Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Oregon State Football Gives Us a Facebook + Twitter Syncing Clinic

Is there a natural or easy way to sync our Facebook and Twitter pages? By that, I mean is there a way to do this without simply posting the same message twice? That's a topic I have personally struggled with and to be honest one I'm still feeling out. But when I took a trip to the Oregon State Athletics Facebook page, I came across some inspiration worth sharing. I think you'll find this sheds a nice light on that very topic.

Our path begins on the Oregon State Athletics Facebook page. Stick with me, as we're going to start out inside this page under the "Social Beavs" tab, shown below or here. You'll see there's a nice guide to all things Social Media, and there's easy access from this visual directory.




We'll move on to the Oregon State Football Facebook page, here, and below. What you'll pick up immediately is the connection between Head Coach Mike Riley and the page. This isn't Coach Riley's page. But there's no doubt a common interest between fans of Oregon State Football and fans of Coach Riley.

So what's the connection I referenced? Oregon State reposts Tweets from Coach Riley's Twitter feed directly into their Football Facebook page. I haven't done the analysis to see if it is every single post Coach makes. But you can see a cool combination of posts from OSU Athletics and posts from Coach Riley...





You can click into Coach Riley's Twitter page, here, as this will add a little more depth to this inspiration...




As you'll see below, Coach Riley adds timely posts with visuals to create quite an impact on his followers. I think you'll agree there's something magical about access to the eyes or mind of the head coach. See what he sees, read what he thinks, in the moment...




But it's the syncing/system that gets me hyped. By setting it up this way, fans who aren't on Twitter get access to Coach Riley. Fans who are on Twitter get this access inside Facebook, where it's more natural to make comments/observations or share this with your friends.

Let's go one click deeper. (Warning, this could get pretty mindblowing!) The system lets OSU athletics choose which posts they drop in. That offers you a sneak peak into Coach's mind without having to put everything here. AND it offers the chance for OSU Football to interact with the coach right in this space!

Which leads me here. How could this be better? I'd love to see comments/observations from OSU Football on what Coach Riley says. I'd love to see a camaraderie/banter come across, rather than a stream of posts. If we can set this up, we'll take a system infuse it with personality and engagement and blow it out across multiple social networks. Yikes!

That's it for today. I'll be back with more later this week. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Monday, August 29, 2011

Arizona Football Delivers Players Through YouTube

YouTube is a critical piece of everyone's social media puzzle. Why? Three reasons hit the top of my mind (with the help of official stats, here. Warning they are pretty mind-blowing!)
  1. It's pretty big. As they put it, in a week, users upload the equivalent of 240,000 full length films. Yeah, that's right, in a week.
  2. Growth continues to pour in at an alarming rate. 48 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
  3. The reach is social -- nearly 17 million people have connected their YouTube account to another social service like Facebook or Twitter.
All that adds up to the fact that you can't forget about YouTube when you look at how your program connects with the world. But it also means you need to really think strategically -- with all that content out there, and only so many hours in the day, having the right content is incredibly critical.

Arizona Football delivers a plan of authentic content into YouTube. Let's check it out!

Hit the Arizona Athletics YouTube Page (here) and you'll immediately see a close up interview with Coach Mike Stoops...




All of the video content is simple, shot with a handheld camera on location. (On the practice field) It's also all incredibly timely -- as you'll see below in this interview with QB Nick Foles. Check out this clip and we'll continue beneath it.....




After watching this video, pieces should start to click. It's not polished (sometimes there's talking in the background, sometimes there's sirens). Which, ironically enough, makes it even more personal feeling. And it means you don't need a professional film crew and beautiful stage to create a connection.

What you do need are access, consistency, and authenticity. These videos come out daily and are shot immediately at practice. (With other players in the background, you can tell they are in the moment that most of the world can't see!) And you get a social potential -- with these videos in YouTube it's easy to share them as I've just done.

How could we make this better? First, Arizona could leverage Facebook a bit more. These videos could publish to YouTube in a Playlist and then debut in Facebook -- during practice. How cool would that be to see a video of practice hit your news feed if you were a recruit thinking about the Wildcats? Second, they could involve the community in selection of content. That might mean ask them for questions... or it might mean to have them choose their interviewee. In any case, there is opportunity to be had if Arizona builds on this model and maximizes its potential inside social channels!!!




