Catgory: Social Media

25 Memorable Social Media Moments from March Madness

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

The March Madness social media coverage from teams, leagues, conferences and broadcast partners has been stellar. From sharp graphics to good video content, the coverage has shined brighter than past years. The social media + sports industry is stepping it up!

As we head into the Final Four, here are 25 memorable social media moments from the tournament so far from teams, leagues and brands (not focused on coaches or coaches). It’s easy to see how the second screen experience during they tournament has been fun to watch. Enjoy!

1- Xavier busted out an appropriate playlist.

Spotify is a great content tool when used strategically and sparingly (don’t abuse it, make a splash). This example from Xavier is how it should be done.

 

2- March Madness made slideshows cool.

Slideshows aren’t used very often from teams and leagues, but this promo from @MarchMadness proves they can be done right. The key is to keep them short and sweet, focus on the cadence and pair it with powerful copy.

The looping works really well with the slideshow, so Vine is a great platform choice (cross-promoted on Twitter of course).

 

3- Warriors jumped into the conversation, appropriately.

Jumping into trending conversations is powerful when done right. And, this tweet from the @Warriors is smart, appropriate and on brand. Win, win and win.

 

4- Arizona kept it simple.

This tweet proves simplicity is entirely underrated. Across all platforms.

 

5- March Madness called Twitter out.

@MarchMadness proves it’s okay to let your fans feel the burn. All in good fun, of course.

 

5- @GSUPanthers had a fun with the infamous chair.

A little humor can go a long way. This is social media after all, so keep it fun.

6- Kentucky played off their storyline.

This tweet and graphic is simple, but it plays off Kentucky’s storyline and the sentiment of their fans. Because of that, it’s an extremely shareable graphic. Anytime you craft content, think about how it ties in with your team’s storyline.

 

7- So many graphics shined.

This isn’t just a one moment thing. Day after day graphics were turned out that shined through all the noise. Here are just a few of the highlights (and let me stress, just a few):

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8- Oklahoma handled their loss in a powerful, thoughtful way.

How to handle a loss is one of the great debates in social media + sports. It’s certainly not an easy thing to do, but this is a great example of how to respond emotionally and look towards the future.

 

9- Wisconsin took fans inside the celebration.

In social media and sports, it’s important to be the eyes and ears of your fans. This video from Wisconsin is a great example of how to take fans along for the journey. This is raw, unedited and full of emotional; it’s exactly the type of content that resonates with people.

 

10- Twitter mirror selfies won, period.

Twitter has distributed their mirrors to several teams, and as the stats prove, they are all the rage.

 

11- Notre Dame saluted to its seniors.

This tweet is crafted perfectly with its simplicity, copy and imagery. It’s another great example of how to handle a loss. It’s not always about the scores.

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12- Wisconsin displayed sportsmanship, Twitter style.

This is a great way to tap into conference pride, while showing  sportsmanship. Clearly fans enjoyed it too.

 

13- March Madness + Dove found the perfect sponsorship play.

Dove is leveraging a March Madness sponsorship to showcase how the men of the tournament demonstrate real strength through uplighting, heartwarming and emotional stories. The content couldn’t be more on brand for Dove, and it’s also extremely compelling for fans (just look at the engagement below). The example below, on Ron Hunter and his son, was a huge slam dunk.

 

14- Duke garnered great engagement thanks to selfies.

Duke Basketball has been turning out some fantastic content/graphics, but again and again their team selfies win. Just like the Twitter mirror selfies, this type of content works well on Facebook.

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15- Zags won with “Born to Ball” promo.

This video promo from Gonzaga Men’s Basketball is a great example of compelling video content that find a unique parallel story. They tapped into childhood footage of one of their student-athletes, finding a unique correlation to their game in the Sweet Sixteen. The video on Facebook garnered more than 100,000 views, which is twice that of their Facebook audience.

 

16- @NikeBasketball created simple videos, shocked the game.

This video series from Nike Basketball earned good engagement, proving that good content doesn’t have to be complicated.

