Social Media Hits & Misses - Talk Show Edition

As a digital marketer I live in a 24/7, constantly on the go, tech savy world and like many millennials I value having social media at my fingertips to share important moments in my everyday life as I interact with brands.  While in NYC for a week visiting friends I had the opportunity to compare and contrast two talk show empires and the value they place on their social voice.

Live with Kelly & Michael

Challenges:

• A small studio in the middle of the Upper West Side means long wait times outside to get in 

• A long rectangular shaped studio means many audience views are blocked out by stage crews and cameras 

• Live show means a long wait for a very short taping for audience members.  

WINNER WINNER:

•  Policy for audience members: Take as many photos as you want!
• Social media channels addressed on the show and reminded to audience to reinforce brand
• Every break Kelly and Michael ran over to audience members to take selfies (which you know were posted everywhere online)
• The crew allowed any audience member that wanted to take a photo with the show logo backdrop on way out to do so, no rush

This show hit a home run for me as an audience member who didn't get a great seat. (This photo was taken by a friend with a better seat, thanks Craig!) Instead of feeling cheated the experience and the atmosphere was so conducive to social media, supporting and encouraging its audience members to share their experiences, that I left wanting to come back.  Next time, I found myself thinking, I'll stand in line at the crack of dawn if it means getting a great seat and a photo with the celebrity hosts.

The Dr. Oz Show

Opportunities:

• Spacious ABC Studios location in midtown Manhattan where audience members spend very little time waiting outside
• Large open studio with clear views for every audience member, not a bad seat in-house!
• Taped segments mean lots of downtime in between segments to post about experiences and take photos if given the opportunity

GAME OVER:

• Policy for audience members: No cameras in studio and phones off entirely
• Social media channels never mentioned and show hired a comedian to try to entertain audience members between segments when they could have been posting online
• Dr. Oz takes photos with audience (taken by show) and shakes hands, but shows misses opportunities for audience brand ambassadors to share their positive experiences live
• Audience rushed out the door at end of taping by crew, not allowed to stop and even take pictures with show logos

This show struck out for me as an audience member who received a great seat in front as well as free tickets to a movie premiere the next day.  Instead of feeling delighted by the experience and the atmosphere I felt confined, unable to share the great excitement I was experiencing shaking Dr. Oz's hand and even doing a taste test on camera with my family and friends in a timely manner.  Furthermore the show often misses out on great story lines including this photo I sneakily took (hence the graininess) in which Dr. Oz signed a magazine for a 94 year old fan who was as giddy as a schoolgirl to meet him. (I shared it on Instagram anyway, sue me).

 

Survey Says: The Battle of the Social Media Platforms

The Content Marketing Institute is out with their new report, surveying marketing around the world about content and digital marketing success.   You can read the report here or check out the highlights below:

bit.ly/1SGPytV

And the Categories are:
Choosing the correct social media platform for your business needs is often the most important decision laying the foundation for an effective digital marketing strategy and it's crucial to understand that B2B companies not only differ from B2C in platforms, but in needs.

B2C

• B2C respondents ranked Facebook as the most effective social media platform for reaching and selling to core customers with 66% effectiveness.  
• Of the B2C respondents, 76% use promoted posts with 61% finding them to be the most effective, followed closely by social media ads at 59% effectiveness.  (A 20% and 30% respectively increase over last year's results)  

Facebook succeeds in providing a fun and entertaining diversion from work, and businesses directly targeting consumers can find success by focusing on lighthearted content and direct engagement.  Companies based in sports, hospitality, food, and the arts truly shine with this content. Of the companies surveyed 52% reported that they had a stand-alone budget just for sponsored social in their marketing mix.  Add in a boosted post or timeline ad to targeted audiences and generate greater brand allegiance and top of mind consumption.

B2B

• While B2C respondents spoke to success in the social space less than half of B2B respondents found promoted posts or sponsored ads effective.  
• Instead far more found paid search a valuable tool for soliciting the right clients at 55% effectiveness, and LinkedIn as the most effective social media platform at 66%.  

While Facebook offers fun and distraction from every day life LinkedIn users are looking to solve problems within that everyday life whether it's how to grow their careers or the right professional to hire for their company's needs.  B2B focused companies can find success in by providing expertise in subject matter through LinkedIn publisher.  B2B companies should take advantage of this platform to provide free information/expertise on vital problems and solutions within a respective industry.  Companies focusing on professional services such as law firms, architectural firms, and accountants can build a satisfying client list through these platforms. By providing knowledge in this space, B2B companies can be seen as experts, build trust and professionalism, and gain long term sales.

