prove that they were there and enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win great prizes.

Announcement

 

Fan Play-By-Play

Carolina turned @GoHeels over to the fans. They were encouraged to use the men’s basketball game day hashtags (#GoHeels and #UNCBBall) to live tweet play-by-play. The best tweets were retweeted from the @GoHeels Twitter account. GIFs, photo edits & emojis were encouraged.

 

Photo Booth

Attendees had the opportunity to use selfie sticks (& props) to capture their game day photos. After the game, pictures were uploaded to a photo album on the official UNC Athletics Facebook page.

PhotoboothProps

 

Song Requests

Fans were able to request songs prior to the game by using #TarHeelTunes.

 

Twitter Quote Graphics

Fans that used the game day hashtags (#GoHeels & #UNCBBall) had the chance to have their tweets made into graphics that were released from the @GoHeels Twitter account during the game.

TweetGraphics

 

400 Student Section T-shirts

Shirts were given to the student section as a reward for being one of our most engaged and receptive audiences.

TweetShirt

 

Emoji Fatheads

Cutouts were given to the student section to tie in the social media theme in the arena.

 

EmojiCam

Served as a video board piece, used to tie in the social media theme in the arena and to entertain during a scheduled media timeout.

While selfie sticks and emoji fatheads may not be for everyone, the initiatives were the perfect fit for UNC’s target audience.

“The majority of our in-arena promotions revolved around the younger audience,” explained Phillips. “We did that intentionally because we wanted to reward students for being one of our most involved audiences.”

With any social media initiative, understanding your audience is a huge key. And, it was UNC Athletics’ understanding of audience that helped make the event so successful. The @GoHeels account saw an increase of nearly 1,500 followers and an uptick in favorites, link click and replies; the selfie sticks and emoji fatheads were a big hit with 250 pictures taken. A win-win for both fans and the athletic department!

For those interested in hosting a social media night, Lynnea has some solid advice: Promote, promote, promote! If you can spread the word, rally your troops and plan initiatives that resonate with your audience, you’ll be sure to have a winning social media night.

 

 

 

A big thanks to Lynnea Phillips for taking the time to offer insight into UNC’s Social Media Night. Be sure to give her a follow on Twitter @LynneaPhillips along with the @GoHeels. 

Thanks for reading!

How MLS Is Ramping Up for the Season the Right Way

By Jessica Smith On February 25, 2015 In Lessons Learned, Social Media

As the MLS season kicks into gear, the league is ramping up efforts to rally their fans around the teams, sport and league. And, they are doing a stellar job of leveraging social media and content to drum up excitement for the 20th MLS season:

One of the big keys to the MLS’ social media success is the work they do to understand their audience and how their fans connect with the league/teams. They want to make sure what they create and execute resonates. Here’s a little insight into their strategy:

MLS’ understanding of their fans shines through in their work. The season has not even begun and they are already on a winning streak. Here are three things worth noting from their approach:

They have a strong content foundation.

Take a look through mlssoccer.com. It’s filled with news and recaps like any major league site, but it’s also filled with a lot of thoughtful and quality content. From day in the life features to more in-depth reporting, they constantly churn out quality content for their fans. This content is a goldmine for their social media team; it provides value to their audience.

In addition to stellar content, the MLS social media team does a really good job of repurposing their digital content to fit social media platforms. They don’t just tweet out the headline. Instead, they find a way to make it resonate by creating compelling graphics, including a videos/Vines, adding clever copy, etc.

I’m a big believer that a good social media strategy starts with a content strategy. The MLS is a great example of taking the time to create content that resonates and repurposing it for each platform. It’s hard work, but it’s work that is worth it.

 

They are getting players involved.

MLS is doing a fantastic job of putting their players at the forefront of their social media strategy and giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at their life. They are doing this through two main initiatives (so far at least): Snapchat and Tumblr takeovers. Here’s a look at some of the content on both platforms:

Screen Shot 2015-02-25 at 11.01.02 PM

As you can see, the result is a very intimate and personal look at what it’s like to be a MLS player. The content is fantastics and exclusive. We need more of this in sports. Players are a huge asset to any team or league. People connect with players in a more emotional way; they help humanize the team way beyond the jersey and scoreboard. And, players are full of stories. Find a way to give your audience access to them like MLS has.

