NRL Digital Best Practices: Canterbury-Bankstown Maximizes Their Social Profile Pictures

The profile picture.

This is the #1 thing that will pop out of the News Feed inside Facebook or Twitter. Given the fact that most of us don't visit a team's Facebook or Twitter page (we simply visit our own page and get our fix of our favorite team's news here), many teams or conferences don't fully maximize that component.

According to Pixable, one in 10 Facebook pictures is the profile. Said differently, 10% of all pictures on Facebook are profile pictures. And as you can see below, the trend is to update this more frequently -- tripling since 2006.

How should we do this?

I prefer to think about why people tend to change their profile picture. Life changes, season changes, or big moments in their life often lead to a change. But so do creativity or boredom. As you can see below, the average user has 26 profile pictures. The average team? I'm guessing one or two.

Which brings me to Canterbury-Bankstown. The journey begins inside social for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (here and here). As you'll find on those links or in the images below is that all roads lead to the Bulldogs iPhone APP. Said differently, Canterbury-Bankstown swapped out their profile image on both Facebook and Twitter to drive fans to their iPhone APP. And every post they make brings that message to each of their followers' news feeds.

So how could this be better? Love the idea, but would love to have it feel more branded less advertising. Rather than promote the fact that it's a free app, why not promote the best thing about it (which hopefully isn't that it's free!) You can swap out benefits over time. If it's inside access, show a insider photo of a player and hype the app, for example. That way you continue to build your brand while simultaneously driving awareness and traffic to your app. But the profile takeover is a fantastic strategy for all to use.

Hope you're digging this.

I'll be back tomorrow for another day of NRL coverage. As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

NRL Digital Best Practices: Brisbane Broncos Go Bold With Facebook

Maybe I can't get enough of the land down under? Fired up from my tour through the Australian Football League, I'm going to stick here for a little longer - sharing the best digital practices across the National Rugby League (NRL) We'll go strong through next week and then I'll be taking a couple weeks off as I recharge, upon which we'll finish the NRL.

Today I start with a question -- how bold can you be in your description of your social media? Can you write a description in such a way that any fan would feel compelled to click straight through to follow you?

The Brisbane Broncos Go Bold.

We start our journey inside the Brisbane home page. Click onto Fan Zone, Facebook & Twitter... which takes you here.

Here's where the boldness kicks in. Check this quote (shown below but tough to read.)

"This is your chance to be part of the Broncos' social media family - the biggest sporting club social media group across any code in Australia. The Broncos have the biggest Facebook following of any club - NRL, AFL, or any other sport in Australia included - and this is your passage to be first to know what is going on in your club. The club endeavours to hold its biggest news & announcements exclusively for our Facebook followers."

I love this, as it is what it is - authentic and bold. And the aspirational point of being the #1 Team (socially) in Australia is a bold statement the team, front office, and fans can rally behind. If you're leading the world, you act differently!

So, naturally the question becomes are they backing this strategy up? Clicking on to Facebook leads you here, to the Broncos Facebook stream. From my perspective, they are doing a nice job sharing posts as they happen on the .com site -- thus using Facebook as a distribution plan rather than as a content originator.

Which leads me here. How could this be better? Let's go back to the statement that set this whole post up, "The club endeavours to hold its biggest news and announcements exclusively for our Facebook followers." Wow. Bold yet actionable. I'd love to see the Broncos back this strategy up here in Facebook -- and take that bold step to share news only via Facebook, rather than simply re-posting what's already been posted. Give access to those who want it most!

That's a wrap.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: Western Bulldogs Make it Easy to Like Them

Many organizations make their objective clear: a big and growing social community. And it's also clear how they are measuring it: by the size of their Facebook following. The question we're left with is how do you make it clear that this is what you're after, without coming across as pushy (or needy)?

The Western Bulldogs show us a good step in the right direction.

