Social Media Seven

Here are the highlights from across the social sphere.

It was another busy week on social, with the NFL Draft underway, the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing, and the MLB, MLS, and MLL seasons ramping up. Here are the highlights from across the social sphere:

Major League Lacrosse

BREAKING NEWS: @Twitter will live stream "MLL Game of the Week" during '17 season. #NYLvsDEN featured tomorrow: https://t.co/llnH0V611s pic.twitter.com/bEduBnfujE

— Major League Lacrosse🥍 (@MLL_Lacrosse) April 28, 2017

Major League Lacrosse announced a live streaming deal with Twitter, featuring the “MLL Game of the Week” during the 2017 season. Here is why the partnership could be huge for both sides:

• Increased exposure for the sport, as lacrosse works to develop interest amidst the crowded sports scene.
• Pushing the sport and league into the conversation on social.
• Growth of Twitter’s streaming push and the shift towards non-TV broadcast.
• Twitter has a chance to be at the forefront of lacrosse’s growth in the US and potentially have first-mover advantages if/when the sport takes off.

Conference USA

💥 _ 💥

Notice anything different about our @ handle? SEE YA UNDERSCORE!

Stay tuned for more C-USA Social updates coming 5/1/17… 😬 pic.twitter.com/5283SJ9J9v

— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) April 28, 2017

Conference USA took the first step in optimizing its social accounts and content by finally dropping the underscore from the handle. This may seem like a minor change, but it is a huge point in creating a unified brand experience. Consistency across the board is key. As our own Taylor Brasher of C-USA explained on Twitter:

“For such a small thing (one character literally), it actually will be much less messy! (i.e. PA reads, signage, etc.)”

Sometimes, the little things can make all the difference. Looking forward to what else Conference USA has in store for tomorrow, May 1st. Stay tuned!

Washington Capitals

To the @MapleLeafs and their fans – what an amazing series. The kids are DEFINITELY alright. See you next season. Great series. #CapsLeafs pic.twitter.com/kC8l50wXTs

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 24, 2017

After a tremendous 1st round series with the Maple Leafs, Washington’s social team took to Twitter for a handshake line of their own. The Capitals posted a classy message thanking the organization for a hard-fought, excitement-filled series. For all of the tension during the playoffs, as well as amongst the snarkiness and sarcasm that you often see on social, it was very cool to see the Caps show great sportsmanship and tip their cap to the young Leafs team.

NFL Draft

See all 64 tweets from college & pro teams for each of the 32 picks in first round of the 2017 NFL Draft: https://t.co/1PdwKMrqZy #smsports

— SkullSparks (@SkullSparks) April 28, 2017

Whew! Content from every college and NFL team for each of the 2nd round picks. ⚡️ https://t.co/zPaWvOpvGJ #smsports

— SkullSparks (@SkullSparks) April 29, 2017

See every tweet from college & NFL teams for each pick of the third round of the Draft. ⚡️ https://t.co/tEzjYPLA3d #smsports

— SkullSparks (@SkullSparks) April 29, 2017

We're on to the 4th Round of the NFL Draft with every tweet from college and pro teams for each pick. ⚡️ https://t.co/UwZ98iidKD #smsports

— SkullSparks (@SkullSparks) April 29, 2017

For rounds 5-7, we're just highlighting teams which hadn't had a pick yet. New content.⚡️ https://t.co/QKYtv8jt3G #smsports

— SkullSparks (@SkullSparks) April 29, 2017

The NFL Draft has come and gone, but teams and programs have left a lasting impact on social over the past few days. A big shoutout to Jason Matheson and SkullSparks for compiling all of the weekend’s content into Twitter moments. I highly recommend everyone take a look through these videos and graphics — there’s a lot to learn and to draw inspiration from. My top takeaways are below:

• Preparation was the name of the game. The teams that put in the work ahead of time, creating multiple graphic layers and concepts, were able to post almost immediately, and with great engagement.
• NFL teams tended to have more simple content, when compared to the NCAA programs. This can be (partially) attributed to the nature of the Draft — teams trade up/down and are unaware largely of who will be drafted until the last minute, while college programs have content featured around their departing athletes.
• Motion content and video was impressive across the board, while graphics were more common but also varied in execution.

What were your favorites from the NFL Draft? Tweet us @frntofficesport and @shah_parth_ with who you thought stood out on social.

Sacramento Kings & Golden State Warriors

https://twitter.com/SportTechie/status/856928189825863680

One of 2017’s digital media trends has been the rise of artificial intelligence and chatbots used for customer service and automation purposes by brands. While they have not caught on as quickly in #smsports, teams are starting to develop their options and exploring the space, especially on Facebook Messenger. SportTechie did a fantastic job testing the new AI of both the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, and wrapping up the performances in the quick video above.

Don’t be surprised to see more and more teams and brands releasing their own bots, especially with Messenger now making it fairly straightforward to develop one. Chatbots have the ability to communicate and engage with fans without additional human interaction, growing the brand and sharing content autonomously.

Oregon Ducks

Sticking with new technology theme, I really love the Facebook Live video content from the Oregon Ducks. The social team has been able to take fans behind-the-scenes of facilities, unveilings, practices, and warm-ups. Particularly, the bird’s eye view of Autzen Stadium is great perspective for fans to see everything, and a great use of a drone to capture and stream footage. Look for college football season to have a ton of innovative content above the stadium and student sections.

Shah’s Social Media Strategy Tip of the Week

The quote is always quality over quantity, but why not both? The best brands on social, in terms of engagement, post frequently while making sure everything is on-brand and a strong visual representation of the message they are trying to communicate. Always work to create dynamic, engaging content that is eye-catching and informative, but also prepare ahead of time to be able to push out content quickly and efficiently.

Thanks for joining us on the Social Media Seven this week! Join us again next Sunday for the next installment. As always, check out Front Office Sports daily for the latest in sports business!

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