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
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2 comments:
Andy - the main AD account got it right, but the bball team acct (@HoopsatHarvard) should be working in tandem or better yet leading the charge. No mention of the hashtag or same enthusiasm in their posting strategy.
Bob, great point. If those two Twitter handles could work together -- wow. I think often times we steer clear of working together because it's harder. But the impact on a consumer could be so much greater!
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