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There is no denying the influence social media plays on life. That is certainly felt in the sports industry, particularly in the National Basketball Association.
Even though many people have sworn off the league for various political reasons, the style of play, and otherwise. But being able to take a side on the odds NBA has brought some back. The game has been wildly popular, and social media plays a role in that.
Particularly Facebook plays to an older demographic of people in their 40s and older. But there is no shortage of young adults, either. So there are a lot of different ways sports teams can target people with ads and engagement.
Here are a few ways that Facebook plays a role in the NBA’s coverage.
Dispersing Information
All of the NBA teams have their own social media marketing teams aimed at creating content for people to consume. That could be highlights, pregame videos and photos, postgame interviews, and really anything that someone’s creative mind decides.
Another great way to reach fans is by producing graphics. Simple scoring updates, wishing a player a happy birthday, or highlighting the accomplishments and rare feats of players and the organization are worthwhile before, during, and after games.
Beyond that, whenever a transaction occurs, the news will be dispersed by the team, usually with a graphic with a photoshopped jersey on the new player or apparel on a new coach. It is a great way for teams to connect with their fans.
Engaging A Community
Most fans are concentrated in the same market as the team. This allows for a lot of opportunities to capitalize on the local market, whether that is through marketing campaigns or other engagements.
Being able to get into the community and share those events through photos, videos, or having a player do a Facebook live to connect with those fans. It also is an opportunity to have a back-and-forth discussion and show a little bit of who the players and coaches are off the court.
Of course, there will be backlash and negative Nancys who are quick to judge or write something when times are tough. But that comes with the territory of being in the social space.
Creating Discussions
While most teams are a part of Facebook’s “pages” feature, there are also Facebook groups that offer a different experience. It was once incredibly popular but has since faded, but creating a Facebook group to share that information with a dedicated core of fans and generate deeper discussions is worthwhile.
They can also be private groups if there is a particular marketing campaign, gathering season ticket holders or having different demographics together to figure out what is best for the next trends. Those discussions and engagements will build trust within the community and can win over fans for life.
Great Debates
Beyond positive discussions for engagement and data gathering, there are a lot of pages that have great debates. Being able to break down the numbers while debating who the Most Valuable Player should be – in 2022-23, it is a two-player race between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid – or taking on a popular debate of the best of all time.
The latter was a hot topic after LeBron James broke the NBA scoring record. Michael Jordan fans had their cases as to why it should not be James, while others thought differently. These instances happen all the time based on a random occurrence from a game – sometimes of a viral video clip or researched fact that was dispersed.
For The Fans
Beyond that, Facebook could be a marketplace for sports fans. Being able to share the memorabilia collected over time is something that is unique to sports. Selling other collector’s items are another way that people use the popular social media platform.
Those who are looking to avoid the outrageous fees by popular ticketing groups will use Facebook as a way to make those transactions. But it has also brought a lot of scammers across Facebook who are looking to make a quick buck off of innocent people.
Facebook, generally, is great for the NBA, though.