 

17- Duke leveraged the hometown storyline.

When planning content, both for something like the NCAA tournament or the regular season, it’s important to look beyond the surface for storylines. This “coming home” content from Duke is a great example of extending the story beyond the court.

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18- UAB played Cinderella gracefully.

When UAB knocked off No. 3 Iowa State, they became one of the Cinderella stories early in the tournament. They played the part gracefully, with an on-brand image and copy that fit the Cinderella part.

 

19- The Shockers played off of emotion.

This is another great example of how to handle a loss and salute your seniors. The copy and the image is all so simple and perfect.

 

20- March Madness went beyond the court.

Off-the-court stories help fans connect emotionally to players, coaches and staff. This feature shared on the March Madness Facebook page is a great example of the power of emotional stories. The video has had 1,588 shares with more than 207,000 views. Those are powerful numbers.

 

21- Georgia State shared a priceless fan reaction video.

Fans produce a lot of golden content, and fan reaction videos are always some of the best around. A simple share of a fan video earned @GSUPanthers 247 retweets. Not too shabby!

 

22- March Madness created some Vine magic.

This type of Vine content is stellar. Simple, but flashy. What a weirdly awesome combo!

 

23- Villanova thanked their fans.

Thanking your fans at the end of the season is always a smart play. This is a good example of doing so from Villanova.

 

24- CBS said “deal with it”.

When Michigan State busted more brackets, CBS Sports created this meme GIF. This is a great example of creating humorous GIF content while staying on brand/topic.

 

25- Pac-12 Conference closed out Oregon’s run right.

This is another great example of handling a loss right. The image and the copy are emotional and strong: The perfect combination for the moment.

 

BONUS- Boilermakers caught a moment of reflection.

After their loss, Purdue caught one of their star players looking on at Kentucky. All he wanted was a chance to play them. This is a great example of catching the strong, emotional moments that happen off the court. Always be on the lookout.

 

So as we wait for the Final Four to begin, I hope these social media moments serve as a nice distraction! If the coverage so far is any indication, the second screen action during the Final Four will be a fun one to watch!

 

 

I realize there are many other great social media moments from the tournament so far (it’s hard to catch them all), so please share your favorite ones with us below!

Thanks for reading! 

Three Teams Dancing & Taking Fans Behind the Scenes

By Jessica Smith On March 25, 2015 In College Athletics, Social Media with 1 Comment

A good social media presence in sports goes far beyond the scoreboard and venue walls. It taps into the heartbeat of your team, community, players and journey. Sports are emotional; but they’re even more emotional when you tell a story beyond the game itself.

Look around you. There are so many stories to tell. From gameday rituals to team bonding to the silent moments before the stadium fills with fans, there are many ways to give fans a look behind the curtain. Take the time to tell the full story, not just the game story. Here’s why:

1- Fans crave this content because it’s something they never get to see unless you provide it.

2- It helps to humanize the team.

3- And, it tugs at people’s emotions (and people share content that evokes emotion).

During this year’s NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament, several teams have done a great job telling their full story socially. And, big stages like this are a great time to focus on the behind-the-scenes content. The game is elevated and storytelling should be too. After all, emotions are high.

I’ve gathered few examples of teams rocking their behind-the-scenes content during this year’s tournament. Hopefully they inspire you to start looking beyond the action for content too:

 

UCLA

UCLA has created a video series called “Made in March” that combines both game action and behind-the-scenes shots. In the videos, there are snippets of how the team travels, voiceover from the locker room and much more. The videos are short, but give just enough glimpses into the days so you understand the journey the team is on. It’s a simple and powerful use of video.

In addition to the video series, UCLA Athletics has leveraged Exposure.co to showcase the team’s journey. The photo essay platform is a great way to tell a simple, yet powerful, visual story. The work from the Bruins is a great example of how to use Exposure.

