Monday, December 26, 2011

Unplugged: Why We Should Free Facebook & Twitter from Website Menus

What do you want fans to do when they hit your program's site? This is up for debate and interpretation but I would argue that one of the most critical pieces is for fans to literally connect with you - to engage with your team(s) socially so that you can connect together in the future. If we can establish this level of connection, we begin to build a relationship -- not a transaction. In today's world, it means I opt in to follow you on Facebook or Twitter.

Let me ask this question... If you hit Apple's site (shown below) what do you think they want you to engage with?




As you (hopefully) know, I check out a LOT of school Facebook and Twitter pages. If you don't know this, please, stick around - we'll have a fun ride together!

Oddly enough, one thing I feel like I'm always having troubles with is literally finding the school's social media pages. I'm including a few examples below but I could have chosen ten or twenty more. You might find Facebook or Twitter hidden underneath a menu of "Social Media", "Marketing", "Fan Zone", "Fan Central", "Multimedia", "Interactive Zone", "Insider", or I'm sure many other places. Check a few of them below...

"Fan Zone"




"Multimedia"







"Fan Central"



The point here isn't that these are wrong. The point here is that there are a lot of ways this is being approached, yet none of them enable people to easily follow (and feel compelled to follow) the program and that shouldn't be the case. What if we could distill it down the way Apple does? What if we had one lead program and we made it super easy to sign up or raise your social hand to follow that program? Yes, it would mean prioritizing messages... but on the plus side, yes it would mean prioritizing messages. We all have limited time, we are all busy (if you know me, you know I refuse to use that word for that very reason!). So it is on us to prioritize our message for others. Help them know what's the most important. And then make it easy to do what you want them to do!

As we focus our efforts on this Facebook and Twitter connection with our programs it becomes very important that we elevate this work and don't keep Social Media on an equal playing field to everything else we talk about.

With that, I hope you all have a great Holiday break!

I'll be taking some time off from the blog, but will be back at you on Monday, January 9 with more NCAA digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Friday, December 23, 2011

Colorado Basketball Shows Us How Twitter Can Humanize Our Brands

We often hear that Twitter is fantastic because it can connect you easily to other people - be it celebrities, athletes, icons, business experts, or others with shared interest. But there are far more people brought together than there are connections made. And, to me I believe a lot of this is in the way you tell your own personal story. Do you present yourself in a formal, official way or do you present yourself in a way that really makes others want to connect with you.

As I was strolling through the Twittersphere, I came across an amazing example of using Twitter to be approachable. And being approachable is the first step to making a connection. Take a peak at Assistant Coach Jean Prioleau's Twitter profile, here, and shown below.



This is simply amazing.

He has stated who he is and what he's about in an incredibly succinct yet inviting way. "Assistant Basketball Coach, University of Colorado, willing to talk hoops to anyone that's interested in knowing about our program."

Wow.

What I love is that the description he uses is personal. And talking hoops is what he's offering. If you love the game, that makes him someone you are comfortable reaching out to. If Coach Prioleau is so approachable on digital, I'm guessing he brings that same attitude to his team, to recruiting, and to his life -- many of those people may come across him on Twitter now as well!

Great, fascinating, and simple example that we should all look at. To get where we want to go, to maximize our potential means to get the most out of what we have in front of us. Coach Prioleau shows us to look at the details of how we present ourselves and set ourselves up for success!

I'll be back on Monday for one final piece before breaking for the New Year. As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast, here)

Thanks for reading!

Andy

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

San Diego State and the Social-ification of Announcements

It's no secret that conference alignment is a bit confusing, a bit overwhelming, a bit exciting and also a bit frustrating. One of the things that stands out the most to me in what feels like a multi-year process of shifting dynamics is this: When conferences realign, fans talk. A lot. In Social Media. But when conferences realign, they announce it via a press release. And (with all due respect to the fans of press releases), no one reads these.

Now, enter one of the more confusing announcements: San Diego State is entering both the Big East Conference and the Big West Conference (for football and basketball, respectively). As you'll see below, they delivered this news in an incredibly social way that we can all learn from.

First, I saw the news break through the SDSU Athletics Facebook page (here)




As you can see in the video below, SDSU did exactly what ESPN would do in a spot like this -- they went to their experts and had them break down what the move means to the university. This was done quickly, and simply and delivered through social.




