Tag: engagement

How Do I Get Better Engagement On My Facebook Posts?

By Guest On August 23, 2013 In Best Practices, Facebook

Despite the doom and gloom we sometimes see about the state of Facebook, Mark Zuckberberg’s empire still reigns over all other social media platforms.  With close to a billion active users on the site (compared to Twitter’s 200 million and Instagram’s 130 million), it’s a platform that we have to embrace and one where we need to continue to innovate.

Aside from the number of active users, I have other reasons to believe Facebook is still a huge asset to sport teams and leagues. Here is why:

  • Facebook has created a platform that plays to visuals; visuals allow us to portray the emotion in sports and high arousal compels people to share.
  • Facebook users share 2.5B pieces of content on the site each day according to Nielsen.
  • According to State of Search, 47% of Americans say that Facebook has a greater impact on their purchasing behavior than any other social network (hello ticket sales).

My point is this:  As we all get excited about new and emerging platforms, we can’t neglect Facebook . Additionally, we need to make sure what we are doing on the platform is meaningful.
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Should Teams & Leagues Actively Engage With Fans on Twitter?

By Guest On July 15, 2013 In Best Practices, Lessons Learned, Twitter with 4 Comments

The other day I watched a wonderful SportsCenter Featured piece on two former high school wrestlers (one of the wrestlers is now a Paralympian) and an unlikely bond they formed with former ESPN producer Lisa Fenn. Since the feature was so compelling, I tweeted out the link. This is what followed:

I was impressed that I got a response from @USParalympics since I didn’t tag or mention them in my tweet. Their social media team knew the SportsCenter Featured piece was bound to get some traction, so they monitored the link (in all forms, long and shortened) and engaged with those who felt compelled to share the story.  Basically, they were capitalizing on a new, captive audience they had at the moment. Smart move.

Their tweet got me thinking about the importance of listening, engaging and building relationships on Twitter. All too often, brands just push on the platform. No longer is Twitter just a platform to inform; it’s a community where teams and leagues need to engage. 

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Duke Athletics + Facebook Engagement

By Guest On May 19, 2015 In Best Practices, Facebook with 3 Comments

According to the Social Media Top 25 rankings, Duke sits at No. 11 for largest following on Facebook (FBS schools) with 407,000+ fans; Ohio State comes in at No 1. with 1.3 million.

In Comparison

I took a look at the last seven Facebook posts from Ohio State and Duke and found that- on average- Duke’s engagement trumps Ohio State’s engagement (despite the much smaller audience). Obviously, looking at a longer date rate could change this, but here’s the breakdown:

  • Last seven posts from Ohio State averaged 720 ‘Likes’, 50 comments & 92 shares.
  • Last seven posts from Duke averaged 2,139 ‘Likes, 98 comments & 170 shares.

Yep, Duke is rocking their engagement level with their fans this month.So now the question is… why? Below are the three things I think Duke is doing right on Facebook to increase their engagement (please note, I’m only looking at the month of January):

1- Photos

Duke is living by the golden rule to not post to Facebook without a photo. Photos generate more engagement than standalone text or a link. As the photo below proves, content does not have to be fancy; it just needs to draw fans in from the noise:

2- Fan-Generated Content

I love fan-generated content for several reasons. First (for the obvious reason), it gives you access to easy and unique content. Second, it requires your fans to take action. And finally, user-generated content fosters a sense of community with fans and rewards those who engage (when you actually use their photos).

Duke is asking its audience to email fan photos each week. From there, they pick three photos to upload to an album. Once the album is uploaded, fans can vote for their favorite picture by ‘Liking’ it (which is a win because it increases engagement). The picture with the most ‘Likes’ is then featured on the Facebook page, as shown below:


My only advice to Duke on their fan-generated content: Create the Duke Fan of the Week graphic within the timeline size constraints. This will make for a better visual when people visit your page.

3- Action Words

You know the saying, “If you ask, you shall receive”? Well, the saying is true for Facebook. The following words are key if you want to increase engagement, trust me: Like, Comment, Share, Why, What

If you’re a community manager, you always want your posts to come across as genuine. But, there are ways to “ask” for engagement without being too pushy… you just have to get a little creative with your copy. Duke does a good job of sneaking in action words with their post. Example:


In Summary

If you want to increase your engagement statistics on Facebook, take a few notes from Duke. Remember that photos are golden, user-generated content fosters community and action words are key.

 

 

So, what is key to engagement on the pages you manage? Share your secrets below.

Thanks for reading!