 

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin has nailed social storytelling on Twitter during this year’s tournament. Scroll through their Twitter feed and it feels exactly like a “day in the life”. From a peek into workouts to team selfies, Wisconsin fans must feel like are on their journey with the team. This is a great example of how behind-the-scenes coverage doesn’t have to be complicated; a few good photos and descriptive copy can go a really long way. It’s also very clear that their social/communications team is trusted fully as access doesn’t seem to be a problem here (start building those relationships internally, now).

 

Oklahoma

Much like Wisconsin, Oklahoma has hit a slam dunk with their social storytelling on Twitter. The content is compelling, gives fans a glimpse into their team’s personality and captures the emotion of the journey. Again, access and trust is key. Without access, it’s impossible to tell a behind-the-scenes story. Below are some of the golden moments from the Sooners.

 

These three examples above scratch the surface of how teams can tell a behind-the-scenes story. While many tend to flock to Twitter for this, there are so many other ways to tell your story. Think about leveraging Facebook albums, Snapchat (takeovers), Instagram and video features all as a way to take fans behind the scenes. Don’t limit yourself to one platform; tell the story cohesively across all. With planning, access and open eyes and ears, you can bring your fans along the emotional journey. Remember, it’s not just about the scores and the championships, but how the team gets there.

 

 


What other teams are doing a good job of telling a behind-the-scenes story at this year’s tournament? Share your examples below!

Thanks for reading! 

Five Ways @MarchMadness Is Hitting a Slam Dunk Socially

By Jessica Smith On March 23, 2015 In College Athletics, Social Media

Turner has already shared some promising statistics on the social media chatter of the tournament. Since Saturday, March 21 the NCAA Tournament has earned 82 million total impressions across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. That’s up 35 percent from last year. This comes as no surprise; with a bracket busting year, everywhere you look on Twitter another tournament-related topic is trending.

Aside from the excitement of the tournament, it’s clear the March Madness team has worked hard to provide top-notch digital and social coverage. They aren’t just providing play-by-play. They are enhancing the viewing experience for fans no matter their allegiance.

While we still have a ways to go before a champion is crowned, the March Madness platforms are winning on social. Here’s a look at what is standing out so far:

 

Platform agnostic.

With March Madness, it’s not a digital versus broadcast game. They are taking the coverage where the fans are. From the traditional TV coverage to the live streams on NCAA.com and highlights on social media, fans can consume the games anyway they want.

In this day and age, mobility is key. Don’t fight trying to push fans to a platform; go where they are. When you look at the totality of numbers, you will have more success.

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Meaningful sponsor integraton.

All too often sponsors are slapped on social content without looking for a way to make a meaningful connection between the story and the sponsor. If you can integrate a sponsor into compelling content gracefully, it’s a win for both the fans and the sponsor. And, March Madness has had several sponsorship wins:

Dove Real Strength
This is a slam-dunk sponsor integration for March Madness. Dove is leveraging their sponsorship to showcase how the men of the tournament demonstrate real strength through uplighting, heartwarming and emotional stories. Stories include everything from Ron Hunter and his son to Mike Brey dealing with the loss of his mom. The content couldn’t be more on brand for Dove, and it’s also extremely compelling for fans (just look at the engagement below). Wins all the way around!

Axe Step-Up Performance
March Madness has integrated Axe into their video content in a series focused on step-up performances. The content aligns nicely with the Axe brand and is something that fans enjoy seeing. An easy and smart integration.

ATT&T Courtside
ATT&T and March Madness are giving fans a court-side view of the action through compelling photo galleries. It’s compelling content and a sponsor integration that isn’t too intrusive:

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On-brand GIFs.

GIFS have become a popular content choice on Twitter. And while GIFS are wonderful, all too often they focus on the world of pop culture and away from the brand. Here’s the thing though: If you take a look around, you’ll realize there are golden, GIFable moments happening within the venue. March Madness is doing a really good job of splicing and dicing these golden moments from the tournament into GIFS. This content is humorous, surprising and fun (and on brand, #winning):

 

Inside access.