Let's start by checking out the Western Bulldogs Facebook page (linked here). As you'll easily note in the image below, it's very clear what the Bulldogs want from you (Like them, please). The style is bold but not pushy. In fact, the subtle handwritten call to action makes it feel not pushy at all. But it is the first thing you see upon hitting this page -- and you will most definitely get the message they want you to receive.

Look further down the page and you'll note that the Bulldogs are also offering weekly prizes to their fan group -- offering additional benefit solely for clicking on that "Like" button. Love the idea, but feel like you shouldn't need to offer prizes in exchange for the "Like." (Save your prizes for a much deeper level of engagement.)

How could this be better? It'd be great to see a shift from size of followers to size of active followers. And that, I believe, is where the weekly prizing can make a difference. Said differently, what if the weekly prizes not be a result of simply "Liking" the team, but rather of providing something more? To be eligible for the prize, you should be engaging with the team -- ideas like submitting pictures, writing words of support, being an ambassador and sharing the page with friends, or posting on the Bulldogs wall are all ways of engaging deeper with the brand. And that's exactly where I'd love to see the Bulldogs push (and reward) fans.

We've made it - 17 days of AFL Best Practices. I've learned a ton and hope you've enjoyed this ride.

Come back tomorrow as I shift gears to check out another league down under: the NRL. As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: West Coast Eagles Launch a Social Media Battle

Social Media, if done well, is a uniter. It brings fan bases closer to players or teams, and it unites them around a common goal. But could you unite all fan bases across all social networks around a singular competitive focus?

Until I checked out the West Coast Eagles, I'd not seen anyone head this direction. Prepare to be bedazzled.

The voyage begins on the West Coast Eagles Facebook wall (linked here). As you'll note in the post below, they are asking fans for help in joining the battle against Collingwood. What does this mean? Intrigued, I clicked in...



This took me here, to the information about the official online battle between West Coast and Collingwood. You need to check this out, but here's the highlights:

1. Fans are asked for help in pre and post-game Facebook Likes to the West Coast posts.
2. Fans are asked to subscribe to the Eagles' YouTube channel.
3. Fans are asked to use #goeagles when posting to Twitter.

All united in a cause of proving the Eagles fans want it more than their opposition, the Pies.

How could this be better? What are the stakes? I love the idea of uniting fans against the opposition. It makes you feel a part of something, and it makes the season a collection of matchups, not a marathon of "stuff." But there needs to be something more. If the team wins, it ramps up the standings. What does it mean if the fan base wins? Could it mean more access to the team? (A special fan pep rally, for example?) My take is that the club has the engine in place, they just need to find the right way to reward fans for doing exactly what they have asked for... thus creating a collection of mini-games within the season and, most importantly, a hyped fan base.

One more to go!

Come back tomorrow as we conclude of our tour of AFL Digital Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: Sydney Swans Connect Through Recipes?

Cooking. It's the center of warmth in many families - we gather around for conversation and connect with our friends or families while preparing a meal... which we then enjoy together. It's also a shared journey (most of us have kitchens and spend some time in there!)

But could a team actually use this as a way to connect with their fan base?

Check the Sydney Swans program with athlete Ryan O'Keefe.

We start on the Swans home page, shown below.

Hovering over "Fan Zone" reveals the menu below. Let's turn our attention to "Ryan's Recipes."

Clicking in takes us here, to the home of player Ryan O'Keefe. Ryan details his passion for cooking fresh, healthy food. He vows to put up a new recipe each month, and he spends his down time teaching teammates how to cook the right way for themselves -- both building a tighter bond with his mates and helping them stay healthy along the way!

As you can see, there's a growing list of recipes below.

Want to try one? Here's his spicy pumpkin soup recipe (link here)...

I've got to try this one in the fall.

How could this be better? The Swans have the makings of a fan ignitor -- something that will rev up the fan base to a healthy throttle. What to do? I'd love to see Ryan show up at a lucky fan's home once/month to cook the featured recipe. Naturally this would be planned, via a contest. The contest should remain tied to the notion of being healthy -- perhaps its through a program with local schools? But the act of debuting each recipe in the home of lucky fans would take what's already done and move it to an unprecedented level of connection!

