NBA Digital Disciple Series: 5 Learnings from the San Antonio Spurs

30 teams. 7 weeks. 2 bloggers. 1 mission: to share our learnings of how NBA teams uniquely leverage digital tools to build fan community.

As students, or disciples of the game, we'll supply you with the doctrine - 5 takeaways per team plus one way to make that even better. Then, we'll wrap it up, pick a winner, and send you on your way.

Cool?

Thus far, we've covered the NJ Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards,Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers, NY Knicks, New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, OKC Thunder, and Charlotte Bobcats.

Our full schedule is available here.

Let's go.

Let's take a look at the digital connections made by the San Antonio Spurs (link here)

1. Spursday Spirit Contest

In a word, wow. These fans love their Spurs, and if you don't believe it you need to click in here and check out this photo gallery. The Spurs offered fans a chance to submit their Spurs spirit via photography, with the winners posted on the site. Wow did they ever! Amazing stuff here.

Plus One: It feels like the Spurs need a row in the stadium reserved to these crazy passionate fans. Perhaps the top 20 fans through the season win tickets to sit and display their passion courtside?

2. Game Night Feedback

When I saw this header, I was intrigued. Could that be a chance to tell the team how it did? Hmmm. Clicking in, I saw that this was not just a space to give feedback on your experience at a game but actually a forum to submit ideas. (And if you see the headline, it's pretty clear which of the two is the most important topic to take away)...

Here's the link, the image is below.

Plus One: Post these ideas. I've found that sometimes my best ideas spawn from hearing what someone else says. And it creates a forum for fans to comment on suggestions from each other. I literally love where this is going, more please!

3. Original Video Content Explodes in Facebook

You'd expect the Spurs to be active in Facebook, as they focus their attention on fans across the board. Sure enough, with just over 63,000 fans (link here), they have a big and active fan community. But it was the video storylines that got my attention. As you'll see in the image below, the Spurs regularly pump in the content (pre game warmups and exit interviews) that you simply don't have access to anywhere else.

Plus One: Fans are pretty active on this comment - hitting each feature with a barrage of comments and thumbs ups. The challenge is how the Spurs can develop a storyline year-round inside this community, and then publish it. Make it clear what's coming next, and then make this site a destination to watch/interact with it. Could it become the home for all video during next month's NBA draft? That'd be a great start!

4. A Monstrous Twitter Network

I had no idea what was about to hit me. When I clicked on "Spurs on Twitter", I was expecting to be taken to their official Twitter page. What I saw is below (and here). Gulp.

Yes, you are taken to all 27 Spurs Twitter sites, including athletes, dancers, mascots, and front office employees. Wow. If you love the Spurs, this makes it very easy to find anyone and everyone affiliated with the squad.

Plus One: Aggregate all of these together, into one feed. The Spurs could set up a Twitter group with these 27, then pump that feed right into the site. That'd make the site come to life and it would elevate all of these people who live for the squad!

5. Twitter Only Contests

The Spurs do a great job on Twitter, linked here. The power of what they do is combine a great voice with great giveaways. There's nothing that makes a fan tune in to your Twitter channel (or radio program) like thinking they have a chance to hear/feel passion and maybe win some stuff. As you'll see in the post below, the Spurs have Twitter-only giveaways. This one is fantastic.

So they get fans to celebrate the team and they giveaway a monster prize (playoff tickets) if you act quickly (10 minutes). Fans essentially make your ad campaign for you. Brilliant. Then, as you can see below, the Spurs post pictures of the winning fans -- even showing off that fan's Twitter handle. I'm giddy on this one!!!

Plus One: This is fantastic. The only thing I'd love to see is a gallery of all the contests on the Spurs site. So if you just stroll upon this Twitter area and are unsure if you want to be "in", make it easy. Let me know all the contests you've had, and let me see all the winners. That makes it more real, more addicting, and I'm in!

That's a wrap.

I hope you're enjoying this ride. Follow along with us on Twitter. He's @peter_r_casey. And I'm @pawlow34. Tomorrow, Peter Robert Casey tomorrow (here) as he drills into the Milwaukee Bucks.

Andy