NBA Best Practices: Houston Rockets Create Spontaneity on Twitter

Twitter. What examples are out there that others can learn from? Tough question as many of us are just trying to figure it out. Posts are seen sporadically and in the middle of a ton of other posts. (It's almost a stream of consciousness). To succeed, we need to embrace Twitter for what it is and make you feel like you need to check back more often...

Enter the Houston Rockets.

Hit the Houston Rockets home page and scroll down. You'll see their Red Nation Chatter box. Twitter is described as "Follow the Rockets on Twitter for the latest Tweets directly from the organization. News, notes, and even spontaneous giveaways..."

Hmmm....

A visit to the Rockets on Twitter, here, will reveal this in practice.

Check the post below. The Rockets, for Earth Day, gave away autographed gear to fans who followed them on Twitter... and came by to prove it. And, most importantly, it was quick. You only have minutes (it's for the next fan), not hours to win. That fosters a sense of urgency and (if you see it after the fact), it fosters a bit of a desire to keep checking back.

There's also a great use of Twitter when they aren't giving things away. Check the post below, in the middle of the Rockets game. Fans are asked to join other fans and strategize on the team. It's timely, open ended, and easy to participate. Cool.

Add it up and you get participation during games and spontaneity in between games!

How could all this be better? The opportunity here is to add this up. How can the Rockets visualize and elevate the feelings of fans during games to show that (by participating) you are a part of something big? It would create some life on their Facebook page (or website) while being something valuable for fans who come across it. And, naturally, the fan opinion could be elevated in arena or on TV. From a contest standpoint, love it. Simply elevating this more onto the Rockets site to help drive the Twitter fan base. The experience is right, we just need to use it to drive more followers!

Come back tomorrow as we check out another best practice from the NBA. And as always, you can follow me on Twitter (I'm @pawlow34) or on Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Thanks!

Andy