Only two more AFL squads to go!

Come back Monday as we near the end of our tour of AFL Digital Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: St Kilda Saints Deliver a Young Guns Player Blog

Is Twitter a bad thing?

Every once in awhile I ponder that (sorry if you arrived on this blog via Twitter). I ask the question because it takes communication and makes it succinct. So while giving us access to people, it can also take the personal touch right out of said access.

Could a blog help fill that void?

The answer begins on the St Kilda Home Page. The second nav menu, "News", opens up to reveal "Young Gun Weekly Blog."



Clicking in takes us here. I really quite enjoy this page. We see a collection of individuals who have contributed to this blog -- and we get a small taste of their work next to the thumbnail images below...





A visit to a sample post, here, reveals a nice hidden gem: It's not a single post but rather a collection of activity over a week's time period. The style is similar to Twitter (it's succinct and journal-like) but it's better than Twitter as each post isn't separated by hundreds of posts from other individuals. In other words, we can remain focused on the challenge/topic of the moment. And focus is good!

There's something magical about reading a week's worth of activity together in a simple flow.





How could this be better? The set up should take us behind the scenes, making it clear that this is our chance to connect with a player over the course of the week. It should allow for easy sharing of individual pieces of the post (want to share what the player was up to on Wednesday?) And it should be done in a way to encourage fan participation along the way -- ask fans what you should do. Or to vote for the topic they'd like to learn about you. (Simple examples, and there isn't one great answer. We simply need to ask for and position ourselves as open to conversation.

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: Richmond Tigers Allow for Live Chats with Membership Manager

Are you willing to make yourself available for fans? By that I mean, are you comfortable enough to announce you're available for questions and then back it up by responding to whatever's asked? Sometimes this is risky for many levels. What if they ask something you aren't comfy with? Worse yet, what if they don't care? (If no one asks anything)

The Richmond Tigers are willing to take this risk... and it paid off.

Clicking into the Richmond home page and hover over "NEWS" and you'll see "Live Chat" (highlighted below). Cool.




Clicking in takes us here, to the chat with Membership Manager Cain Liddle. Back on April 6th, Richmond elevated their Membership Manager to their fans for a chance to chat around the business side of the club.

As you'll see below, the post was active and personal. Questions dove into the strategy for dealing with and planning for members.



Suggestions on ways to improve came in, including this:



Finally, as you can see above, by hovering over any question or response, you are one click away from sharing it on Facebook. Simple and effective in spreading the message.

Really nice!

How could this be better? The idea is dead on. I'd love to see these framed a bit more. Rather than a blanket statement (chat with Cain Liddle), why not give more context... "Bring us your suggestions on improving our In-Game Promotions", for example. Develop topics that offer mutual value and bring an open mind. Love this concept.

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: Port Adelaide Power Gives Us Practice Photos Via Flickr

A common theme for me has been access and ownership. As in what access can you provide to your fans, or what can deliver better than anyone else in the world? To your fans, what do you want to be famous for?

Port Adelaide takes the idea of access and interprets it on a place that no one outside the club gets access: the practice field. And this powers their social presence...

The journey begins on the Port Adelaide Twitter Page, here. As you'll see below, the Power hit us via Twitter with a link to check out the latest photos from training. I love this strategy -- this feels like a Twitter behavior: sharing pictures in the moment. Let's proceed.

Clicking in takes us here, to the Flickr photo gallery from May 24.

Starting the photostream takes us, here, shown below. As you'll note in the next two images, this is exactly what we'd want -- these are not posed, but rather just shots of the players in training, as it happens, uploaded to a social album and delivered via Twitter to your mobile. Nice!

How could this be better? This is a tough one as I really like where the Power are with this. But, given the chance, I'd love to see a small tweak. Put the camera into the fans' hands. Tweet something like this: "At Training in 30 minutes. We'll give you the inside peak at one player's day. Who do you want to see?" This way fans get challenged and get a voice in the authentic content you deliver.

