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! 

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2 comments.

  1. I really love how simple and clean all of the Kansas men’s basketball team’s content is. You mentioned how infographics can be overloaded these days; it’s great to see a team that understands just because you have a lot of data, doesn’t mean you need to use it all. Between big data, expanded player statistics and crazy new metrics being developed each day, there’s definitely a surplus of information for sports teams to deliver. Knowing when and how to curate data into palatable infographics is a skill that would benefit a lot of people.

    • For sure, Colby. I think picking that information that will resonate when fans most is more impactful than sharing it all. Thanks for your great thoughts.

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