Sports and social media make a great team. When a sporting event is going on, it’s always fun to check Twitter and see what the teams/accounts are saying, especially if you aren’t able to see the game. It seems like the hands down most popular platform for sports. Being a big Miami Dolphins fan and living in Kentucky has it challenges because usually they aren’t aired on TV, so if I’m at home watching other games, it’s very convenient for me to just watch the Dolphins Twitter feed and see exactly what’s going on along with what other fans are saying. It’s almost like I don’t even have to be watching the game to feel the anxiety. The same goes for soccer matches all over the world that I try to follow.
Photo Credits- http://www.studiod.com
If it wasn’t for social media, we would be stuck catching highlights on Sports Center or just watching a play by play update on a phone app. With platforms like Twitter, the team’s can show some personality and excitement to get viewers amped up, on their toes, etc depending on how the game is going. It’s also interactive. While you don’t have much of a chance to interact with the brand itself during a game on a day like NFL Sunday, you can still see what other fans are posting and connect with them, share thoughts, etc. One of my favorite times to be on social media is during sporting events. When UofL/UK is on, I spend more time seeing all the fan/team account talk on my TL than I do actually watching the gam. That’s unintentional, but it works because if I miss a good play or a big moment, there’s definitely going to be at least 5+ tweets about it seconds after.
Photo Credits-Michael Brogin, Business On Market St.
- The Growing Impact of Social Media On Today’s Sports Culture-by Anthony DiMoro (Also-sports fans should follow him on Twitter-he is very interactive during big games/news. @AnthonyDiMoro)
- How Sports Fans Engage With Social Media-Sam Laird
Behind the scenes of these accounts are professionals who help make these accounts worth following and keeping up with. You can definitely tell which teams are all over it and which ones need some work. For example, as I’ve previously talked about in a blog post, the comparison of Clemson University and Alabama during the NCAA National Championship was like night and day between the two. Clemson was using gif’s and more interactive content while Alabama seemed to just be posting a play by play update.
Some of my favorite accounts include the following:
@loucityfc-This team is still growing, but so far they are on the right track and always post content that I want to retweet, share, and interact with.
@MiamiDolphins-The use of the #StrongerTogether hashtag is always cool to see tied in with the teammates and events. They also showcase a lot of the activities the team partakes in simply within the community, such as their recent #TackleCancer event. Q&A With the Miami Dolphins Social Media Manager-Social ‘n Sport.
@Mets-They make sure to include their players in a lot of their content, which I find smart for baseball because the players don’t come off as “emotional” as others from different sports do, so being able to showcase the personalities of their players is a great aspect.
Chase Kostellic 