Sweet.

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: North Melbourne Kangaroos Elevate Player Facebook Pages

Today we'll pick up where we left off yesterday, from our question of how can a team leverage the presence of its athletes on social media. But we'll take this from the perspective of Facebook. With players up and active on Facebook, and with fans up and active on Facebook, what's a team to do?

The North Melbourne Kangaroos put us on the path.

The journey begins on the North Melbourne Kangaroos Home Page. You'll see "Facebook" on the Upper Nav bar. Hovering over reveals "Players on Facebook." Intrigued, I clicked in...

Heading in takes us here, to a visual list of which players are currently up on Facebook.

It's a visual directory of sorts with a goal of sending us quickly onward to the pages of the athletes. Clicking onward to Firrito's Page, here, and McIntosh's Page, here, reveals two great personalities who engage with their fan bases through social. They're not incredibly active, but when they are on, they resonate really well...

I'll zoom into a couple sample posts to give you a little more of the flavor...




Finally, and importantly, you'll note the left-hand menu serves as a way to show the connection between athlete & team (as in the athlete "Likes" their team). Simple, easy way to work together to grow brands.

All that said, there's opportunity left on the table.

How could this be better? The team shouldn't see itself simply as a redirect to the pages of their athletes. They should serve both as the aggregator of voice and as the curator of conversations between athletes and fans. And, perhaps most importantly, they should serve as a way to take the team with you to your network -- how about player-driven Facebook profile pictures? Or encourage fans to write on player walls/post pictures onto walls direct from the Kangaroos site? Moving in this direction increases the engagement on The Kangaroos site and gives fans a reason to return early and often.

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: Melbourne Demons Elevate the Voice of the Athlete

Teams build their identity through their players. No matter your level, it's the players whose style of play, passion, approachability, and swagger define what your team's brand equates to in the minds of the public. And with social media, that voice is happening in real time, throughout the world.

But what does that mean for the team? Does it take the brand out of your hand? What I found on the Melbourne Football Club site reminded me that there's a lot that clubs can do, structure-wise, to leverage this behavior and build a connection.

At first glance, when you hit the Melbourne Demons home page, you'll note the life in the page. Specifically towards the bottom of the page, you'll note a Twitter feed pumped in. But it's more that that...



Zooming in, I found the screengrab below interesting for many reasons. First, you'll see the feed is not just the latest posts by the Demons, but also those from their athletes. You'll note that the athletes are pretty engaging (asking for recommendations on technology). And you'll note that we see player profiles plus stats all in this same geography of the site. (Can a site have "geography?" I'm going with it...)




I want to signal out one more post from athlete Nathan Jones, below. It's a simple quick hitting insight that can't help but make you, the fan, feel closer to the squad.

But what's all this mean? How could this be better? I'd love to see this section connected. How can we connect the player roster, the stats, and the Tweets all in one unit? This is the latest news, talk, and stats on the team -- and if it were concepted together, we would see something that only the Melbourne Demons could deliver -- meaning it is a sustainable piece of digital work that will build their brand. Once you do this, you create a destination for post-game write ups/q&a via Twitter, photos from the action, and more than anything pure emotion.

Great starting point that I'd love to see pushed further!

That's another week in the books - thanks for hanging with me. Come back Monday for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: The Hawthorn Hawks Give Us a Personal Look Into Their Roster

When you're a team, you have more access to players than most of the rest of the world. Which makes video content a challenge, oddly enough. There's a higher expectation. And it's that expectation that keeps several teams from taking a chance. The question to ask is this: "How do you use your players in a way that brings both the athletes and the team closer to fans?" (Oh and you have to do it in a way that is ownable and that you can become famous for).

No pressure, huh?

The Hawthorn Hawks give us a great model to follow.

The journey starts on the Hawthorn YouTube page, here. I'm going to paste a series of images from their video series "Hawks at Home" below. We'll pick this up after you check out these 3 images.