But as you can also gather, that's a lot of video content that gets dispersed all over the internet without a home, a hub, to bring everything together. The school needed a way to bring the power of all programs together in one place.

Thus, they transformed the Athletics site into a hub. As you'll note in the images below (and by clicking here), they bring all coaches together and integrate the two new leagues seamlessly together.





All videos aggregate in one spot and in case you aren't in the video clicking mood, key quotes appear below.







The power of the moves, dimensionalized by the school's experts in one spot does two amazing things. One, it gives the fan instant access to what it means - thus getting the base excited. And, Two, this gives the appearance that the programs are united. Every team comes across as happy for this and what it means for the future -- and that is what keeps the boosters, fans, and recruits energized.

A press release tells you the facts. But we don't want the facts, we want the stories. Props to SDSU for giving us the story!

Tune in Friday for more NCAA Digital Best Practices. Or just follow me up on social -- I'm on Twitter, as @andypawlowski (here), and on Facebook as Digital Hoops Blast, here.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Monday, December 19, 2011

Kansas Basketball Lets You Get Coach Self on Your Answering Machine

The more I think about it, the two most personal areas for most college fans (and for future college athletes) are their social profile and their mobiles. And, if you do it well, the reality is your mobile plan becomes social (and vice versa).

Kansas Basketball is leading with Mobile in a way that, yes, will become extremely social.

I came across this article on ESPN. It took me to Coach Bill Self's Official Crowdrise page (here). Side note, until now I'd never heard of the site "Crowdrise" but it seems like an interesting place to raise funds for good causes. Coach Self, like many of us, has a cause which is important to him. But as you'll see below it's the creativity in his approach that has me a blogging...

Much like the NPR Show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", Coach Self is offering to record a personal voicemail message for you. To be considered, you need to donate to his cause (helping families in need during the Holiday season). Everyone who donates has a chance and the lucky winner gets Coach Self on their phone.

Check these images.








There's a disclaimer, for sure, as it is not something they are targeting towards prospective student-athletes nor to fans of other teams who'd be upset with this prize. But if you are a current student/diehard fan of the Jayhawks, how sweet would it be for your friends to find not you but Coach Self on the voicemail.

It'd be bragging rights, it's social, and it is something that almost makes you not answer your phone more often.

The only things I'd add to the mix would be to 1) get Coach Self to also drop that voicemail as a Tweet, so the world can see, hear, and admire the winning fan's position as the luckiest Jayhawk fan around and 2) encourage fans to enter this for their friends/family members as a Holiday gift! While the prize may not appeal to you, you'd be hard pressed to find a better gift for a fanatic fan on your shopping list!

And for the rest of us, take inspiration here -- this is a fantastic example of taking a simple idea (a voicemail message) and turning it into a prize that could unite a fan base.
Thanks for reading. You can tune back in Wednesday for more digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

Andy

Friday, December 16, 2011

Baylor Athletics Leverages Real Time Photography in Facebook & Twitter

Photography brings people together.

For the same reasons that people take and share pictures via mobiles and Facebook or Twitter, athletics programs should ask themselves how a few timely pictures can bring fans (and recruits) closer to their program.

Baylor Athletics does this across multiple sports inside both Facebook and Twitter. Let's take a peak.

First, Facebook. As you'll see on a visit to the Baylor Athletics Facebook page (here), the team does a great job of giving fans updates on their programs. But it was one post that got my mind revving. Football star Robert Griffin III was at ESPN for the announcement of this year's Heisman Trophy candidates. It's not too long ago that fans would learn via press releases that schools would post to their websites or you'd see in the local paper. Now, fans learn via social media.

But it isn't the fact that Baylor posted about RGIII's status as a finalist. It was how they did it. Check this:



It's a picture, in a moment, packed with emotion. It's a picture that none of us can get. And it dropped into Facebook in realtime!

Now, check out the Baylor Men's Basketball Twitter account, here. As you'll note, the team finished a big victory over Northwestern and then was heading home. The post below appeared on Twitter...






Again, it was a picture in a moment, and a picture that fans can't get themselves. This isn't something you'll find on ESPN or in the local paper. Thus, Baylor is giving their fans value -- and that value is through access.