And of course, they are leveraging their fans.

In addition to getting their players involved, MLS is also including their fans in their efforts. MLS just launched a contest for fans to design original Snapchat geofilters (special overlays) that will be used in four different markets (LA, Orlando, Kansas City and Seattle) for opening weekend. To enter, fans have to post their original artwork on Twitter using the hashtag #MLSsnapchat. I’ve already seen a some good pieces:

https://twitter.com/alexisaavila/status/570756016758894592

Fans are creative and passionate. I’m a big believer in leveraging them to help you create content. Whether it’s a contest like this or user-generated photos, let them help you tell your story.

 

So remember these takeaways from the MLS: Create a strong foundation with content, access to players always wins and don’t be afraid to leverage your fans.

 

 

What stands out to you about MLS’ approach to social media? Be sure to share your thoughts below!

Thanks for reading! 

Capitalizing on History in Social Media + Sports

By Jessica Smith On February 23, 2015 In Social Media

Every team and league has history: Legacies, fond memories and moments of greatness tucked away in history vaults. And this history is a goldmine of content. People love nostalgia. Science proves it. So, are you capitalizing on it?

The other day the US Olympic social media team proved that the opportunities to unleash history are endless with a little creativity. In honor of the 35th anniversary of the Miracle On Ice, the @USOlympic account live tweeted the game as if Twitter existed 35 years ago. The event had januvia-sitagliptin.net, photos, score updates and more. Here’s a snippet of the coverage:

The results were stellar. @USOlympic tweeted 70 times, garnering more than 13,600 retweets (please note these numbers were compiled manually). The initiative is a great reminder that a little creativity and planning can go a long way in mixing up your content and coverage.

March Madness also did something similar this year to drum up excitement for the start of basketball season: They hosted #MMVault Watch Parties featuring classic title games. Fans could relive the magic on NCAA.com and follow @MarchMadness for game-action tweets. The Twitter coverage included video clips, photos, color commentary and more:

Unlike @USOlympic, @MarchMadness was not celebrating an anniversary; they were using content to drum up excitement for the season. It’s a good example of how content that focuses on history does not always have to take the “on this day” theme.

Both of these are a great example of how to leverage the stories in the history vault to create excitement and buzz. And, it got me thinking. How else can history be leveraged in social media + sports? Here are just a few ideas:

Photo Essays
Photo essays are a great way to recount the past. Focus on the story, letting pictures and strong copy tell it. Whether you use exposure.co or create a Facebook photo album that fans can flip through in sequence, a photo essay is a great way to tell the history of your team/league.

Radio Clips
Many teams have had golden “voices” over the years. And, hearing those voices again can evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for fans. How you can incorporate old radio clips into your content? Whether it’s the sound byte all by itself or mixed with photos, videos, etc., incorporating radio clips into your content strategy could be a powerful play.

Podcast Interviews
Celebrating the anniversary of title win or big milestone? Produce one or two podcasts featuring key team members from that team to recount the memories. Think about it as a fireside chat. Podcasts are all the rage right now, so I’m sure you’ll earn some extra points.

Quizzes/Trivia
Want to make the content a little more engaging? Take your facts and turn them into a quiz or trivia piece for fans to learn more. Below is a good example from the @NCAA.

 

 

Hosts a Contest
Take the engagement level up a notch and host a contest where fans can vote for their favorite all-time game, play, etc. This type of initiative would need a large digital presence where fans could replay video and read about the history, but the voting mechanism can be social. Just make sure you give fans a reason to engage!

Recreate the Moment
Photo recreations from 20+ years ago are so much fun. If you ever have a notable team together for a reunion, find a way to recreate an iconic team photo. Yes, something like this:

 

I hope these examples give you a few ideas on how to unlock history. As we saw with @USOlympic and @MarchMadness, it can be a powerful piece of your content strategy when done right. Take the time to figure out how you can leverage it creatively and strategically.

 

 

 

Have you seen any creative ways that teams/leagues have taken fans down memory lane? Share any examples you have below! 

Thanks for reading!