What you'll note is an image of one of their athletes (Shaun Burgoyne) in his house. Then you'll see a collection of toys. And then, his dogs. When the player is at his house, with his dogs, how can he not be relaxed? And when a player lets his or her guard down, the result is magical -- we become more connected emotionally with the team, not just with the player.

Watch the video for yourself, here. Or, you can hit this same video from the Player Profile on the Hawthorn Website, here.

How could this be better? It would be great to take these videos and create a Playlist for Hawks at Home, to encourage sign up. This could be hyped and used as a way to draw fans in.

From a content standpoint, the squad should maintain the style of conversation around points that will connect them closer to fans. For example, conversations about family, pets, team, and what they love about playing for Hawthorn. There's something to asking questions that will both let that guard down and which will make the team (and players) feel more relatable. Finally, I'd love to open up the sessions to include fan questions -- a touch that we've seen before, and which makes a monster impact wherever it exists!

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: Gold Coast Suns Leverage Social Media for Fan Questions

Social Media does two things really well -- it connects people and it gives you the chance to have access into another person, team, or brand's life that you just didn't have before. When you combine those two, consistently, you get a person, team, or brand that excels in this space.

The Gold Coast Lions show us a glimpse of the power this combination can deliver.

Hit the Gold Coast home page and choose "2011 Season"...

From here, click into "Suns Social Network", which takes us to the hub of interaction, here....

It's a bit tough to read, so let's highlight the key messages:

1. They ask you to provide a question and the name of the player you want to interview and "we'll take care of the rest".
2. The best questions are rewarded with a prize from Campbell Brown's locker...

Love the strategy -- fans ask questions of players and the best get rewarded, not just by their questions being asked (which is pretty amazing on its own!) but by a team prize. So wait... I love the team and you're giving me more access and a prize? Wonderful stuff.

How could this be better? A couple of questions come to mind with an end goal of making this an incredibly personal experience. Can we bring the fan into the interview? Meaning could the player reference the fan who asked the question when giving their answer? That personal touch could have a mammoth impact.

Finally, could the prize be contextual to the player of whom you were interviewing, rather than always from one specific player? I love the strategy laid out here and believe it'll be the details that transform the concept into one that's addictive and viral.

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: Geelong Cats Ask Us to Tweet the Coach

Many people like Twitter because it gives them a chance to get a glimpse into the life of the famous. To feel closer to the celebrities and athletes/coaches/teams that you love by seeing what they feel, throughout a day. But seldom do we actually get a chance to engage with these stars on Twitter. Seldom is it actually a 2-way conversation.

The Geelong Cats found a way to create exactly this. Hit the Cats home page and you'll see it -- right in the center under "News" is a call out for "Tweet, Tweet. Tweet the Coach."

Intrigued, I click in, taking me here. As you'll note below, there is a video series created by Geelong where fans ask questions to the coaches via Twitter... and some of these questions end up in the bright spotlight.

When questions are chosen, the user who submits it is highlighted, as @selfwrongeous is highlighted below.

And the response to question is simple but authentic.

It's a pretty powerful and simple journey. Ask a question on Twitter and, if it's chosen, see it pop up on the site and on Cats TV. The barriers to entry are low (have a Twitter account and a question), and the reward is high (you become famous). Love it.

How could this be better? I would love to see the concept expand. Let's bring in players, and possibly top fans to respond to questions. This would let more fans get a chance to be elevated while also continuing the style that has me hooked. I'd also like to see Q&A on Twitter -- without the video. This could add heat and, most importantly, awareness of the video series.

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Digital Best Practices: Fremantle Dockers Create a Social Networking Hub

Time. We only have so much of it, and if you're like me, you want to dedicate as much of it as you can to your favorite squad. But we often don't find a simple dashboard that can save us the time and let us see everything, at once...

Until now.

The Fremantle Dockers deliver just this to us. Hit the Fremantle home page and click on "Freo Fun..."




Now click on "Social Network Hub" which takes us here, shown below... As you'll note, we have the latest on Twitter and Facebook pulled in, at a glance, for the fan whether or not they are currently following the team on either social network. Nice.