I love both of these examples because they remind us all that the power of what we see has potential to unite a fan base. It has potential to spread, it gives fans a reason to follow you, and it brings more people closer to the program.

Tune back in Monday for more NCAA digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Pac-12 Conference Leverages a Twitter Battle Across Media for Title Game

The Pac-12 held their first-ever Football title recently, with Oregon defeating UCLA and winning a bid in the Rose Bowl. Accompanied with this game, they wanted to activate their fan bases through social media, as the game happened on the field. To do this, they decided to introduce a fan activation contest around Hashtags.

Let's check how this played out...

As you can see in the image below (or on the site, here), the Pac-12 tracked real-time Twitter conversation around Oregon (using hashtag #GODUCKS) or UCLA (using hashtag #GOBRUINS). The hub, on Pac-12.org, tracked percentages, and elevated individual user Tweets. Then, at the bottom of the page, they singled out the best Tweets and gave them extra love.



While the results were interesting, it was the amplification of this idea that got me pumped. I don't know if it was planned or not, but television picked up this activation. Check the image below, which aired on the Fox TV broadcast (yes, this is a picture of a TV screen I found on Twitter)...



People talk (or tweet) when they are excited. And, thus, it's super interesting to see in-game coverage of social media chatter. It's kind of the modern-day version of the fan poll. But the opportunity that comes with social media isn't about information but rather about passionate engagement.

So where could this idea go? How could the Pac-12 (or you) make it better? The challenge lies in identifying the benefit of this Social Media challenge to the fan. In other words, the Oregon fan naturally cares about the Ducks winning the game. They aren't wired to care that the Ducks win a social battle. And, thus, I think you need to add some stakes to the mix.

My suggestion is for us to look at how TV networks reward "Players of the Game". They donate to the scholarship fund of the winning athlete's school.

Now, imagine if we could see a conference find an official social media partner and reward the winning fan base with additional contributions to their future - be it scholarships, experiences on campus, or something similar. This would give fans a reason to rally behind the idea rather than relying on them to simply hope they win. Doing this would help the conference grow from a social reach standpoint and would allow them to leverage this as a platform that adds rapid energy around game days, each week!

Tune in Friday for more NCAA Digital Best Practices. Or just follow me up on social -- I'm on Twitter, as @andypawlowski (here), and on Facebook as Digital Hoops Blast, here.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Monday, December 12, 2011

Alabama Basketball Delivers a Powerful Twitter Voice

Alabama Basketball has been one of the pleasant surprises of this year's season -- cracking the top 25 and delivering fresh energy into a program that is more known for their football success. It was that situation that had me intrigued to check out their basketball social media -- could the basketball team develop their own voice, rather than simply be a football voice on the basketball court?

As you'll see today, they not only define their own voice, but they do it in a way that we can all learn from: they get personal.

The journey begins on the Bama Hoops Twitter page, here.




I'm going to call out a few pieces of their energy that will do a great job of illustrating their approach. First, I was drawn to the simplicity and emotion in which they let their fan base wake up to a big matchup (vs Georgetown)... Oddly enough, this is one of those times where all caps and lots of exclamation points make communication better!




So, as the fan base began to respond, posting about the game, Alabama Hoops retweeted their messages. As you'll see in the image below, the cumulative effect of lots of elevated fan voices makes the Alabama page feel very much connected to the pulse of their fans. It works. And, of course, the fans will feel more connected to the program because they were elevated through the retweet.





Finally, as you'll see in the image below, though the Tide lost the game, they engaged with their fan base in a way that was in the moment but yet raw. Pre-game, they posted on the energy. Post game, they were gracious but not vanilla. And the next morning, they were grateful to their fan base. I'll let you read the style, and I think you'll understand how personal this approach is... and you'll start to feel the program.



Which, really, is the goal of social media. Let people feel you. Not feel for you, but feel you. Great model for us all to learn from!

Thanks for reading. You can tune back in Wednesday for more digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

Andy

Friday, December 9, 2011

How a Microchip in a Jersey Creates a Viscious Cycle of Value

Value is a pretty strong word in digital and social media. After all, the goal is to offer value to your consumers or fans, right? But imagine if the value you created enabled consumers to create more value? You'd have the beginning of a cycle, and one that everyone wants to be a part of.