The Hidden Playbook: Tricks of the Sports Digital Marketing Trade

Over the past few months I've spoken to colleagues at over 30 different professional sports teams, sports networks and sports agencies about the rise of digital marketing in their field.  The most common question executives get tied up on: How do you stay relevant?  With new tools arising everyday and more and more outlets offering fans a unique avenue to voice their opinions and needs, sometimes the most difficult challenge remains simply staying up on the latest and greatest technologies.  So what are some of the best tricks of the trade for keeping a pulse on where things are headed and how best to market?  Here's a few strategies from my own playbook:

Feed.ly

RSS Feeds Are Your Friends
I start every morning with feed.ly, an RSS feed aggregate that pulls in all the latest and greatest information from ESPN, MLB.com, Sports Illustrated, etc. in one place so I can quickly scroll through articles, staying informed on the latest news while find content that might be of interest to my audience.  I don't just select sports feeds either I have feeds categorized for digital media and tech as well from sources like Mashable and the Social Media Examiner.  By cross populating my news feeds in the morning to subjects relevant to my industry I can not only follow the exciting moments in sports, but also see how they are translating to the latest tools in the digital marketing trade.

Find Your Influencers
LinkedIn is one of the most underutilized tool in social networking, yet one of the most robust platforms available to becoming an informed sports marketer.  The colleagues across the nation who I've spent the last few months communicating with about the growth of the digital field were never introduced to me in person.  Rather I sought them out over LinkedIn by searching for those that do this work everyday, those who influence the decisions that are made in the sports industry on what and when digital and technological moves will take place in marketing, and those most interviewed in the news as most likely to be most open to a conversation.  After learning more about their positions I follow them on other social networks like Twitter to stay connected and informed about changes taking shape at their club that others might look to follow suit on.  The sports industry is smaller than one might think and having a strong network means having a direct line to the inside scoop.

Schedule Your Statuses
Social media can often seem like a daunting task when Klout scores drop quickly without constant meaningful updates and a wealth of direct communication with followers.  However, one doesn't have to be on social media 24/7 to leave a lasting impression.  I utilize Buffer, a scheduling program every morning to lay out my Tweets, Facebook business page statuses, and LinkedIn posts for the day based on the rich and meaningful content I would like to share with my followers specific to each network.  I can set the times based on when I know more of my followers are likely to see the posts as well as the number of posts for each network and go about my day knowing the program will post my statuses at the times I requested.  This is no substitute for active 2-way communication so I still get social media notifications sent to my phone in order to reply timely and in a human fashion to direct questions or responses from others looking to engage.  Buffer instead allows me to have the comfort of knowing that I don't need to be on social media all the time to have my message heard, freeing myself up to work on gaining knowledge, skills, and experience outside of that world that will be useful to those inside of it upon my return.

3 Ways Pro Sports Teams are Catering to the Connected Fan

Gone are the days in which professional sports teams have the luxury of allowing the game alone to satisfy their devoted fans.  In today’s ever connected world, the sports fan is dialed in like never before, seeking more content, more engagement and more recognition. Teams are turning to new and inventive ways to meet their fans’ unquenchable thirst, recognizing that they must carve out space in the fast moving digital landscape or be quickly viewed as outdated and out of touch.  The three hottest trends in bridging the gap between sports and tech savvy fans are focused on social media, mobile and geolocation stadium technology, and fan loyalty rewards.  While trending topics and the latest hashtag might fluctuate from day to day, these cornerstones in fan engagement provide a strong foundation for a successful sports business model.  At the end of the day it’s important to remember, that the teams that give more to their fans, get more fans in return.

1.)  Social Media Zones – The 2014 baseball season has just begun, but it has already brought a wave of new advances to one of the oldest, most traditional sports.  Major League Baseball has introduced instant replay for the first time, and is highlighting its progressive Advanced Media division with rolling out a new tracking technology that yields insights about the entire field of play from a base runner’s speed to the distance of a catcher’s throw.  However, while the league as a whole continues to dominate in the analytics realm, at the team level the focus is on the all American pairing of hot dogs and social media.  

Last year the San Francisco Giants were the first to integrate social media within their ballpark.  The team unveiled the @Café, a social-media hub, located behind the center field bleachers at AT&T Park.  The café, which was launched in partnership with Peet’s Coffee and Tea, provides an immersive social media environment, complete with a 12 x 4 foot video wall that displays all the latest and top-trending Giants-related Tweets, Instagram photos, and Facebook posts and check-ins.   

