Isn’t postseason basketball the most amazing time of year; buzzer beaters, brackets, Cinderella stories… For my #smsports people out there it's also an amazing time to start content collecting/generating. This is the time of year when the eyes of the majority of the country (and maybe the world) are on college athletics, so this is where your social platforms have the opportunity to stand out and GROW.
#SelectionSunday – The chance to tipoff your social strategy with something new, something different, that may set your school apart from the rest of the field. This can establish the tone for media managers and fans outside of your following to hop on your “fan bus” and grow the reach throughout your tournament run.
#JourneyThruTheTourney – Generating content as you travel is both a blessing and a curse. You have a new environment that the majority of your fan base isn’t getting exposed to, but you also have to work with a very time sensitive schedule. Exposing your team to new experiences on the road during March Madness is one of the easiest ways to create engaging content. All fans are in full bracket mode and they will most likely be glued to you social channels. Coming up with outside the box ways to feature the personalities of your student athletes, while also showing some of the “wow factors” of the city you are playing in will be an easy social win.
#WinOrGoHome – Your time in the tourney is not guaranteed…. Don’t hold back! You may feel that you are going overboard with content, but tomorrow isn’t promised, make sure to get the full bang for your buck (without forcing it). Assuring that your content comes off as authentic and unique will be important, because with every other team pumping out winners, your fans (and others) will be able to spot a phony.
#EndOfTheRoad – Teams get eliminated (or fail to make the big dance – like mine). Don’t hang your head, use this as an opportunity to farm content, look at what other schools/teams are doing and see how you can take some ideas and adjust to fit your brand for the future. This industry is built off the idea that transforming concepts and innovating existing campaigns are how we push each other to excel. Don’t ever feel like you are “stealing” if you are altering.