I found this article in the Miami Herald and this one on Mashable, announcing technology that is being embedded into Tampa Bay Lightning jerseys to allow for fans to then get discounts on concessions or merchandise at the stadium. This is executed by simply placing the chip inside the sleeve and then installing scanners at various concessions in their arena. Fans then essentially "check in" to the concessions in game and receive a discount.




The article smartly points out one big benefit - that the team will learn spending habits from their best fans. (These jerseys are being given to their season ticket holders) I'd argue you get a second benefit that fans are more likely to wear your jerseys to the game... so make these your best jerseys! So is this a simple win-win of value: Team gets Data, Fans get Discount?

This could be so much more.

Imagine if fans could connect their jersey to their Facebook or Twitter account? Just like a location check-in, fans could notify their networks when they enter the arena or hit special pre or post game festivities while there! And perhaps the Lightning could allow these season ticket holders to pass a ticket discount to their networks for syncing their jersey to their social network? That way we bring more people in wearing jerseys, who connect more with friends socially!

Crazy technology!!!

Tune back in Monday for more digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Ohio State Basketball and the Balance Between Athletics Department and Team Social Media

Should a program have both an overall Athletics Facebook page and pages for each team? This is a common question I hear and today, inspired by THE Ohio State University, feels like a good day to tackle this topic.

The quick answer is simply, it depends on your ability to do this the right way. With ample people and time, I believe a school should have pages for every program. Then they could maintain an overall Athletics page that hypes the most important posts from each individual program. That mimics fan behavior -- you have pockets of superfans for each program, then people with casual interest in what's hot across all sports. Thus, going deep in program pages and wide in an Athletics page makes sense.

Let's check out The Ohio State Facebook set up.

First, I went right into their Basketball Facebook page, here. I'd be lying if I told you the numbers didn't mess with me. As you can see below, there are a total of only 1,012 fans of the Basketball program on Facebook, with only 239 people "talking about this." As a side note, while the numbers are low, that is a pretty high engagement rate -- 24% of the fan base is talking about the program.





Next, I went into the Athletics Facebook page, here. The numbers are much, much higher -- 1,074,842 like them, with 49,439 "talking about them"... That equates to an engagement rate of 4.5%.





It does make sense that these facts would exist -- higher engagement on team pages, bigger scale on athletics pages. But at that level? That's craziness to me.

On a hunt for "why", I looked deeper into each team's presence. Let's take a look at a couple things. First, you'll see a post from the Ohio State Athletics page right after their HUGE win over Duke.




As you'll see below, one of those images was taken and re-posted on the Basketball page. The other two images weren't around...




When I went earlier in the game, I saw the emotional image and post below make the Ohio State Athletics page. I didn't see it on the basketball page.



So, based on my small sample size, it looks like Ohio State uses their Athletics page as their main page and then reposts as needed onto the Basketball page. With the disparity in size of communities, I can see how that is a tempting strategy. But tempting doesn't always mean it's the right path.

Think of it this way, if you have one small group of passionate fans, hit them with the best stuff, quickly, and they will love you for it. If your most passionate fans love you for what you do, they will tell other fans. And the numbers will grow. Strangely enough, this will limit what you post to the Athletics page, and by doing this position your athletics page as even more premium -- giving fans of that page exactly what they want (the best and only the best across all sports).

The good news is the pieces are here. It's much easier to shift your priority of messaging places than it is to fix your message. But to maximize engagement, that's exactly what THE Facebook page will have to do.

Tune in Friday for more NCAA Digital Best Practices. Or just follow me up on social -- I'm on Twitter, as @andypawlowski (here), and on Facebook as Digital Hoops Blast, here.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Monday, December 5, 2011

Could Google+ Hangouts Redefine Press Conferences?

Is Google+ a Game Changer? To be honest, I'm not sure yet. But their concept of a Hangout is definitely intriguing.

I think you have to look at what it could replace. The press conference is something that needs reinventing. As tech has evolved, we haven't seen a rapid increase in how athletes or coaches get in front of fans or the media. In general, we see games finish and the media waits until the coach and key player(s) enter the room. Questions follow, and articles/blogs are written.

We're getting a little better in some cases -- where fans are able to ask questions of their coach or players and the school (or media) helps get answers. It's a great step, but it doesn't respond to the level of personal touch or emotion that it could.

