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Abstract

="dd8f">Each person gave a very different and unique response to this question.</p><blockquote id="4cfe"><p>“The most important aspect of our social media presence is to be a resource and news source for our fans. We want to provide them 24/7 news and content about our team” — Baltimore Ravens</p></blockquote><p id="9804">Also mentioned was being able to relate to the fanbase and being knowledgeable about the sport and organization. Plus, being able to reach a large fanbase that is not just regional and try to get people to the stadium.</p><blockquote id="36dd"><p>“For me the most important aspect would be balance. From a production standpoint, finding a balance between trying to create content that stands out while also staying “in brand.” For sports, especially baseball, there are so many games and you are posting similar content every day. It’s important to find a balance to make it different from the previous piece but also trying to make it unique in its own way. Trying to balance between taking the time to really polish a piece and making sure to get it out as soon as possible while still relevant is a constant battle.” — Seattle Mariners</p></blockquote><figure id="a93d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*8I_GNKeWwyRGnyxH"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@aussiedave?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Dave Adamson</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="414b">How does social media affect your brand awareness?</h1><p id="9d5e">All of the social media managers thought that social media was a very key element to increasing brand awareness.</p><blockquote id="7131"><p>“When you think about how people spend their time on a day-to-day basis, social media plays a big role. It’s often the first thing people check when they wake up and the last thing they look at before they fall asleep. For us to be present in that space is incredibly important when it comes to brand awareness. In some cases, it may be the only medium we have to get in front of a fan on a given day” — Seattle Mariners</p></blockquote><p id="472d">Since social media is used multiple times a day, it is constantly promoting teams in a way that television and print media cannot. Trying to get people to keep coming back and being able to tell a story through social media were also mentioned.</p><blockquote id="7234"><p>“Social media IS the brand. We have to be aware of our voice at all times. The voice must remain consistent across all platforms and be uni

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que to others in the league or off-shoot accounts that are associated with baseball.” — Oakland A’s</p></blockquote><h1 id="1552">How does social media affect your fan engagement?</h1><p id="ec8b">Social media has tremendously increased communication between fans and teams. Before social media, there really was not a good way to communicate directly to fans. Now teams are answering customer service questions and wishing fans happy birthday all through social media.</p><blockquote id="c86e"><p>“We go out of our way to make sure fans’ questions are answered, and we seek out ways to engage with fans posting on social media while at the games. It could be as simple as liking their Instagram post or replying to their tweet with a “thanks for coming”. Seeing your favorite team engaging in a one-on-one way with you can be incredibly powerful. We also utilize social media to give our fans a voice on their own gameday experience. We often invite them to vote on a T-shirt design or upcoming event” — Seattle Mariners</p></blockquote><blockquote id="9ebe"><p>“The cliché in social media is that social media is the front door to a brand and the start of the fan/customer’s journey. That is absolutely true, however we stay with them throughout their entire experience — from first being noticed to being a die hard. We are able to build a connection and find a reason why our team/brand relates to them and then we build on that as we tell their story. Building that connection over time naturally leads to further engagement outside of social like watching on TV, then purchasing merchandise and buying a ticket.” — Jacksonville Jaguars</p></blockquote><h1 id="2648">How do you utilize social media during live games?</h1><p id="f6cb">For this question, there were some different answers. Most teams do post play by plays, score updates, highlight videos, and photos of the games. Also, live-tweeting and streaming are utilized during games.</p><blockquote id="0d2d"><p>“Our focus during games are the fans that are at the game and watching from home. For this reason, we don’t give a play-by-play, but instead want to compliment the viewing experience” — Jacksonville Jaguars</p></blockquote><p id="910e">For the Jaguars the approach is different. This way, for people who are already watching, it can just enhance their viewing experience. While the other teams are trying to help people feel like they are watching the game or at the game.</p><p id="11ed">Social media has become an essential tool for sports teams, and they are dedicating more time and resources to it.</p></article></body>

Advice from Five Social Media Managers in the Sports Industry

Hear from professionals from the NFL and MLB.

A couple of years ago I had to do a research paper for my American Mass Media and Pop Culture class in college. I decided to do mine on how social media marketing is impacting the professional sports world. I reached out to social media managers from various teams and five of them were nice enough to respond.

