Twitter Sports Marketing Guide

by Lewis Howes | July 23rd, 2010 | View Comments

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:

When in Doubt, Tweet
Respect the Fan
Use the Resources You Have
Follow Back and Listen
If it isn’t Broken, Don’t Fix it

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.

Top 10 Most Followed Sports Teams on Twitter

by Michael Fitzsimmons | May 27th, 2010 | View Comments

It’s no surprise that sports teams all over the world are realizing the power of 140 characters or less. Twitter allows organizations to keep their fan base updated on events, stories, and up to the minute scoring, which has resulted in a growth of the number of followers for certain teams. Teams in major sports markets have taken their exposure to the next level through Twitter, while teams in smaller markets are using this tool to propel themselves into the social media spotlight.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) 1,520,444 followers @Lakers

The Lakers know how to win basketball games— they’re in pursuit of back-to- back NBA championships. L.A. also knows how to take advantage of Twitter. It’s no surprise that the Lakers have such a massive following being one of the most popular NBA teams in one of the most populated cities in the world. They’ve maintained their followers by keeping fans entertained with postgame quotes from players and coaches. They also sustain followers through a constant flow of stories that will undoubtedly build an even larger following of Lakers fans on the Web.

Does Sports Need Social Media?

by Lewis Howes | September 13th, 2009 | View Comments

Yes or no? Does it depend on what sector of the sports industry we are talking about? Should we even care?

Whether it’s a sports teams using a Facebook fan page, professional athletes on Twitter, sports agencies trying to promote their brand from blogging, sports management programs looking to recruit new students, or other sports organizations looking to find ways to increase sales and drive profits…. do they fully understand social media and are they ready to include it in their game?

I have been pretty frustrated with the somewhat ignorance I continue to see with sports teams and leagues banning social media, sports agencies thinking social media is a waste of time, or even sports pr and marketing companies believing social media in sports should not be used, period.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!

The fans that watch your team on weekends, those students that want to learn about your sports management program, companies that need your marketing expertise or are looking to buy advertising are all online using some form of social media! Even top sports business experts like CNBC’s Sports Biz reporter Darren Rovell talks about the power of social media on his blog and is tweeting daily to get his message out there.

And yes, there are ways to get your message out there with little or no cost to help you achieve your goals within the sports industry. If you need a more in depth marketing strategy just ask top social media sports professionals Amy Martin, AJ Vaynerchuk, Jason Peck or Ryan Stephens as they can easily help any sports organization figure out how to achieve their goals and what action to take to reach them.

I am just tired of hearing that the sports industry still doesn’t have a forward thinking mindset when it comes to using social media and it is really frustrating me (and you don’t want to see my football playing aggression come out in my blog, or it may get ugly!). My goal is to start providing more articles that help give the information the sports industry needs to start taking action with using social media so they can start to see the same successes other industries are gaining from it.

Are you as upset as I am and ready to strap on the helment, lace up your pads and kick some butt? If so, leave a comment with your thoughts on which sports organizations are and are not using social media correctly. What are they doing right, what are they doing wrong, and what can they do to make it better? Ready…. Set-Hut!