That's it for today. But, don't worry, I'll be back with more later this week. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Friday, August 26, 2011

Cleveland Browns Celebrate Their Fans with Fanographies on Facebook

Is it possible to elevate some fans in a way that makes other fans want to participate?

That's an interesting question I've thought about often (yes, I know I am a nerd). But there's depth there -- meaning when you elevate one fan, you have potential to do it in a way that makes other fans want to be a part... or you can do it in a way that turns other fans off.

I was pretty impressed with how the Cleveland Browns went after this concept. It starts with a visit to the Browns Facebook page, here. Click on "Fanographies" (weird title, I know), which will take you here...




You need to "Like" the Browns to see this content. Normally I'm not a fan of that strategy -- just get the content out there. But with something like this, it's only going to appeal to a fan of the team... thus, it makes complete sense. Once you've liked the team, you get to the page shown below.



You'll see the Browns have elevated 5 fans and, as you can see from the comment above, they are making an impact by doing this. In case you can't read the comment, I'll add a bit of it for you right here.
"I've probably watched it at least 20x, and with each viewing I'm smiling and get the chills... Thanks for showcasing my story. I'm proud to be a Browns fan!"
Yes, that comment got 17 likes as of now. Which is powerful as it shows that fans are engaging not just with the video itself but with the comments about said video.

If you want to add your story? Click the call to action on the page (or here). As you'll see below, it's pretty easy. Add words, pictures, and video and submit. The Browns staff then picks stories to go deeper with and celebrate as a Fanography.




How could this be better? What if this wasn't asking fans to submit this and wait around but rather it created your personal Fanography -- mixing together what you write or upload with comments/videos/pictures of the team. Then it posted to your wall so that your own personal Browns story could be viewed by your full network of friends? That impact feels much greater than the beautiful stories produced by the Browns... which, by the way, they should keep doing!

My only other suggestion is to make it easier to share the great Fanographies created by the Browns. Possibly by loading the videos to YouTube and embedding them here -- so they can both be shared quickly and found organically through YouTube search!

Fantastic idea here though... I got chills and I'm not even a Browns fan!

Thanks for hanging this week. I'll be back Monday with more best practices. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

U Conn & Louisville Ask Fans For Photos on Social

As you have probably guessed by now, I have some kind of love affair with pictures. I'm a big admirer of them for so many reasons, but I guess when you cut right down to it, it is their ability to tell a story from anyone at anytime that just blows me away.

There's no team and no fan that can't take advantage of photography. But what's inspired me lately is seeing how teams are seeking more. They have come to the conclusion that more pictures = more opportunity to connect. And thus, they are asking their fans to join in the mix.

Today, we'll look at two examples of this... and then think about how we can all learn from it. First, let's go to the U Conn Huskies Facebook page, here. U Conn takes their profile picture and transforms it into a call to action for photos.




Let's zoom in. As you'll see below, they put it simple. "Post and tag yourself in a UConn Huskies for a chance to win great prizes." And this very photo/call to action appears in every post the Huskies make, into all 30,000 or so fans' News Feeds.



For a different approach at the same idea, let's hit the Louisville Cardinals Facebook page, here. As you'll see, the top way they are asking fans to Connect with the Cards is by sending your photos to the team. They have set up a specific email account (gocardspics@gmail.com) to send these to.





Interesting.

I'd look at this and say it is clearly a priority for both schools to have fans bring their love for the team by sharing pictures. And they are asking us to do something we already do (it's already behavior to post pictures, tag pictures, or email pictures). If you do this, you'll start to see the team as more of a friend and less of an entity... plus the team gets more visuals of their fan energy. Everyone wins.

But how could we make this better? How could the rest of us look at this to build our connection to our teams or fans? It starts with the goal. The goal isn't to share pictures. And it isn't to win prizes. What is that goal for you? Is it to create a visual identity of what it means to be a Cards fan on campus? Or to create a fan guide to the team? Or to put them onto iPads for the players? Or to become the Twitter skin for your program? I feel there is a step that's missing that can unite everything -- don't just share pictures because you can. Share pictures to become a part of something special. Something you can't do on your own. If we can paint this picture, create this emotion, we take our community and transform it into something addicting and uniting.

Hope you're digging this style -- If so, make sure you check back later this week for more best practice goodness! Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Monday, August 22, 2011

Alabama Football Shows You Their Process, Visually

What does it mean to be a part of your program or team?