I like this feature, because it shows us personality and it saves us time (we don't have to go anywhere to see the personal flavor and reward you get (or don't) for following. But it leaves out a critical piece of the puzzle -- the social engagement...

So, how could this be better? This page needs a burst of energy in the form of a call to action. What do the Dockers want us to do? Naturally, we are hitting this page once and we will hit our own Facebook or Twitter feeds multiple times per day. Making it critical we accompany this page with both a reason to come back and a compelling call to sign up to follow us. Ideally both. For example, ask fans to shout out support for the next match, right from this page. And when they do so, give them the option to follow the Dockers on either Facebook or Twitter (or both)! That way the page is fresh (tied to each upcoming match) and the database of followers grows in size and engagement!

Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: Essendon Elevates the Voice of the Fan

One common theme I hear in social media is that people simply want a voice... and that social media gives them a place to share one. The amazing part is that if you, the team, can find a way to amplify that voice, you both build a deep connection with that fan and you make your team's brand feel more personal -- which builds deeper connections with more fans.

All by elevating individuals?

Check out what the Essendon Bombers deliver through digital. Hit the Essendon home page and scroll down...

You'll see a section called "FANS", which I'll paste below.


Note how they have signaled out one voice, that of fan Alan De Menezes:

"Our depth was tested tonight. The boys were looking tired but Richmond played the better footy on the night and deserved to win."

Wow - talk about singling someone out. (In a good way) As mentioned earlier, we all just want to be heard. And Essendon more than hears this fan, they amplify his voice to allow for others to do the same. If you check back often (as I did), you see that they swap out these quotes fairly regularly.

Great inspiration here.

How could this be better? Predictability. How can they make it a moment when Gail appears on the site? Could they message her, with a screen grab of the home page and a note of thanks for being so passionate on the team. Could they inspire all fans, with contests and a promise to elevate the winner to the big stage (the home page)? Feels like this is a good idea that can become great with some subtle additions!

We've made it another week. Hope you're enjoying this as we dive into a completely new sport together.

Come back Monday for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy

AFL Best Practices: Collingwood Pies Incentivize Fans to Grow Their Fan Base

How proud are you of your fan base? Enough to broadcast it as the first thing one sees upon hitting your website? Enough to encourage others to recruit to grow this base?

The Collingwood Magpies offer us a clinic on how to elevate and grow their fan base.

We'll start our journey by visiting the Collingwood Magpies home page, shown below. As you can clearly tell, they are hyping the size of the fan base immediately. I quickly checked out their Facebook page (here) and found roughly 130,000 fans -- meaning this was something totally different. But what?

Scrolling down the page you'll find this image -- a call to push the Pies past the 70,000 fan threshold. (Which they have) I clicked in...

Clicking in takes you here, to the Membership home of the Collingwood Magpies. Love this idea: Become a member and get some product (lanyard, magnet, ticket wallet, bumper sticker) and some access (priority ability to purchase tickets)... plus discounts on more gear.

But it was the next level that has me buzzing: They want not just members but recruiters. "The more you recruit, the more stars and stripes you earn. The major prize winning recruiter will win a return trip for two to Europe flying with Emirates..." So, the person who brings the most new fans into the fold gets rewarded, big time.

Love this idea -- find your biggest fans and reward them.

How could this be better? This is a great start. But I'd love to add two dimensions to it. First, how can we reward the best fans not with travel, but with access to the team? Don't just let them fly somewhere. Let them fly with the team and/or sit on the sidelines during a game. Give them what they are most after -- access to their favorite team. It'll cost less, and it will return more! Secondly, I'd love to see this idea introduced into the Facebook world. They have nearly double the fan base on Facebook, and I'd love to see them ask their members to recruit new fans on Facebook, on top of new Pie Army members! If you're a fan, you'll be down with multiple ways to follow the club and this is another way of bringing your biggest fans closer to you.

That's a wrap. Come back tomorrow for more AFL Best Practices! As always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy