Comments on: Does Sports Need Social Media?

By: andymorris

andymorris — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:32:59 +0000

As the new digital & social media coordinator here at the University of South Carolina, I can say that we're making strides to grow our social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, blogging and text messaging. One of biggest initiatives, other than our blog, is Gamecocks Gameday Live (GGL as I call it internally). GGL is a “package” we promote as a way for fans to connect with the team on football gamedays. Before and during the game, I'm updating fans real-time through Twitter, our Facebook fan page and text messaging. It's beginning to grow in popularity. However, one thing I'm struggling with as I develop our department's first-ever social media plan is explaining measurement to my superiors. Terms just as “mentions” and “likes” don't really hit home with people. Do you have any suggestions?

By: Chris Matye

Chris Matye — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:14:01 +0000

We have a niche media outlet in motorcycle road racing and worked with several teams this season to specifically engage their fans every weekend with dedicated video coverage of their race efforts. Fans loved the inside access and they didn’t have to get on the podium in hopes to get covered by traditional media in a severely under served market. We leveraged our distribution channels to get even more reach. With the advent of the new iPhone 3GS, we began Tweeting “live from the hot pit”, and looked like geniuses with the push of a button.

By: Jared

Jared — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:22:42 +0000

I feel like the players are good examples of using social media correctly, as opposed to the teams and organizations.
For instances, players like LenDale White, and Chad Ochocinco, are connecting with their fans on a whole different level than what the ordinary fans are used to. In addition to that, these two players are also implementing a small business behind their NFL careers. They have both came up with ideas for T-shirts, and LenDale has sought advice from fans for his designs. For a low price, these players are selling T-shirts, and exclusively to their followers on Twitter. Not a bad idea for little work.

By: Lewis Howes

Lewis Howes — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:59:05 +0000

Thanks for your input Samratt, would love to hear more of your thoughts from and over seas perspective.

By: Juan Mario Cárdenas

Juan Mario Cárdenas — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:55:07 +0000

Here in Mexico happens the same way, but in TDN, a new sports network, are willing to profit this situation, I trully belive it’s the way to the future, the people is the media, so as a network specialized in sports, we’re getting in deep in social media.

By: Samraat Kakkar

Samraat Kakkar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:37:01 +0000

You are bang on target, sports industry is just not willing to wake up to social media & how they can use it. It is not about just getting your presence on social networking platforms.

Sports needs to understand how it can use social media & I agree there are multiple ways in which sports & social media can get integrated.

I myself have been writing about this from an Indian perspective.

By: Lewis Howes

Lewis Howes — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:44:33 +0000

Margo, San Jose is off to a good start and doing thing right… Karen, I agree, right now coaches should not but posting things before during or right after the games, to keep the athletes best interest in mind, however, how interesting will it be when coaches start giving fans insider tips and information via social media

By: Karen Goeller

Karen Goeller — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:26:50 +0000

Yes, each team should be using social media, but the players and coaches SHOULD NOT be using anything of the sort immediately before or during games for SAFETY reasons. They can have an administrative person from the team keeping fans up to date. Athletes and coaches could and should be using social media after games and on days they do not play, but just before and during the games they MUST FOCUS on the game. IT’S A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. I’ve been coaching since 1978 and have seen athletes get distracted and then injured. I do not even allow athletes to interact with their parents during competition because it takes away from their concentration. Anything that causes an athlete to lose focus can cause an accident. So with all of your discussions on this topic please keep ATHLETE SAFETY in mind…

By: Anthony Caponiti

Anthony Caponiti — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:24:23 +0000

No worries … next time!

Exactly because now is the time to make the headlines with an innovative promotion and/or fan contest if you are an organization. Mainstream media is dying for these stories and the total spend for an organization is small enough it can come out of traditional advertising/marketing budgets this year.

By: Margo

Margo — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:04:14 +0000

Lewis take a look at the San Jose Sharks. They are a pretty good example of how to use social media. They have a twitter page and a facebook page. They post games score updates, links to feature articles and use it as a way to announce chances for fans to ask players questions.