That's a tough concept to get to, and I'm guessing many teams or many coaches will answer in the same way. (We pride ourselves on working hard on the court/field and in the classroom...) When you're a recruit, you're looking for a team with an identity you connect with. And teams can't connect with you by simply blending together. Digital and social create an opportunity to bring this to life... and today we'll see a great example from Alabama Football.

Hit Coach Nick Saban's website, and you'll see a pretty strong visual statement immediately... We'll turn our attention to the selection at the bottom "The Process."




As you'll see below, we get a visual of Coach Saban with a series of visuals on the left-hand side of the page. I'm guessing these visuals represent the words the Alabama staff reinforce with their team, their fans, and their recruits.



Let's focus on the words at the bottom of the page. (Inspiration alert!) "Do you want to be the best you can be? Are you driven to have the Intensity, the Sense of Urgency, the Intelligence? Are you going to do the things you need to do to be your absolute best?"

Now, let's click into each of the tiles from the left. (I'll paste them below and meet you after you've scrolled through)







Wow.

It's not often we find that identity spelled out in a powerful mix of images (that leverage the players) and words. It's succinct and compelling. And it feels like posters a kid would put on his wall or locker.

How could this be better? I'd love to see these themes (Effort, Discipline, Commitment, and Toughness) become a weekly post from Coach Saban or his staff into social. Tell us about a player for each and why he represents that attribute. Then combine that with a visual from practice or a game to drive that home. It will showcase the bond between coach and players, amplify this as a theme for Bama Football, and deliver a powerful message into social that is consistent yet simultaneously personal and emotional!

And, for the rest of us... what's our identity? What do we stand for, and how are we communicating this to the world of future recruits?

We'll be back Wednesday with more best practices. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Friday, August 19, 2011

New York Jets Let Facebook Fans Determine Who Gets Interviewed

Would you be willing to put your biggest fans in control of your marketing? That sounds like a scary proposition to many, but as you're about to see it can make a pretty dramatic impact on your program.

Let's start with a simple proposition. It's safe to say that those who "Like" your page on Facebook would consider themselves fans of yours. That act of "Liking" a brand or team does two important things. One, it announces to your friend base that you Like a team or brand -- thus you'll get called out if it's not true. And, two, it allows you to receive updates from that team in your News feed.

That may sound basic to many of you, but stick with me. The critical piece is to have that in your mind -- that every post you make is going to people who want to receive it. (more or less)

Now, let's put ourselves in the position of many teams. You don't have the hours in the day to interview every player (or write a feature on every player). So how do you take that and turn it into a positive?

The New York Jets let their fan base dictate their content.

Hit the NY Jets Facebook page, here - shown below...



I want you to turn your eyes to their use of Facebook's Questions feature, which I'll zoom in, here.


Fans are asked who they want to see interviewed. It's a simple choice, and it has quite an impact. I'd argue the impact isn't just on the fans, who now have a voice... but also on the players. It's a different thing to tell a player "we want to interview you to put on the site" and "the team's Facebook fans want to hear from you." And, of course, it prioritizes who you interview...

How could this be better? There's a lot that can be built on this model. For example, what if we made it more real time -- rather than saying "who do you want to hear from tomorrow?", what if the message was "who do you want to hear from in our post game show?" (and ask that question in the 4th Quarter!) It would give more of a sense of urgency while building upon what's a pretty sweet model.

Thanks for hanging this week. I'll be back Monday with more best practices. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Illinois Football Gives You Post Practice Video Content

If you're a recruit considering your college decision, there's no doubt that the coaching staff will make a big impact on your decision. No doubt. Their style, their passion, their openness (or lack thereof) will be big in the next four years of your life.

So how can a school, with limited resources to tell this story, accomplish this while also keeping the fan base up to date on the latest with the program?

The University of Illinois gives us quite a starting point.

Let's start on the Illinois Football home, Coach Ron Zook.com (here). You'll notice in the image below a headline of "8.6 Practice Report" (yes, I screen grabbed this a week or so ago)





I'm going to embed this video here. Take 1:16 and watch it -- I'll hang with you below it.