Enter the idea of a Hangout. If you haven't heard of these, Google+ allows you and up to 9 friends to connect via what's basically a video chat. Here's a quick video that brings that to life.





But what's that mean to sports teams? The Dallas Cowboys were the first team I saw take advantage of this idea. They put star DE Demarcus Ware in front of a computer and let him interact with fans. As you'll see in the images below, it feels like you are literally in a small table hanging with Demarcus...



And when fans ask questions, the screen changes -- reinforcing this idea of being at a table, together. (It feels like this is an exclusive group, not like we should just watch one person)!



You can watch the full video (it's just over 12 minutes) here or click in below. I highly recommend it.



OK, so what does this mean for college programs? This network enables you to put up to 9 fans in contact with your team at any point in time. That's pretty special access and it is something to consider, as the Dallas Cowboys example illustrates. I'm not saying you need to set up a Google+ page today, but what I am saying is that the level of connection this offers is inspiring. This might even be a way to give your post game press conference could get a nice refresh -- letting 9 super fans get access that has historically been allowed only for select media personnel!

Tune back in Wednesday for more digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Friday, December 2, 2011

Unplugged: 5 Tips for Teams to Get Started on Facebook

Let's assume you are an Athletics Department just getting into Social Media (or deciding if that's a good idea). I'm not going to spend today convincing you to dive in head first. What I am going to do is give you 5 tips that will either get you started or help you get momentum on Facebook.

Ready?

1. Tell Stories, Don't Tell Posts.
This is the biggest key. Don't look at Facebook as a place to tell people where to go. Instead, think of Facebook as a place where you can be friends with your fans. And since you are going to be showing up in the news of people alongside their other friends, it's even more important that you show up. The best way to do that is to see your role as one to tell stories. Don't report the facts, but rather report the stories that led to the facts happening.

As you can see in this example from Oregon Athletics, a story can be a short sentence and a great picture... this tells the story of the team preparing to head up to face UW! Click here to visit the Oregon Athletics Facebook page.






2. Think about your audience before you write these stories.
This one can trip you up if you aren't careful. Before you hit the post button, take a second and think about your audience. Who are you speaking to and why is this story relevant to them? Finally, what do you want them to get out of reading this story? This strategy will cause us to use Facebook & Twitter differently, and it will cause us to not simply use Facebook to drive traffic other places.

Illinois offered up a chance inside Facebook to let fans easily download their schedule. Pretty simple, and the post even ended with "What do you think Illini Fans?" (Click here for their Facebook page)



3. Give Access No Matter What
Access. It's the one thing that you and only you control. Who are you going to grant the postgame or post match interviews with first? The local newspaper, the local TV station, or your Facebook audience? I have seen many teams literally stop everything to make sure they get the coach onto the post game radio broadcast... Imagine if we took that compelling drive for access and applied it to Facebook?

Click here for the Michigan State Facebook page, where they let fans ask questions of the leaders of the squad leading up to big matchups!




4. Be Visual and Positive
When you talk about access, immediately the next thought is imagery. By simply letting your audience see what you see, you will bring them closer to you. And when you add a positive attitude, you take that connection even deeper. I love the example below (or here, on the Portland Pilots Facebook page) that combines a great image with a welcoming statement for a new recruit joining the Pilots.




5. Be Responsive
Facebook is a two-way conversation. Just as you wouldn't be non-responsive to a friend who wrote on your wall, neither should you be non-resposnive to a fan. Be very personal and welcoming -- and by doing this in a public way, it will only encourage others to see you as real!

Click here to see how BYU Football does this -- they jumped in when fans saw it as a negative that they were giving away tickets. That simple act (jumping in to clarify a negative comment) makes a big impact in stopping things from spinning out of control. Well done BYU!



By thinking about these 5 tips, you can develop a Facebook foundation that can be a key part of your marketing strategy.

Come back on Monday as I break down more Digital Best Practices. You can also follow along on Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here) and on Facebook,here.

Andy

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Harvard Twitter Pumps Emotion into the Chase to Get There

I'm pumped for College Basketball Season. Yes, I know all the talk now is the pending start of NBA season but as we look at sport, imagine the spot we are in -- there are many teams that are on the rise whose fans now have visions of greatness coming into focus.

Take Harvard. As in 6-0 Harvard.

The Crimson are now on the cusp of the NCAA Top 25 after winning their tourney in the Bahamas.

Fan energy couldn't be higher, but they still have yet to break through -- currently sitting at #27 in the polls (technically not ranked but 2nd in the "others receiving votes" area). This is real time for a social media manager to get the fan momentum going. When your team is suddenly on the cusp of the national stage that the top 25 generates...

So I hit up the Harvard Twitter page (here), and was thrilled with the energy I found. First, love how they are engaging and retweeting fans to fuel energy.

Then and more importantly, I love, love how they apply a hashtag into a message to a fan. Take a look at the two hashtags below... #HarvardForTop25.





I love seeing this for lots of reasons, but two stand out. First, it is a rallying cry. Get fans and hopefully media behind and engaged with your quest to make the top 25. They did this in an emotional, yet efficient way. And, second, the idea of a hashtag like this is uplifting - it is a vision for the program. There's no reason to think they can't get behind this year-after-year, as long as the team continues to perform on the court. And if we can combine a call to action with a positive impact on the team's brand, we've hit a great 1-2 combo!

Thus, I clicked in, practically giddy with enthusiasm. So far no one has picked up this Twitter hashtag -- but they just started. Hopefully it grows (if you see the chance, please add yourself to this mix!)




I'm hoping to see this grow, and I hope my post adds fuel to a great idea.

Here's to a great season filled with surprises in the Top 25 and fan energy to match it on Twitter! And here's to all of us learning from Harvard's example to go after that energy before you make the big stage.

Tune back in Friday for more digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Monday, November 28, 2011

The Old Spice Classic Shows How to Pump Twitter Personality into a Tournament

I've always been a fan of the early season tournaments. You get some amazing matchups and it seems like there's always several neutral site games that would never happen were it not for these brackets.

But how can the tournament itself start to have a personality? And perhaps an even bigger question is this: Since these are neutral locations, everyone is traveling to play. How do you get fan bases across the nation to have a voice in your stadium?

Enter Twitter.

The Old Spice Classic is hosted Thanksgiving Weekend in Orlando (details here, it wrapped last night). Upon visiting their website, I was drawn right in by the header at the top: "Tweet for your team and our live cheering section will yell for them."

What?




Naturally, I headed straight over to the @OldSpiceClassic Twitter handle (here). And there, right on the left hand side of the Twitter skin is this guide. It's 8 teams, 8 Twitter handles and whoever gets the most social media love controls this section in game.




I did a quick look at the timeline and it is pretty clever. Check these 2 images. Same crowd, supporting Fairfield and then Dayton....







This is fascinating.

What works about this (beyond the fun factor) is that this takes something you can't do from home and impacts the game. How many of us have yelled at our TV's as if the team could hear us? Now, with a little help in rallying your friends, you literally can be heard in the arena. This is a fascinating opportunity for teams to take and apply. How can you transform your arena, or the presence of your crowd based on fan chatter?

For a simple start of season tournament to generate this type of social media power really helps define it as a brand with a personality -- and no doubt this helps to impact the type of experience teams have for playing in the Old Spice Classic. Now all we need is a live audio/video stream of the crowd to drive this home!!!

Tune back in Wednesday for more digital best practices. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Friday, November 25, 2011

Mississippi State Puts a Hashtag in the End Zone

It's so simple it's brilliant. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are garnering national attention (plus attention in this blog) for their use of the Twitter Hashtag in the end zone in front of their in state clash against Ole Miss.

Check out the image below, then I'll come back with some things to ponder.



This is a brilliant move, and not simply a brilliant move because it gets a lot of attention. It makes sense, and here's why:

1. The End Zone is a place for Emotion.
You punch the ball in (or keep someone from doing it, and it results in celebration -- both from fans and from players. Similarly Twitter is a place of emotion -- and when teams score (or keep others from it, fans rally together in social media). So we are taking existing behavior in two places (social and physical) and combining them into one.

2. End Zones have always been about Nicknames and Messages
The Snickers commercial below made it more recently famous, but teams have always placed their nicknames into the end zones. Super Bowls paint both nicknames -- one on each end zone. In fact, according to an article on Mashable (here), this idea started by MSU thinking about simply painting a message ("Hail State") in the end zone.

Who can forget the Chefs end zone?



