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