What I love about this is 3-fold.
  1. It builds on immediate access - we see this interview immediately after practice, while people are still on the field. No one else has this access, and the Illini leverage it well.
  2. It's personal -- we hear candid take on practice and philosophy in the moment. It feels unedited, and I mean that in a good way.
  3. It is from leadership -- the time is given from the top to share the philosophy of the program. As a potential recruit, you feel like you're getting a peak under the tent.
But, like anything, this can get better.

How? I'd love to see the Illini post these videos even more in realtime. Perhaps during practices even! Imagine the impact if you hear from a coach before and after every practice -- just like the players no doubt receive pre and post-practice updates.

Then, we could create a great distribution plan. Consumers may visit the Illini site a few times/week... but they'll visit their own Facebook or Twitter feed a few times/day. Thus, I would make the primary area to distribute these videos Social Media. Then, the team site could become the destination for a summary video while the social media sites become in the moment energy!

I hope you're digging this. I'll be back with more coming later in the week. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Monday, August 15, 2011

Baylor Athletics Gives Away Football Tickets Via Facebook Photo Tagging

What if someone stopped by your desk and told you they had an idea to give away tickets by putting a bunch of socially-submitted fan names onto a field and having one of their players toss a ball to pick the winner? Would they sound crazy to you? Or would you pause, take a step back, and realize that they just might be onto something?

Let's have a look at how Baylor Athletics offers serious value to their Facebook fan base and simultaneously shows off their team in an incredibly approachable way. To start, find your way to the Baylor Athletics Facebook page (here if you wanna click in... don't worry, I'll hang here)




Now you'll have to scroll down their page to find this (or just hang with me - I'm cool with doing the dirty work for you!) What you'll see is a series of posts of images of Baylor Football with requests for fans to tag themselves in the picture for a chance to win season tickets.




Click into a picture (like this one) and you'll see a monstrous list of people tagging themselves in the image. Which shows you why Baylor posted multiple pictures -- they hit Facebook's limit of people who could tag themselves in an image.




That's pretty sweet in and of itself -- get fans to tag themselves in a picture and it shows up on the fans' news feeds and photo albums. Scale. And it's amazing because it gets people to do what they already do - tag themselves in an image.


Now check this video frames below (I couldn't easily link to or embed the actual video, sorry!) What you'll see is Baylor Receiver Lanear Simpson and Safety Ahmad Dixon spread out the names of everyone who tagged themselves in the above image onto the field. Then QB Robert Griffin III throws a pass that pegs the winner's name. Through it all you see the camaraderie and attitude of the team in a sweet way.





Fun!

Oh, as a bonus, I like that the player names link to their personal Facebook pages. Nice

How could this be better? I'd love to see Baylor actually leverage the Facebook profile pictures of each fan's entry -- giving a little more love to those who went after the tickets. Then, when you post the video, I'd love to see this shared first through YouTube and then into Facebook so that it's easier for others to quickly take it and share it.... and for fans to subscribe for future promotions like this!

Great stuff today, with more coming later in the week. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Friday, August 12, 2011

New England Patriots Deliver Training Camp Photos to Facebook

Facebook can deliver real value for fans.

That's an easy thing to say and a hard thing to deliver upon. But to me, the biggest keys to offering value anywhere - be it in Facebook or simply in the real world - are to be timely and to offer something you can't get elsewhere. Or more direct, give people what they want, when they want it, better than anyone else.

And, as I saw on a visit to the New England Patriots digital presence, photography can do just this.

Let's start on the New England Patriots Facebook Page...



I saw the post highlighted above, on Training Camp, and got excited. After all, Training Camp is the first time anyone gets to see a team in action... Thus, the fact that it's early already sets it off for value. But they also tend to isolate these camps (they aren't on National TV. They aren't easy for most fans to see...), meaning there's even more possible value. So I want to go deeper...

Clicking in takes us here, to the images you'll see below. They range from interaction with fans to shoulder pads and shorts workouts.





And, as you'll see below, fans DIG this stuff.




What's not to love? This is imagery of what's happening, delivered when it happens to fans that they can't get anywhere else. And they can take these images easily and share them with their friends (which no doubt include at least one other Patriots fan) exponentially growing the reach from the Patriots' work!

And we all have this -- ability to give people a look at something they can't see anywhere else. The Patriots show us that being timely, authentic, and open can offer excitement for fans.

How could this be better? The easy statement is do this more often. The real answer is to do more with what you have. For fans that attend, make it easy to tag them (or let them tag themselves) in the photos they appear - in realtime. And encourage fans to "Check In" at Training Camp. What fan doesn't want their friends to know they are checked into the camp, and that they are mingling with the best? Then add captions to the pictures that offer soundbytes from the pros. So for those who aren't there, we see and feel what it's like to be there!!!

Thanks for hanging with me. I'll be back Monday with more inspiration. As always, feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Boston Celtics Reward their Facebook Fan Base for Growth

How do you make it a cool thing that you're social media following is growing? (When it doesn't even sound cool to ask that question?)

Let's try asking this a different way.... How can you get your fans to care about how big the following is? It's a tricky question, because you never want to come across as self-serving (look how big we are!) The answer lies in thinking about value for your community.

The Boston Celtics gives us a great road map to follow. Let's hit the Boston Celtics Facebook page, here, home of a 5.1 M fan base...




Check the post below, launched right after the Celtics passed the 5 Million size. As you'll see, they do two things: 1) they thank their fans for helping them grow by saying "Thank You." and 2) they back that up with a discount on Celtics gear.



I love this for many reasons. It is tied to a moment (hitting 5 Million fans) that could be replicated at future milestones. It is distributed through Facebook (not blasted everywhere), offering a reward for paying attention to their posts. And it offers value to a Celtics fan, but not much value to a non-Celtics fan. It'd be great to know how this worked - if it drove business for the Celtics... but it's a great map to follow.

How could this be better? What if it wasn't 15% off existing gear but rather special gear created only for Facebook fans? The only place you learn about it is here, in the Celtics Facebook page. And it's only around for a tight window of time. If fans came to expect hot new gear everytime a new milestone was hit, it could result in a lot of number watching!!!

Thanks for hanging with me. I'll be back Friday with more inspiration. As always, feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Monday, August 8, 2011

Florida State Wants You to Help Design Their Athletics Tee

It's a big deal to wear the jersey.

Why? I think it comes down to being one of the few lucky enough to wear a uniform with your school's name on it - dead center, in front of the world. As a student-athlete, you are a representative of your school -- not just of today but of the past (alums) and the future (recruits). It's a lot of responsibility and it makes an impact on you.

But how can a university make this into a bigger deal for their student body, alumni, and fans? Florida State University developed a way for everyone to play a role.

It all starts on the Florida State Athletics Page, shown below.




Im going to zoom in on that right-hand column of touts, here.




We'll turn our attention to "You Design, We'll Decide." Clicking in takes us here, to the magic. As you will see below, this is your chance to submit a design for the FSU all-sport promotional shirt. (You still have almost a full week to go -- so design away once you finish this read!)



The steps are laid out clearly - download a template, design away, sign a release, and submit.

I'll be interested in following this, because it opens the door for fans to have a voice in how the athletics department presents itself to the world.

But how could this be better? First, I think we need context - emotional context. What do I mean by that? What is the "all-sport promotional tee?" Do the players wear these? Do they sell them? What have they looked like in the past? What if FSU went deeper -- asking players and coaches to provide a brief for what they'd love to see in a shirt. If you're a diehard FSU fan, there's not much more cool than getting a brief from your coach (or players) and then setting out to solve it!!!

Secondly, FSU should make the assets available. Make it easier to design for you by providing high res logos, images, colors, fonts -- anything you can do to allow designers to not have to search around for tools.

Finally, I'd love to see a plan for unveiling these. Maybe it will be at media day - where the designer will be a VIP? Or maybe at the first football game? Giving access to the team(s) for the best designer adds a dimension only FSU can deliver!!!

Great stuff today, with more coming later in the week. Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Friday, August 5, 2011

The San Antonio Spurs Unveil Winning Wednesdays on Facebook

Fun.

That's one of the key ingredients in a brand that can make people feel more connected to you (or to your team/brand) The fact that you have fun, and are human can make others feel connected to you.

But how can a team deliver a fun experience, repeatedly? I was inspired by what I saw from the San Antonio Spurs.

Let's start out at the Spurs Facebook Page, here. What you'll (hopefully) be able to read in the images that follow are their idea of connection: Winning Wednesday. Every Wednesday, they post something into Facebook looking for fan participation. The best responses win (I'm guessing based on the title of the day!)

Let's take a peak at the two posts below. First, they want you to answer a question -- why are you a diehard Spurs fan? Great question, and the answers will collectively add up to something true to the Spurs brand.