3. It gets the Right Attention.
The reason to put "Hail State" on the end zone is to hype your team up. The reason to put "#HAILSTATE" into the end zone is to get fans to join together in social media around MSU Football. I love the fact that one character transformed that end zone from a statement into a call to action... Oh, and of course that shows up on Television during Thanksgiving weekend!

4.This is an Adaptable Model.
The best ideas are scalable. You can keep it as is for weeks. Or you can change it to support a weekly message. It scales beyond Twitter to Instagram... and Facebook.

I can't wait to see this in action today!

Tune back in Monday for more best practices from College Hoops. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Kansas Basketball Facebook: The Power of What You See and What You Hear

Combinations. They are what makes teams great as it is the power of the whole being greater than the power of the individuals on their own.

In social media it's the combination of words, pictures, and time that we all seek to perfect. But what I think most teams don't realize is that there is immense power in what you see and hear because that combination can help others feel what you feel.

I was checking out the Kansas Men's Basketball Facebook Page (here) and saw the image and copy below on their wall...




I'm going to zoom in here because the image is so powerful.




So in a quick glance fans see a shot of the huddle and realize that Coach Self told them "Hard work on 3." When you take that and deliver it in realtime, it almost puts your fan base into your huddle. The emotion in that thought basically gives me the chills...

And that becomes the challenge to all of us. What is it that we see and hear that we can offer to others so that they connect with us and feel what we feel, even when they aren't physically with us?

Tune back in Friday for more best practices from College Hoops. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Monday, November 21, 2011

How Duke Basketball Brings Fans into Win 903

903.

It's a huge number, especially when you are talking about games won. It's kind of hard to fathom, when you're talking about a sport where you tend to play 25-30 games a year. That's the beauty and the challenge here -- how can you connect people with an idea that's so hard to put into context?

With a victory over Michigan State last week, Coach K became the NCAA's All-Time Winningest Coach -- 903 wins. But how do you take the fact that your coach just set the standard for winning games and turn it into a fun consumer contest? By having fun with it, of course.

Duke Basketball launched their campaign and site, 903 and Counting (linked here). The call to action is simple yet not simple: "How do you 903?"

But they wanted to give fans more clarity on what they were looking for... and released this amazing video that shows everything from fans waking up at 9:03 to body paint and ridiculous piles of food. This video is worth two minutes of your attention (don't worry, I'll wait).





It's fun, right?

So after setting the bar of what to do, Duke gives you the other two things you need: How to enter and What you can win. And both are done very simply, as you'll see here.

The process is very simple. Just show how you 903 via video, image, drawing, or whatever and submit it according to the process below...




And you can win prizes that the University has access to as the source (Tickets, Autographs, and Duke Gear).




I love this idea. It's simple, it's fun, and you can win prizes that are amazing if you are a huge Duke fan but not so amazing if you're not -- the best kind of contest to run as a school!

And, I for one am anxious to see the winners. Too bad I'm not on that expert panel to judge!

Tune back in Wednesday for more best practices from College Hoops. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

As always, thanks for reading!

Andy

Friday, November 18, 2011

Unplugged: Mid Major Success Shows Us Social Media Needs Emotion

I want to start with a couple pictures to set things up. Note these are two different yet similar pictures from big early season wins. These are two Mid-Majors, Drake of the MVC and Middle Tennessee State of the Sun Belt who were not supposed to win. But win they did, in striking fashion -- Drake over Iowa State by 9 (a team that whacked them by 48 last year) and Middle Tennessee State over UCLA by 20. Check these pictures, both of which pulled from websites covering the games.

I LOVE these images. Love them. Why? They are a signal of the purity of the game. And why you love the game. Or why fans of those teams are so excited right now. (The energy in those fist pumps in the Drake student section is nuts!)







Now let's turn to the sources of realtime reaction - Twitter. I'll look at both Drake (here) Middle Tennessee State (here). The first checkpoint -- were they timely and active -- was passed. Both programs gave updates - more of them as the energy in the game grew. And both programs came back after the game -- Drake with a RT of Coach Phelps, MTSU with a shoutout from the TV coverage.

Now comes the harder thing... Emotion. Take a peak at both screens below and I'll come back after the images.






I think it is safe to say that the energy from these tweets doesn't quite hit the energy in the images. It is a hard bar to hit -- and one that words can sometimes struggle to capture. But big wins over big conference schools do not happen every day. Scheduling big teams is tough, and sadly when you win, it is even tougher. That means we need to maximize every big win in social media to rally our fan bases, recruits, and alums together.

Here are 5 tips that can help all programs seize the moment with emotion.

1. Photos. Why not use photos yourself? You have more access than anyone - the all access pass to your team. Find ways to share that emotion, rather than simply the facts, when magic happens.

2. Have a Plan, in Advance. I don't think we should ever be surprised our team won. Believe the win is going to happen, and then you are ready to rally immediately. Before the game starts, work out the plan with your team on how you are going to use this win to grow the fan base.

3. Retweet fans. No one is more emotional than a fan base. Find the best ones and retweet them, often.

4. Don't be afraid to be bold. That doesn't mean you have to put someone else down. It just means it is ok to use emotion in your copy and in your hashtags.

5. Arrange for Access. When fans are going nuts, bring your coaches (or players) onto Twitter for a quick Q/A after the game... or the next day. Why simply reserve that right for the local radio station? You can control the conversation and you can build your brand!

Disclaimer - I'm a Drake Bulldog alum (and former player) and couldn't be happier for this win. It's only one win, but it shows progression and the team is still young with potential to grow.

Come back on Monday as I break down more Digital Best Practices. You can also follow along on Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here) and on Facebook,here.

Andy

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Arizona Basketball Leverages Pros for their Intro Video

I've been mesmerized by my share of team intro videos over the years. And it's an area I'd love to see get blown out even further -- you have the players, coaches, and crowd on the edge of their seats and this video (if done well) can really make the emotions pop.

But where they can really go nuts is if this same video can both hype up the current team while also broadcasting who you are as a brand.

Enter Arizona Basketball. As you'll note in the video hotness below (or off of the Arizona Athletics YouTube page, here). What you'll find is a way to program is about from the sounds, voices, and minds of alums in the NBA. lt's one thing to hear Coach Miller describe Arizona Basketball... but an altogether different thing to hear that from Andre Iguodala, Steve Kerr, and Channing Frye.

You just need to check this video -- and you'll see something that is both a great story of their brand plus a way to hype up this year's edition.



Pretty mind blowing.

We don't all have a roster of alums who are now playing in the League... But we all do have former student athletes who can do a great job of telling the story of your brand! This video puts us onto that path,

Tune back in Friday for more best practices from College Hoops. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

Thanks for reading!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Contrasting Michigan State vs North Carolina in Facebook

Friday was an incredible opening to College Basketball season that I hope becomes a tradition. Two amazing teams matched up in a location that is just plain incredible, in a way that calls attention to those people who live and are willing to die to protect us.





It's a moment that the players and coaches will remember forever, and it's exactly the kind of moment we seek to seize inside Social Media. So, today, I want to turn to Facebook and see how the coverage compared. I think you'll find this intriguing...

First, North Carolina Athletics (on Facebook, here). As you'll see below, North Carolina posted leading up to the game (a video tour of the Venue and a video from Coach Williams discussing the significance of the game)...




Then, after the game, Carolina put a powerful image of the game (incredible isn't it) along with a statement on their victory...




I was about to write a piece on UNC doing a great job... Until I saw Michigan State. So, I invite you to take a look at Michigan State Athletics (on Facebook, here)

They led up to the game by inviting fans to ask questions with Draymond Green (see below), a smart way of activating their fans ahead of the game.




Then I saw how they covered the game itself... Through not photos but photo albums! Check out these photo albums (please), here and here. (Don't you just dig how the albums look inside Facebook?)




When you visit an album, the mix and impact of images is just crazy.




I'll zoom into a couple that are worth seeing. The shoes (and that's just for one game!)



And the experience (look at that smile of joy/awe on Coach Izzo's face when he met the President!)




I dig those two pictures because at different ends of the spectrum they show you the experience you get as a Spartan. Ironically enough I'm this pumped and I didn't even see a MSU post of the final score.

And that sums up my thoughts on these posts. Through Facebook you as a school can share the experience of being a student athlete: the emotion, the gear, the people and places you encounter... It's not about the facts but rather the stories. And Michigan State did an incredible job this weekend.

Tune back in Wednesday for more best practices from College Hoops. Until then, follow me here, or on Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski)

Thanks for reading!

Andy