Several different qualifications are needed to be crowned as the King of the NFL Facebook Pages and overall number of “likes” does not guarantee you a spot on the most engaging NFL players on Facebook list. In order to be the NFL Facebook master, one must entertain and amuse, while engaging with their fans, providing insightful opinions and being the source of inside information. Energy is required and displaying a lighter side is desired.
Social media is where the most loyal and passionate fans come to connect with their favorite athletes. It is a platform for athletes to build their fan base, while rewarding them at the same time. Facebook is a perfect way for athletes to be more influential than ever and connect with millions of fans worldwide. The following ten NFL figures are at the top of the mountain:
Most Engaging NFL Players on Facebook
Known for his popularity on Twitter, OchoCinco has also become proficient on Facebook. No one can accuse Chad of not being candid. He expresses himself as openly as can be on a daily basis, but also challenges his fans to think. He is cutting edge with what is new and in vogue. He covers all bases, whether it be speaking Spanish to his subscribers, telling jokes he heard on the street or inviting random fans to attend the next Patriots game on him. Like him or not for his on the field antics, OchoCinco is a storyteller and an innovator when it comes to social media and his near two million facebook subscribers tell quite a tale.
He may be recognized as one of the most feared defenders in the league, but Polamalu is a gentle giant and his compassion comes through clearly on his 2 million+ subscribed Facebook page, the most in the NFL. He shares with his subscribers on a weekly basis, whether through inspirational stories or offers for free tickets, autographs or even a chance to ride a limo with him to a charity event. Polamalu never fails to update his following and he knows that consistency is important. He displays it on the field and on his Facebook fan page. [click to continue…]
Jon Schulman joined BDA Sports Management in September of 2008. At BDA, Jon’s responsibilities include implementing social media strategies for clients as well as working closely with sponsors, league and team social media departments. Jon also has direct contacts at Facebook, Twitter and Youtube along with several private social media companies. Prior to joining BDA Sports, Jon worked for the Los Angeles Lakers Development League team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders. His sports background also includes time spent with the UCLA Basketball department and the San Diego Riptide of the Arena Football League.
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There are sports fans, and then there are sports fans. There is no better example than at the upcoming Super Bowl party you will attend. Every party has that relative or family friend that is interested in the social gathering; after a few mini hot dogs and a few too many drinks he’s asking why teams punt on 4th down. Then there’s the true sports fan, who impresses as the one glued to the TV, talking about preparation and in-game adjustments even though he or she has no allegiance to the Giants or Patriots. They live for sports, it’s in their DNA.
Thanks to the sports Web site fanlime.com, that true sports fan’s DNA can now be on display for friends, family, teams and even athletes.
Steve is a recent graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Sports Journalism from the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. He is currently working as a marketing and PR intern for Sports Networker.
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The Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, which has reached half way stage as I write this, has built on the progress of previous years to establish a strong, recognizable and credible online brand. According to Sam Laird, in a recent post on the US website Mashable, the Australian Open ‘may just be the most digitally connected major sporting event of all time’. High praise indeed.
So why is the event in Melbourne attracting such accolades for its digital presence?
In my opinion, what the Australian Open is doing so well is leveraging digital assets to create deep and meaningful engagement with fans, while at the same time integrating its sponsors. Many sporting events, clubs and organizations across the globe strive to simultaneously achieve these two goals and the Grand Slam for Asia/Pacific has, arguably, pulled it off. [click to continue…]
Chris is a strategic programs analyst at the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) focusing on, amongst other things, sponsorship research, analytics and acquisition. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Business (AGSM). Chris took part in the school’s exchange program by completing a semester at Stern business school, NYU where he studied sports marketing and sports economics. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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The Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Marketing Coordinator – Steve Richards
Sports Business
“I immediately contacted Jim Gallagher, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at IMG Worldwide. Gallagher quickly put the rumor to bed. ”There aren’t ANY conversations going on with Lagardère, or any other company or individual for that matter, regarding a purchase of IMG,” said Gallagher.”
“Television contracts and the money generated from media rights fees have become a crucial factor in how baseball teams are run. Along with ticket sales, they are a team’s primary form of income, and in recent years the fees across sports have skyrocketed. The Lerners have never had a say on their arrangement with MASN. Until now.”
Sports Networking
“Participants will gain insight into careers in sports through presentations by successful sports executives, including GM’s, front office executives, Scouts, Sports Agents, player personnel, and well known media currently working in football. This event includes networking, information on breaking into the sports industry and advice on advancing your sports business career. College credit available for attending. ”
“Recently, Facebook introduced a few new features that will help someone who wants to use their personal profile for personal branding purposes. If you want to use the world’s most popular social network to promote what you do professionally, here are a few tips to get you started. ”
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Everyone loves rewards. From cash back on credit cards to gas rewards at supermarkets to coupons for spending a certain amount of money in retail, rewards programs are everywhere. People use them as incentives to shop somewhere and that’s what companies love in return.
Piggybacking off of that idea, the iPhone app Kwarter has created a social rewards program for sports fans with one big difference; you don’t need to spend any money for these rewards.
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Steve is a recent graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Sports Journalism from the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. He is currently working as a marketing and PR intern for Sports Networker.
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The Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Marketing Coordinator – Steve Richards
Sports Business
“Media moves as well as labor harmony (or the lack thereof) shake up our annual list of the executives who set the agenda for North American sports.”
“Come April, Jose Reyes will probably be the first home batter at the new Miami Marlins ballpark, ushering in a promising age for an up-and-coming team. But what of the team and borough he leaves behind?”
Sports Networking
“It is important for business owners to find something that makes them stand out in their market — to differentiate themselves from their competition. And that is where personal branding comes into play. Personal branding is a proven method by which business owners can separate themselves from the rest of their market. A strong personal brand positions the business owner as an expert in his or her field — allowing him to attract more business without slashing prices.”
“The 49ers organization hosted a Women in Sports Forum to encourage the growth of women in sports-related careers.”
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The Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Coordinator – Steve Richards
Sports Business
“After all the talk of a broken system and badly needed overhauls in the league, Saturday’s resolution produced one odd result: Fans won’t notice much of a difference.”
“You have to love Mark Cuban, even if you can’t stand the Dallas Mavericks. The man is all about the future, and his instincts are spot on. Okay, so maybe NBA commissioner David Stern isn’t so fond of the oft-fined Mavs’ owner, but if you appreciate business creativity, you must value Cuban.” - A second week in a row with an article about Cuban, but that just speaks to his business genius.
Sports Networking
“With up to 50 people attending the networking evening, sports council chairman Fiona Fyfe reckons the evening was a big success.”
“The night has three honorees: Karen Brodkin, Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for Fox Sports Media Group; Susan Rosenbluth, Senior Vice President of AEG Live/Goldenvoice; and Amy Stanton, Founder of Stanton and Company, LLC.”
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We can all breathe easy, the NFL is back. And with a little more than a month left until the 2011 NFL season opener (Sept. 8th) we are witnessing a frenzy of a free agency period. In just one week we saw Chad Ocho Cinco traded to the New EnglandPatriots, Reggie Bush taking his talents to south beach, and Nnamdi Asomugha joining the Philadelphia Eagles.
Luckily, fans don’t have to rely on traditional media to stay current with all the mayhem. Social media has solved that annoying problem of waiting to read tomorrow’s paper or catching the news. Here are some ways to keep up with the NFL free agency period through social media.
Twitter
Talk about real time news and information. Reporters like Chris Mortnensen and Adam Schefter have leveraged Twitter to report on breaking free agent signings and trades. These are the two people to follow if you are serious about football. How do you think I heard about Randy Moss retiring? [click to continue…]
www.bluefountainmedia.com Dmitriy Gamarnik is a marketing analyst for Blue Fountain Media. He is passionate about two things – sports and marketing. Sports have been a big part of Dmitriy’s life since he learned to crawl. When he isn’t keeping up with the industry and providing top notch analysis in New York City, he works on his golf swing and coaches basketball in his home town of Plainsboro, NJ.
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![Why Sports Teams [Don't] Need Facebook Developers and Apps](http://sportsnetwork.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/986497463_0e9981a205_z.jpg)
“All good things come to an end.” Those words couldn’t be any more true.
With Facebook investors looking toward an exit and an expected IPO sometime early next year, the casualties from Facebook not only include a multitude of social networks and startups, but very soon, Facebook developers.
While it may be a little premature to write off the future of Facebook developers, the signs are there that their door is closing.
Only A Matter of Time
When Facebook first started, they were on the outside looking in when it came to making money. While Facebook was laying the groundwork for their social network, other companies moved in and enjoyed the spoils of Facebook’s hard work. Social gaming companies like Zynga took full-advantage of a potentially limitless distribution network and market and turned themselves into a multi-billion dollar company. [click to continue…]
Joseph is the Social Media & Marketing Solutions Manger at GAGA Sports & Entertainment where he works with professional sports teams, including the Lakers, Clippers, and San Francisco 49ers, where he develops engaging content as well as social media and digital strategies to help teams better understand and engage their fans.
Read more from Joseph and follow him on Twitter.
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Guest Post by Elliot Solop
Over a week ago, ESPN had a great story on the impact of social media, specifically Twitter, on action sports athletes and their respective endorsement contracts. Action sports, in general, is still very much a growing breed of sports. Unlike the major sports, it receives a lot less of streamlined media exposure. There are many reasons why this could be; the difficulty of action sports in general, the fact that it is still very much in the infancy stage (skateboarding dates back to the late 1940s), or maybe it is associated with the lack of big name labels endorsing the top extreme athletes. How many skateboarders or snowboarders can the average person rattle off their tongues in a normal day conversation? Maybe 1 to 2 (Tony Hawk and Shaun White), right? With the integration of social media, expect that all to change and don’t expect just the action sports world to change, but the whole SPORTSVERSE. (I just made a word up there, Sports + Universe= SPORTSVERSE).
Citing ESPN’s article, the latest endorsement contracts between the action sports athlete and the endorser include clauses stipulating monthly tweeting quotas in addition to potential four-figure bonuses for every 5,000 new followers the athlete attains on Twitter. I love the outside the box thinking. This is just the beginning my friends. Here’s who I think will be affected by the Social Media Effect: [click to continue…]
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