My conversations this week with Lisa Braun, Digital Marketing Director for the Reds, and Michael Harris, VP of Marketing for the Phillies, conveyed excitement that this year will mark two more teams joining the mix, with the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies offering up parts of their ballparks for social media mavens.  The “Reds Connect Zone,” located on the third-base concourse is open, offering social-media users charging stations for mobile devices, free WiFi and 25 screens displaying fans’ Tweets, Instagram photos and Vine videos, as well as Facebook polls and trending topics.  While the Phillies will unveil their new “Social Media Deck” on the Budweiser Rooftop within Citizens Bank Park later this summer, housing social media streams, mobile phone charges, and specialty concessions to provide a trendy hangout for younger fans.

2.) Digitally Connected Stadiums – In the world of sports and digital advances, no two pieces go better together than football and technology.  Whether it’s new indoor GPS tracking devices detailing athlete performance, sensors crunching the numbers on head collisions to increase player safety, or the yellow line that every fan has come to know and depend on for the most accurate assessment of a team’s progression on the field, the NFL has continued to dominate the sports world with the latest and greatest.  Today’s NFL fan demands the same level of technology available in-stadium as they are used to outside of it.  As HDTV brings increasing competition and enticement for fans to watch the game from the comforts of home, NFL teams look to in-stadium enhancements to improve the overall experience.

 The New England Patriots have often been the test case for the successful implementation of new ideas across the league, becoming the flagship team in online technologies.  In 2012, Gillette Stadium was completely rewired for WIFI technology and HD cameras, and mobile live-stream views of the game plus replays became available to all ticket holders. Last season the Patriots offered their first mobile app upgrades, providing in-seat food ordering, and geo-location services offering fans information on the nearest restroom and concession stands.  By this fall, the Pats hope to get really analytical, using data on individual tastes and buying patterns to prepare inventories and target early ordering.  With each season, the team becomes more advanced, on-par with the level of expectation of their fans, and the growing competition with cable television.

While the Patriots have used Gillette Stadium to build and then test out new technologies, the San Francisco 49ers are using their move to Santa Clara and partnership with Intel to design the first fully outfitted and technologically advanced stadium from the ground up.   The 49ers want the new stadium to be a technological showcase harnessing the WIFI connections, food ordering availability, and mobile friendly atmosphere of Gillette Stadium, while adding what only Intel can provide: the finest in computers, sensors, digital signage, and security, as well as interactive areas for fans to play with the latest in tech products.  The new stadium is set to open this fall, with many looking to partake in the future of football behind it’s doors.

3.) Rewarding Fan Loyalty - Among NHL fans, there's a favorite adage: "There's nothing like playoff hockey."  The NHL playoffs are a testament to endurance and grit, a grinding four best-of-seven rounds to get the illusive Stanley Cup.  The playoffs have fans turning out in numbers, flocking to social media channels, and embarking on the streets dressed in their favorite player’s jersey.  However, it’s the rest of the long 82-game season that has NHL teams looking for new opportunities to keep fans interested in the sport, and recognized for their tried and true dedication.   

The Washington Capitals decided to target just such a dilemma with the launch of the first comprehensive social loyalty program to reward fans for engaging with the team via social media and at the Verizon Center last year.  The free #CapsPowerPlay program was the first social rewards program in the NHL, offering Caps fans the chance to win exclusive team prizes and experiences through social actions including checking into games on Foursquare, using team hashtags on Twitter and Instagram and sharing Caps content on Facebook, with each action generating a different level of points.  An ultimate prize package for the fan that lives and breathes all things Capitals, included four tickets in a catered suite to a Caps game, access to watch pregame warm-ups from the penalty box, and an autographed jersey.   

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced the fan reward system to the mobile phone last year with the introduction of PensPoints.  The program focuses less on social involvement (although points can be earned for posting to Facebook or Twitter), instead rewarding fans for actions they take in person.  The program uses QRC codes to gift fans with everything from free t-shirts to a monthly giveaway for a road trip with the team.  Rewards points are generated from attending games, buying concession food and merchandise, listening to the game on the radio, or engaging with activities in and around the arena.

 

Changing Dynamics: How the Charlotte Bobcats are Taking on A New Identity - Special Guest Charlotte Bobcats Exec Jerome Hubbard

http://bit.ly/1cD8Ac6

To say that the journey of the Charlotte Bobcats over the past few years has been rough, would be putting it lightly.  Despite sizable notoriety at the helm of the organization with owner Michael Jordan hard at work, the Bobcats have faced a losing record season after season.  But there’s a new franchise in the making, a team finding a competitive edge with the acquisition of Al Jefferson alongside a young core of talented players, and a new look that will see the Bobcats donning an old familiar name when they return as the Charlotte Hornets next year.  An Emory University study highlighted Charlotte’s basketball fans as some of the most social media savvy, holding steady at 4^th in the league for most engaged fans only after the NBA’s heaviest hitters (Lakers, Heat, Celtics). Recently news broke about the team’s partnership with 10 Foot Wave, incorporating the company’s FanConnect platform within Time Warner Cable Arena. The technology combines sponsor messaging with live game content, real-time stats, NBA scores and social media delivered to screens throughout the venue.  I sat down with Jerome Hubbard, Communications Coordinator for the Charlotte Bobcats, this week to discuss the new platforms, the exciting re-branding, and the unwavering fan support as the team begins its journey to capturing a new generation of fans.