Now check the example below... They want you to caption an oldschool picture of a spurs legend. And you know they aren't serious about it because they ask you to "Bring the Funny." Check the comments, as fans have no issues here!



And if you look at the two posts, collectively, you get it -- they are driving participation from their fan bases in a way that draws out the fun side of the team.

How could this be better? I'd love to see equal participation every day. You don't need a Winning Tuesday. But you could use a reason for fans to have fun (assuming this is part of the Spurs identity) by participation every day. If we get this much power from a once/week style, imagine what's possible if we up the stakes?

Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Washington Husky Football Gives You a Player's Perspective

Want to show off your program in a unique way? That's the goal of every team when they sit down in the living room of a prospect... or a prospective sponsor. But how can you stand apart from everyone else?

The number one way I can think of is to actually show them. Show them your system. Show them the sounds or action. Sounds aspirational but is is practical?

Until the dawn of digital, I'd have wondered. But the U of Washington Huskies really take us down that path. And trust me when I type this is a path you wanna check out!

The journey starts on the Husky Football Facebook page (here), and shown below. (Side note, I love that they have a Facebook page for Football itself, but that's a post for a different day)



Now hone your eyes onto the post below. The Huskies give you access to their program by putting a helmet cam on one of their players' heads during their spring game.

Really?




Yes Really.

You can view the video by clicking in below (or here)...



I loved seeing this. You get a feel for the intensity, the sound, and the speed of the program. And get that in front of a recruit and they get it, instantly.

How could we make this better? The easy answer is more of this, please. The tougher answer is to take this and put it into the zone of what they stand for as a program. Don't just show me a video of the game in general... Show me a video about Speed. A video about the Power Passing Game? Basically a video about your Identity (or Identities)... that shows you (the recruit) where you fit in -- now that changes everything.

Great inspiration!

Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy

Monday, August 1, 2011

What the NBA & NFL Lockouts teaches all of us about social media?

I've been thinking long and hard about the lockouts that have affected the NBA & NFL lately. It's easy to be critical of the fact that they are not able to leverage current players in their digital or social media efforts. But really hard to find solutions. I know if I was in their shoes, I'd struggle with exactly that topic.

As you'll see in a couple screen grabs here, teams are finding creative ways to keep the conversation rolling. In fact, just about every post I came across (or every social strategy) seemed to leverage one of three topics: the Dance Squad, Franchise History, and Community Events.

Dance Squad Example from the Bucks. They are seeking to bring personality out of one of their members:



Here's a Community Plans Example from the Denver Broncos... (Pretty cool to train on the field!)



Finally, here's a Franchise History example from the LA Lakers - where they dive into the Magic Johnson years...



But it's exactly those themes that led me to the learning we can all take away. What should you post about?

I think the examples above are great, and really there isn't a perfect answer here. Teams do well to leverage what they have, and that includes experiences, community outreach, dance squad, mascots, history, and fans. But while that's all ok, it leads me to the question for you - for any team in any league in any sport.

What does you stand for?

That is the critical starting point. Not what do we post about.

To say that differently fans, history, dancers, or events are tactics but they aren't the strategy. And, ironically, neither are the players.

What?

What I'm saying is this is a golden chance to reset as a team. What is it you stand for? If you are in a high schooler's living room, in a Free Agent's discussion, or in a corporation's office talking sponsorship, there needs to be something you stand for above everything. Is it that you all love what you do? Is it TEAM first? Is it no one will outwork you? Is it you are loud and intense? There's lots of answers. But only you know what's right.

Then, after you nail that, think about how you can apply it. And let everyone support it - fans, dancers, mascots, office employees, stories of history... and eventually players. These all add depth and dimension to the story. And your team feels bigger.

My long thought process ended with this -- if I was in the shoes of an NBA Team, or an NFL Team, or a college team the answer's the same. Start by figuring out what you can rally behind. Then rally like no one else in the world!

So, where do we go from here on this blog?

Moving forward, we're going to take a look at the full world of sports, highlighting best practices in the digital & social media dimensions of the game. Each week, we'll dive into something great in college basketball in the NBA, and from another sport (besides hoops). I hope you dig this ride!

Feel free to follow along via Facebook (here) or Twitter (I'm @andypawlowski, here)

Thanks.

Andy