Social media for sporting events

1. Jackie Reau
Game Day Communications
Social Media For Sporting Events

2. Agenda
• Introduction
• Planning
• Pay to Play
• Collaboration
• Connectivity
• Content
• Fan Experience

5. Typical Day: Last Tuesday
3:30 a.m.
Leave home to prep for Local 12 live shot at CineBistro at Liberty
Center (4:30-8 a.m.)
9 a.m.
Conference call with national franchise client, CycleBar
11 a.m.
Media tour for CineBistro hosting 17 media members
2 p.m.
Client meeting to discuss upcoming holiday promotions
4 p.m.
Finalize day by answering 300+ emails, half dozen phone calls
6-8:50 p.m.
Teach Sports PR at UC

6. Plan Your Content by Audience and Platform

7. It’s a Pay to Play World

8. • The average number of
Facebook friends users
have is 338 (that’s a big
increase compared to
130 back in 2008).
• 15 percent of Facebook
users have more than
500 friends.
• There are between 1,500 and 15,000 pieces of content that Facebook could
potentially show in your news feed each time you log on to the site!
• The Facebook news feed ranking algorithm (some folks call this formula
‘EdgeRank’) uses more than 100,000 weights to determine what you’ll see.
• Ultimately, out of the 1,500 – 15,000 potential stories, Facebook passes them
through the mega algorithm and displays approximately 300 stories in your feed.

9. What factors affect Facebook’s Edge Rank?

10. Punishing Promotional Content
Posts that solely push people to buy a product
or install an app.
Posts that push people to enter promotions
and sweepstakes with no real context
Trigger words: Sale, Buy, Coupon, Deal, Download, Offer, Save, $, Order

11. Make the offer on your website and create content that
drives visitors to that page.
Post good content that links to your site.
Place the offer prominently on your landing
page.
[your content/article/story/video at
landing page]
Get tickets to our critically acclaimed
production of Giselle for Just $25! Sign
up now for special coupon code:
Name:
Email:Why the Critics ARE WRONG about our
production of Giselle.

12. Collaboration
A social media effort is activated at its best
when there is collaboration among key
departments including:
• Event Management
• Marketing/PR/Social Media
• Sponsorship & Ticket Sales
• Information Technology

13. Collaboration Keys
• Event Management
– Increase fan experience and length of $tay
• Marketing/PR/Social Media
– Engage fans, collect contact information
• Sponsorship & Ticket Sales
– Create lasting relationships to drive revenue
• Information Technology
– Manage the system and expectations

14. Connectivity for Experience
The majority of sports fans will expect a high-
speed wi-fi connection while visiting the venue
so they can upload photos, post status updates,
check fantasy stats among other activities.

15. Connectivity for Experience Keys
Find a sponsor to underwrite your wi-fi: This will provide
the service to your fans while allowing the sponsor to
showcase their capabilities
Create an app for your event: A one-stop, multi-
functional online resource with up-to-the minute
information, schedules, results, player bios, live video
coverage
Capture contact information: Require an email for
connectivity access, and perhaps, a survey of five
questions on event experience, sponsors, etc.

16. Content
Encourage fans to create and share their own
content using your # (hashtag) with branded
spaces at your event
Ensure your content is “share-sexy” and is
appropriate for each social media platform and
audience

19. Fan Experience
Social media will allow venues to enhance the
fan experience in real time as more fans use
social media platforms as a new form of a
customer service channel.

20. Fans that used the hashtag were also entered into a contest with
prizes ranging from VIP seats to gift cards for merchandise.

21. Agenda
• Introduction

22. Fan Experience Trends
Use social media to keep an eye on trends in
sports marketing, social media and fan
experience.

23. Fan Experience Trends

24. Fan Experience Trends

25. In Conclusion
• It’s essential to constantly engage and
enhance the fan experience at sports venues
and events.
• It’s essentially a battle: Your Event, Ticket
Prices, and Concessions vs. Their High
Definition TV, Comfortable Couch and Stocked
Refrigerator.

26. In Conclusion
• Social media can assist the entire team at a sports
venue to build an emotional connection with
sports fans with a positive experience and
consistent connectively through social media
platforms.
• As event organizations continue to evolve into
fan-centric organizations, social media platforms
provide the opportunity to connect with the
team or sporting event in real time so they can
share their opinions…and selfies.

27. Dream Job
Discussion
“Turn the tables on
the job search”

28. Jackie Reau
Game Day Communications
(513) 929-4263
jreau@gamedaypr.com