It was great to hear their insights on the topic and so I thought others might be interested in what they had to say. Keep in mind that these interviews were done in 2018 and things might be slightly different now. This also does not account for any changes that have been made due to the current pandemic.

I was able to speak to people from two NFL teams and three MLB teams. The teams include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s, and Seattle Mariners. I asked a total of five questions:

What social media platforms does your team focus on?

Every single team said they focused on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Additionally, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, and Reddit were also mentioned. I’m sure if I asked today, TikTok would be added to the list as I know teams have started to utilize the new platform recently.

“You do not want to post the same exact thing over all platforms, you want to give people a reason to follow each account. By providing different kinds of content on each account you can maximize followers for each platform” — San Francisco Giants

“There are two main factors that decide what we are going to focus on — being where our audience is and revenue generation possibilities. In professional sports, driving revenue is a major factor and one of the biggest differences from running social media for a college athletics program. In college athletics it is focused on grabbing the attention of recruits/potential recruits.” — Jacksonville Jaguars

What do you consider to be the most important aspect of social media regarding sports marketing?

Each person gave a very different and unique response to this question.

“The most important aspect of our social media presence is to be a resource and news source for our fans. We want to provide them 24/7 news and content about our team” — Baltimore Ravens

Also mentioned was being able to relate to the fanbase and being knowledgeable about the sport and organization. Plus, being able to reach a large fanbase that is not just regional and try to get people to the stadium.

“For me the most important aspect would be balance. From a production standpoint, finding a balance between trying to create content that stands out while also staying “in brand.” For sports, especially baseball, there are so many games and you are posting similar content every day. It’s important to find a balance to make it different from the previous piece but also trying to make it unique in its own way. Trying to balance between taking the time to really polish a piece and making sure to get it out as soon as possible while still relevant is a constant battle.” — Seattle Mariners

How does social media affect your brand awareness?

All of the social media managers thought that social media was a very key element to increasing brand awareness.

“When you think about how people spend their time on a day-to-day basis, social media plays a big role. It’s often the first thing people check when they wake up and the last thing they look at before they fall asleep. For us to be present in that space is incredibly important when it comes to brand awareness. In some cases, it may be the only medium we have to get in front of a fan on a given day” — Seattle Mariners

Since social media is used multiple times a day, it is constantly promoting teams in a way that television and print media cannot. Trying to get people to keep coming back and being able to tell a story through social media were also mentioned.

“Social media IS the brand. We have to be aware of our voice at all times. The voice must remain consistent across all platforms and be unique to others in the league or off-shoot accounts that are associated with baseball.” — Oakland A’s

How does social media affect your fan engagement?

Social media has tremendously increased communication between fans and teams. Before social media, there really was not a good way to communicate directly to fans. Now teams are answering customer service questions and wishing fans happy birthday all through social media.

“We go out of our way to make sure fans’ questions are answered, and we seek out ways to engage with fans posting on social media while at the games. It could be as simple as liking their Instagram post or replying to their tweet with a “thanks for coming”. Seeing your favorite team engaging in a one-on-one way with you can be incredibly powerful. We also utilize social media to give our fans a voice on their own gameday experience. We often invite them to vote on a T-shirt design or upcoming event” — Seattle Mariners

“The cliché in social media is that social media is the front door to a brand and the start of the fan/customer’s journey. That is absolutely true, however we stay with them throughout their entire experience — from first being noticed to being a die hard. We are able to build a connection and find a reason why our team/brand relates to them and then we build on that as we tell their story. Building that connection over time naturally leads to further engagement outside of social like watching on TV, then purchasing merchandise and buying a ticket.” — Jacksonville Jaguars

How do you utilize social media during live games?

For this question, there were some different answers. Most teams do post play by plays, score updates, highlight videos, and photos of the games. Also, live-tweeting and streaming are utilized during games.

“Our focus during games are the fans that are at the game and watching from home. For this reason, we don’t give a play-by-play, but instead want to compliment the viewing experience” — Jacksonville Jaguars

For the Jaguars the approach is different. This way, for people who are already watching, it can just enhance their viewing experience. While the other teams are trying to help people feel like they are watching the game or at the game.

Social media has become an essential tool for sports teams, and they are dedicating more time and resources to it.