On the Challenges of the Digital Information Age…"When I first got here our record was 7-59. There’s not much good that’s going to come out of 7-59, it is what it is.  If you’re the Miami Heat and you’re winning games and you’re blowing people out of the water, and you have the best player in the game you don’t really have to worry about information because at the end of the day it’s pretty much everyday the Miami Heat win and why they win.  When you’re dealing with losing, and you’re dealing with people who are tired of losing, who work their tail off and are not seeing the results, then they say that we’re not showing effort, we’re not showing energy, we’re not showing the patience and the due diligence and the hard work, and that’s not right.  So that’s more of a situation that you have to really monitor and that goes to the personal relationships. In the past and even now the personal relationships that you gain with the reporters and the people who are covering the team, whether it’s on the TV side, the radio side, or the print side, those relationships allow you to give them information knowing that they’ll use it fairly and that ultimately they’ll use it in the right way.  If you don’t have those personal skills or that personal relationship then it’s really hard and that to me really makes or breaks a person in this field."

instagram.com/brooklyn_hun

On Resurrecting & Rebranding the Hornets…"There’s certain things about the Hornets that Charlotte loves. Charlotte loves the colors, Charlotte loves the name, Charlotte even loves the mascot.  But you also have to keep in mind at the end of the day that it HAS to be different. We can’t go back to everything that was the Hornets, but we do want to continue to grow and galvanize not only our Bobcats fans, but those Hornets historians who love the Hornets, love the tradition, love everything about the experience when they first came.  You have all of these different moving parts, the official name change, the logo, the mascot, the cheerleaders, the unveiling of our uniforms, all of those different things are strategic and I think we’ve made a concentrated effort to continue to make sure that we maximize every opportunity with each phase that we’re going through.  Everything that we do we want to be an experience.  Unveiling our logo was an event where we had our owner Michael Jordan halftime, really bringing out the logo with former Hornets players with a bunch of fans there screaming, and it was well received, in the same way that it was well received when we applied and were approved for the name change. Hats off to not only the organization, but also the fans that continue to support us.  There’s so much going on and we want to maximize it, whether it’s thru digital, thru a fan experience, or whether it’s just the continued process from start to finish. "

instagram.com/brooklyn_hun

On New Technology in the Arena…"If you look at the NFL, their sales in relation to attendance has decreased over the past couple years and that’s because a lot of people feel as though it’s much more convenient to be in front of the TV where I can watch NFL RedZone and have five different games on at one time and I can monitor not only the one I want to watch, but also what’s going on here, what’s going on there, and how this or that game affects my fantasy league or team.  That truly appeals to fans not only in the NFL, but also in MLB, and also the NBA, so if we can continue to add various elements to our inner arena experience, that may be something that somebody else doesn’t have.  And that may get that one or two or 100 or 200 more individuals attending our games. So you want to continue reinventing the wheel and keep adding elements and hopefully you get to a point where you have the best inner arena experience in the NBA, and even more so than that, just sports in general.  Adding something like the FanConnect or the Technocom business center in our arena, or adding luxury suites and a luxury experience for our suite owners, all of these different things come into play and that’s just added value to our inner arena experience for those that decide to come to our games."

instagram.com/brooklyn_hun

On Developing the Fan Experience…The fans are fans, if a team is losing or winning they’re still going to come out and support. Like the Knicks, they have a loyal fan base, they sell out every game no matter what. Win lose or draw they’re selling out every game and that is a credit to the fans.  We want to make the fan experience great in Charlotte and we’ve done so many things to continue to make sure that the organization and the fan experience at our basketball games and anytime they come to our arena is up to par.  Whether it’s the interaction with the players that they possibly can have pregame, the concession stand, the dance team, the mascot, whether it’s us going out into the community and having giveaways, or even having trivia contests through social media, there’s so many different things that we have done in order to continue to keep our fans engaged, to continue to keep the environment of the games great.  So even if we win or lose, we want people to be able to say, I enjoyed myself at the basketball game, it really was a great experience.  That one-on-one experience that you can get coming to a Bobcats game is something that you really want to hang your hat on.