Social media gives us an entryway to fans and consumers. But even with the access, social media managers can’t just sell, shout “me” and make it all about the team, league or company. People want to interact with brands the way they do every other person on social—through a personal and authentic relationship.
Here’s what I’ve learned… social media is less about the platforms and more about the way we communicate to build those relationships. As crazy as it sounds, a big key to success lies in tapping into psychology. You have to know your audience.
I typically don’t talk about my own work here, but with this topic it is hard to talk about someone else’s success without really understanding their work inside and out. So, I would like to focus on my experience with NCAA Wrestling (Twitter, Facebook). Through it I’ve come to understand how important the psychology behind the work we do actually is. It’s my job to think, act and talk like a wrestler.
Being authentic on the wrestling platforms was trying at first. I’ve never wrestled. In fact, I had never been to a wrestling meet or had any interaction with the sport before diving into the community. Because of this, I had to take the time to talk with people who are engrained in the sport, understand the demographics and study content success.
Wrestling has taught me the important role psychology plays in social media, and for that, I’m thankful. I’ve seen some success in the community because I can answer the fundamental questions below about my audience. It is my hope that the questions below are helpful for you too:
