(This is a guest post by Daniel McLaren)
This is another side to Social Media that is often overlooked, when organisations plan their online approach yet can be as important, if not more so than having a Facebook/Twitter page.
A old approach that has taken on a new meaning and been opened up by social media is creating brand advocates and generating positive ‘Word of Mouth’. This is important because you as a brand can only generate a certain amount of trust in what you say to people.
A couple of weeks ago I was faced with a challenge unlike anything I’d experienced in the last few years while attending the Professional Golf Association’s premier event – the PGA Championship — at the beautiful Whistling Straights golf course in Kohler, Wis. I went to the tourney as a fan, not as a member of the media, which limited my communication throughout the day.
According to PGA rules, I was not allowed to bring a phone or mobile device of any kind (which in my case, are one in the same) into the venue. I could deal with having to silence my phone, but to be removed from social media and email was trying for someone who depends on those tools to run and monitor a publicity business.After all, I was pretty excited about the prospects of how I could monitor other holes from my iPhone – the PGA touted its apps like few other organizations do. But they weren’t app-licable to me. I was there.
As it turns out, it was a Friday in August and people who may have contacted me were either at the beach or cutting their days short so correspondence wasn’t crucial. There’s always that “what if” though, and I was nervous that the biggest opportunity of my career might come across in a tweet while I was incommunicado.
Alas, all remained calm on the social media front.
A couple of months ago, NYC-based social media agency Carrot Creative challenged the agency I work for, VaynerMedia to a game of basketball. “Hey @vaynermedia,” they tweeted, “Since our comps are the 2 best Sports Social Media Shops It is time to battle it out on the Basketball court! #challenge.” Of course, we accepted the challenge and played the game. VaynerMedia won, 61-41.
The Website
Carrot created a fantastic microsite for the game, called SocialMediaBasketball.com. They included both teams’ starting rosters, complete with names, nicknames, and the ability to follow all of us on Twitter. Even cooler? Visitors had the ability to “like” the team they were rooting for / thought would win. Finally, a live feed featured anyone who tweeted about the game with the hashtag #CCvsVM.
Note: If you don’t use Twitter, you can still follow along! Twitter has announced the ability to “fast follow” any account by simply texting “follow @____” to 40404. Their tweets will automatically be sent to your phone. So, if you’re a football fan, no reason not to read this article and keep up with the best NFL sources this season!
The 2010 NFL season is quickly approaching. The preseason is already under way, and the regular season begins on Thursday, September 9th, with the Minnesota Vikings visiting the New Orleans Saints in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game. I love baseball and I’m a huge basketball fan as well. In fact, I really enjoy watching most sports. But there’s nothing like sitting on your couch on a Sunday afternoon with a couple of buddies, and a table full of junk food and beer, and watching nine straight hours of hard-hitting football.
So, why am I writing this article? Why a Twitter Guide? Twitter has become the best platform for up-to-the minute news and analysis in most arenas. If you want to stay on top of… anything you care about, Twitter is the place to do it (especially with “fast follow”). I’ll list a number of my favorite NFL-related accounts with a brief reason as to why they’re worth following. Enjoy!
Tyler Johnson has written a number of articles for us over the last year including the Top 100 Ways to use Social Media in Sports and the influence of LinkedIn Groups. We wanted to take a deeper look at how Tyler personally uses social media and how it pertains to the sports industry on a daily basis.
1. How did you effectively utilize social media in your work with the White Sox?
While with the White Sox I mostly utilized Twitter and LinkedIn in relation to my work. I changed my signature in my e-mail to direct people to my social media accounts. In less than a year, I noticed some direct sales driven through LinkedIn. However, the most significant value that became of these tools was the rapport I developed with my clients and potential customers.
Once customers could see a quick snap shot of what I was about, a more solid relationship quickly followed. At the same time, using LinkedIn I was able to learn more about what they did, the companies they work for, and the things they enjoyed most outside of their 9 to 5 job.
I also used twitter to send out updates in regards to group outings, discounted ticket opportunities and other general PR material. I let our official MLB Twitter account drive the bulk of our traffic and Twitter brand, as I had other purposes in its use.
(This is a guest post by Daniel McLaren)
When talking to people about their social media plans, most will talk about Facebook and Twitter. Yes, these are the most popular platforms and we are all aware that Facebook has recently topped the 500 million mark.
But is this the right audience for your team?
Taking a step back from the technology and looking at who your target audience is and where they hanging out is the first step that any organization should take. You may be surprised with the results and it will certainly impact on your plans.
One of the first posts I ever wrote here was about Gilbert Arenas, the true pioneer of the social media space for professional athletes. Shaq gets the credit for being the one who led the way, because of his use of Twitter, but Gilbert was in the space first. And Gilbert was a blogger! Forget Shaq writing 140-character tweets in 2008, Gilbert was writing blog posts that consisted of hundreds if not thousands of words… two years earlier!
Anyway, this post is not about Shaq or Gilbert Arenas or anyone you’ve likely heard of before. This post is about Swedish professional golfer Alex Noren and minor league baseball player Matt Antonelli. Why? They’re both professional athletes and outstanding bloggers. We focus so much on Facebook & Twitter as the tools athletes should be utilizing, but let’s not forget the power of the blog.
Alex Noren (AlexNoren.com)
Alex uses his blog very much like how I would recommend a professional athlete to use his or her blog; frequent updates with lots of pictures and behind-the-scenes looks that tell the story of who Alex Noren is. He posts pictures from the course, as well as from workouts, and the clubhouse lounge, and he’s always sure to add a caption or a bit of commentary. All the posts seem to come directly from Alex.
We are excited to introduce the Sports Networker’s exclusive Twitter sports marketing guide. We have analyzed the top twitter users in sports and formulated some key steps on how teams are marketing their brand to interact and build a relationship with their fans, helping create some of the highest follower counts on Twitter.
Maintaining a strong relationship with your fans is probably one of the most important aspects of a sports team off the ice/field/court. Social networks are effective tools to improve those relationships with die hard supporters while also finding new fans. From the Lakers to Real Madrid, we have broken down their best techniques into five steps:
While every sport and team appeals to different fan bases, utilizing social media is something that every sports organization can capitalize on. No matter if you’re involved with an amateur basketball team or in charge of a pro football team, you’re going to want to take a look to see the top ways to improve your brand. Remember, all support and encouragement counts when you’re chasing for the championship. Download the free guide by filling in your name and email below to see exactly how the top sports teams put out their ‘A game’ and learn ways to grow your own following.
Download your free copy of the Twitter Sports Marketing Guide by entering your name and email below and you will receive an email with the link for the PDF shortly.
Last week we posted a job description looking for a new community manager for our sites. The response was overwhelming and we received many amazing resumes and applications. The top 10 were invited to participate in the next stage of the search by submitting video posts explaining why they wanted the job. The videos showed clearly why these candidates made the top 10 cut to begin with. They are dedicated and passionate, something we value a lot for our company.
Some candidates really stood out and impressed us. They did crazy things like submit their application an hour after we requested it, created a website, sent multiple video posts and recorded themselves from a Sonic Drive-Through to illustrate their 24/7 hustle.
There are three stereotypes that Canadians are generally known for: 1. we say ‘eh’ a lot. 2. we’re extremely nice to a fault and 3. we love our hockey. Representing both 2 and 3, Communication student Richard Loat decided to embark on a journey across Canada to play ball hockey while raising money for local food banks along the way. The event, dubbed Five Hole for Food in honor of the most glorious way to score a goal in hockey, is fueled by big name sponsors such as Molson Canadian, Boston Pizza, and Marketwire, along with support from teams in the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League.
The idea came when Richard was planning a cross-country road trip and decided to do something a little more meaningful with his miles. Already well known in the hockey social media scene as a blogger for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, Richard reached out to other hockey fans across the country, and found the online community to be extremely receptive and supportive. The blueprint for 9 games in 11 days was quickly formed. So far, games have already been played in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton.
