As each week goes by, the more of a fan of Snapchat I am. I know this sounds weird – but it is probably one of the biggest turn arounds I have had as a professor and researcher in social media.
I did not truly see the power of Snapchat until I saw the exclusive behind the scenes coverage, stories, emotions, and fan access to interactive opportunities from sports. I saw the coverage during the football games both professional level and at the collegiate level and I thought it was superb. There are some teams who are doing it better than others, but there are lots of room to grow and expand on here.
So, who are the teams that are really excelling on Snapchat in sports? Here are a few I thought were particularly good to note:
- X-Games: They were really made for Snapchat and what they did for the last games was really awesome. They worked with other brands and teams (including Team USA) and they really created some awesome stories.
- Team USA: Really stellar content behind the scenes and athlete takeovers. Really have enjoyed the use of mixed content as well – they are not just recording snaps – they are mixing it up between selfies, video, sponsored filters, doodles, and then even giveaways. Love this!
- UFC: I have been very impressed across the board with UFC on social media – the team in which Shanda leads is amazing. They have done a great job across the board, but their filters for their events have been spot on. Not only did they have geofilters for their recent UFC196 event, but they had quotes filters for particular athletes, weigh ins, and celebrity ones. This was pretty awesome to see.
If you want to see who else is on Snapchat, make sure to check out the great (and must bookmark) list for sports teams on Snapchat by Sean Callanan. Thanks for this great resource, Sean!
So, one of the things we are seeing here with Snapchat is the increased use and integration of must haves for sports teams to have in place. I have tried to make a list of things I think are necessary to have when you are incorporating Snapchat for teams. Here are a few things:
- Use of geofilters. They are SO easy to design as well as set up. Several teams did one of these for their senior nights (like Missouri, which was awesome!) and you can set this down for a particular time and event. You do want to take some time to let people know about this so they will use it.
- Mixture of content: You want to have a fluid storyboard in place for certain experiences to showcase and record for Snapchat. You don’t want to have the same angle for 20+ snaps. Mix video with pictures, call to action or engagement messages, giveaways, and funny photos with athletes and fans with the filters. There are so many different ones to choose from – but ultimately, you have to make sure the content is strong and relevant for the team and audience.
- Get fan + audience feedback: What about getting some feedback related to your event and fans? This has been a great thing I think Gary Vaynerchuk has done really well. What if athletes, coaches, and teams took a moment to ask their fans what their thoughts were from the game and sent this out? That would be really cool.
- Share fan reactions: This is what makes Snapchat unique – you are able to see fan reactions, responses, and experiences at the game. Showcase them and have them be part of your story. Having takeovers and views perhaps from different angles not being shown on other social media platforms. The recent UNC and Duke game really did this during the game and after the game.
- Understanding the purpose and use of emojis: There are some teams where I have seen no emoji use whatsoever. When it comes to Snapchat, they are your friend. Think about which ones would be good to not take over the snap, but extend it further. Experiment around with these and see what works and what doesn’t. The point of these however is to illustrate an emotion and spark a reaction to the image you want to get from your audience.
In fact, I am actually incorporating this somewhat to my social media class this semester. I am having the students come up with a strategic brief to pitch to the their client, a local Louisville business, themselves, and… the Kentucky Derby.
Yes, that really big horse race the first Saturday of every May. I actually will have two students working with the social media team at the races this year, and they will be helping out primarily with Snapchat. I am thrilled for Danielle and Nick for this opportunity!
What are some of your thoughts and what are some other ways sports teams could utilize Snapchat?
Have a great day!
Best Wishes,
