by By: Julianna Harney
As fans turn to social media to connect with their favorite sports teams and athletes, these teams now have the chance to unleash their creativity and develop innovative approaches to increase fan engagement. Nowadays fans crave more meaningful connections. It is important to create a safe space for fans to gather, watch eye-catching content, and ultimately feel like they are part of a community.
In my blog post I will discuss three different ways sports teams can boost fan engagement through social media.
- Share real-time updates
Live game updates allow fans to stay connected and engaged with the team, even if they are unable to attend the game in person. It provides real-time information about the game which can include: score updates, player highlights, and game highlights, that help keep fans involved and excited.
Graphics are one frequently used method to display player highlights and score updates on social media. Featured below is the San Diego Padres providing an update on pitcher Joe Musgrove’s performance during their game against the New York Yankees.
- Give fans a look behind the scenes
Behind-the-scenes footage is a fan favorite and gives them an inside look into the daily lives of their favorite teams and athletes. This can include giving a glimpse into the team’s daily activities, training sessions, and off-field moments, making fans feel closer to the team and players.
As a dedicated Los Angeles Chargers fan, I know their social media team does a fantastic job including behind the scenes footage. They post a lot of fun videos interacting with the players before and after practices, and also post a lot of Q&A videos. Below is an example of this on the L.A. Chargers TikTok page, featuring the players being asked to say one nice thing about a teammate.
- Stay social during the off-season
Even after the conclusion of the regular season, it’s crucial to maintain an active presence on social media. It is important for teams to not let their social sites go quiet during the off-season; instead, they should keep fans engaged throughout the year. Sharing images of athletes in training, highlights from previous games, highlights from off season practices, and exclusive insights will help to ignite the anticipation for the upcoming season.
The NFL draft in April has football fans excited about their team’s new recruits and about the 2023 season. It’s important for these teams to continue to post content during the off-season months to keep fans updated and engaged. Most NFL teams are posting daily, whether it’s practice content or player interaction videos, to keep fans excited about what’s to come when the season starts in September.
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Hi Julianna!
You made some really good recommendations for sports teams to increase their engagement on Social Media! I especially think It is super important to share real time updates through their social media accounts. You mentioned how there’s often times fans who cannot attend sports events due to other obligations and they have to miss out on a big game supporting their favorite team. By posting real time scores and also video highlights, fans can get a sense of what It felt like to actually be present at the game!
Hi! I really enjoyed reading this. As a sports fan, I agreed with a lot of the points you brought up. I think the key thing I agreed with was giving fans a look behind the scenes. I love when I can get to know the athletes I am cheering for and supporting; it makes me feel more invested. It is the same for music, movies, and television. I always like to feel that I somewhat know the people that occupy my TV screens or at least it makes me feel a bit more connected.
Hi! This was such a super cool read. Real-time updates keep fans connected and engaged, while behind-the-scenes footage adds a personal touch. Keeping an active presence during the off-season maintains excitement and anticipation. Social media is a powerful tool for sports teams to create a strong sense of community and engage fans in a meaningful way. It’s cool that fans are able to feel as though they are participating in real-time with their favorite teams.
Hi! As a dedicated sports fan looking to work in the sports industry after graduation, I found this blog very interesting. You hit each spot with how sports teams stay connected and boost engagement during the off-season. I also follow the Chargers and have noticed their fan base is very dedicated to the team. Their social media accounts are fun to follow and get a behind-the-scenes look at their players and the team.
As an avid sports fan, I really enjoyed your post! Keeping fans feeling connected to their favorite sports teams and athletes is important for maintaining fan engagement. I agree that showing real-time updates, giving fans behind-the-scenes looks and staying social during the off-season are key ways of keeping fans engaged with professional sports teams through social media. From my perspective of following professional sports teams, I feel as though showing behind-the-scenes footage is what makes me feel the most connected. One professional sports team I follow is the Seattle Seahawks. Their social media shares many behind-the-scenes videos of team practices, the locker room, the facilities, player moments and community outreach. This makes fans feel connected and a part of the Seahawks family.
I love how you used graphics to tell this story, it really supported your claims and made the whole piece digestible and fun to read. I also admire this angle because its unique to what we have seen so far on these blog posts.I think your best piece of advice was staying active in off season, I feel like that is applicable for all businesses.
This was a very informative and accurate post. It’s so important for professional sports teams to not only keep their fans and followers updated but, most importantly, engaged. Especially on social media, these teams use their platforms to give fans original content that draws attention to the team and the account. Your last point of teams staying social during the off-season is a crucial way to keep fans engaged when they aren’t necessarily as interested in the team when they are not playing.