It’s easy to focus on the scores, stats and on-the-field action, but the gold is in the players and the emotional journey. Fans crave behind-the-scenes content because it’s something they never get to see it during the game. It makes the team more human, helps to foster a deeper connection and tends to pull at people’s emotions (and people share content that evokes emotion).

March Madness is doing a great job of capitalizing on their access to tell the behind-the-scenes story and emotional moments in conjunction with the games. And, even better, the stories are behind told through video:

 

Stellar graphics.

Good graphics are all the rage right now in sports, and my guess is this trend is here to stay. Design can help content to stand out from the noise, tell the story and emphasize a point. And, the March Madness accounts have done a good job creating compelling visuals to engage their audience. From channel changer notifications to quote graphics, matchups and more, design has played a key role in their content approach. Here’s just a small preview:

 

As the tournament continues to unfold, be sure to give March Madness a follow on Twitter and Facebook. They are producing stellar content and doing a great job of telling the story online.

 

 

 

What do you think about the coverage from March Madness? What stands out to you?

Thanks for reading! 

A Quick Overview of the Warriors’ Social Media Night

By Jessica Smith On March 19, 2015 In Social Media

I recently wrote about UNC’s awesome Social Media Night. When done right, these events can help to bridge the gap between the online and offline world, empower your biggest advocates and attract new fans. And, the opportunities for events like this are endless as long as you unleash your creativity.

This week the Warriors host a Social Media Night that proved, like UNC, how fun these events can be. And while the theme was the same, the initiatives from both teams were different. It’s a great example of how wide open the opportunities are.

I’ve compiled some of the Warriors great ideas from Social Media Night to give you more inspiration. Between this one and UNC’s, you should be ready to roll with a fabulous social night anytime. Here they are:

Social Media Shooting Shirts

The players wore shooting shirts that featured their Twitter handles. The shirts are also available for fans to purchase.

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Snapchat Geofilter

The Warriors uploaded a social media night themed geofilter to Snapchat that fans could use in-venue for the game. This is a great way to promote the initiative and empower your audience to spread the word.

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Social Insider

Fans dream of tweeting for their favorite team! So, the Warriors picked a fan to cover the game socially for them as the “Dubs Social Insider”. This is certainly a great way to reward a brand ambassador, under guidance and supervision of course.

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Contest for Viewers at Home

When you host a social media night, getting your fans engaged at home can be tough. In addition to great content, the Warriors also hosted a contest for fans at home to win free swag. For the contest, they asked fans to snap a picture of #FitzandJB during the broadcast. A simple, easy and fun way to get fans engaged at home and reward them for tuning in.

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In-Venue Integration

To encourage social sharing, Instagram photos and tweets were featured on the scoreboard. The Warriors also had section giveaways determined by the volume of fan tweets; a fun and creative way to get people to rally.

Social Media-Themed GIFS / Graphics

The Warriors created GIFS and graphics that included social media elements like emojis and hashtags. This is a great way to incorporate the theme of the night into social content.

Photo Opportunity

To encourage fans photos, the Warriors had an Instagram frame prop that fans could pose and take pictures with. If a fan used the appropriate hashtag, their photo was then featured on the Instagram Wall. The Instagram frame is a fun and easy way to give fans a photo opportunity. The mobility of the prop is great for in-venue activations too.

 

While the Warriors had a few other initiatives during the night, this gives you a great overall idea of their fun and successful Social Media Night. And as you can see, the opportunities are endless. These themed nights are a great way to rally the troops and reward your biggest ambassadors. Just remember, if you are hosting a social media night, it’s important to promote the event across all your channels.

 

 

What do you think would work well for a social media night? I would love to hear your ideas below!

Thanks for reading! 

Iowa State Athletics Does Snapchat Right

By Jessica Smith On March 14, 2015 In Snapchat, Social Media with 6 Comments

Iowa State joined Snapchat in April of 2014. They wanted to reach a younger fan-base, particularly the college students on campus, and they felt like the platform was a great avenue to do so.

Their inclination was certainly right. Snapchat was the fastest growing messaging app in 2014, and the demographics skew young. In fact, a study found that 70 perfect of college students post there at least once a day. If one of your goals is to reach a younger demographic, Snapchat is definitely a platform you should take note of and consider.

Iowa State Athletics’ Snapchat strategy has certainly paid off. They have seen tremendous growth and been able to reach students on campus:

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Picture via Carter Collins on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1FfrQNy

So, what’s their secret? They are thoughtful in how they approach the platform. They don’t treat Snapchat like every other platform; they focus on good content and quirky/fun initiatives that are native to the platform.

“We try and provide engaging content, without being boring,” said Becca McLaughlin, the Marketing Associate for Iowa State Athletics. “It is easy for an organization to get caught in a rut of just showing pre-game warm-ups or previewing an upcoming event by snapping a picture of a flyer. While we do show pre-game/in-game content we try and mix in other engagement like behind the scenes content, student-athlete takeovers, contest, etc.”

What really stands out about the Cyclones’ Snapchat presence is the creativity in how they leverage it. They don’t just push content, but they engage their fans, cross-promote in unique ways and always mix things up. Here’s just a small glimpse into some of their unique Snapchat initiatives:

 

Student-Athlete Takeovers

The Cyclones have handed their account over to student-athletes several times now for takeovers. The takeovers provide fans with a “day in the life” look at what it means to be an Iowa State student-athlete. I love the concept of takeovers on Snapchat more than any other platform; they are very native to the platform (how most users use it). And, it’s a great piece of behind-the-scenes content.

 

#cyclONEnation Map

Iowa State wanted to track how many fans from across the country tuned in to watch Iowa State MBB away games and where the fans come from. In order to do this and grow their fan base on Snapchat, they created a campaign called#cyclONEnation Map where they ask fans to help them unlock the map by sending in a Snap from their location. The campaign is cross promoted heavily across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

In-Venue Promotion

The Cyclones don’t just promote Snapchat across platforms; they also promote in-venue through the nifty “take a picture” trick. Cross promotion is key for success on any platform. This is smart:

 

Hilton Filters

Snapchat now offers geofilters, which are special overlays for Snaps that can only be accessed in certain locations. To leverage, simply choose the geographic area you want your filter to be available in and upload an image asset (more info here). Iowa State Athletics has taken advantage of this feature offering geofilters in Hilton. These are a great way to leverage brand ambassadors and have others promote your team:

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Doodle Contests

The Cyclones don’t just push content on Snapchat, but they also encourage their fans to send them Snaps. One of the most creative initiatives from them are doodle contests where they ask their fans to Snap their best doodles around certain themes. This is a great way to engage fans, generate content and unleash creativity. Here’s a look at two of the contests they’ve hosted:

Thumb Puppet Contest


Birthday Cake Contest

 Holidays

 

In addition to all of these great initiatives above, one of the keys to Iowa State’s success is cross promotion.

“With Snapchat (and any other SM platform) in order to grow your following you must cross promote on other platforms, but do it in a creative way so what people will want to follow you on your other channels,” said McLaughlin. “It’s important to not give them too much, but just a ‘taste’ of what you have to offer like on Snapchat, that way they will be curious and go and follow you.”

It’s apparent that Iowa State has nailed the Snapchat thing. They have fun, engage with their fans and really push creative and quirky initiatives. If their presence inspires you to start ramping up your approach to Snapchat, McLaughlin has one more piece of advice.

“Like any of our other accounts you have to stay creative and on top of the latest trends,” said McLaughlin. “I think it’s also VERY important to listen to your fans and pay attention to what other successful brands are doing and then tweak it to fit your needs. Don’t be afraid to fail, learn from both your successes and failures and build off of them equally.”

All sound advice from McLaughlin. And, great execution on Snapchat from the Cyclones to serve as inspiration. Now take this advice and start snapping away!

A big thanks to Becca McLaughlin for taking the time to answer questions about Iowa State’s approach to Snapchat. Be sure to give her a follow on Twitter: @beccajoy9

As always, thanks for reading!