Month: December 2016

The Minnesota Vikings don’t have decades of dominance. Nor do they have national an base of their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers. But the Vikings understand the power social media has to make a team stand out and to give their fans something they can’t get elsewhere.

A recent review of their game day social media, a fairly lopsided 38-25 loss on the road at Green Bay that dropped Minnesota to 7-8 on the season showed that the Vikings prepare with a purpose and are ready to react to, and maximize, just about anything. Their team utilized every platform and gave their fans shareable, visual content throughout the day.

The Vikings gave their fans an exceptional pregame experience with their use of Snapchat, which also included use of Spectacles. While Snapchat was primarily pregame – the platform allowed fans to get that look at all the activity surrounding the game. And, boy, did they make some lemons from lemonade when their 70 minute plane flight turned into a 5+ hour trip, which included a long wait on the ground at the airport in Wisconsin. Instead of wiping their eyes at the thought of little sleep that night, the Vikings social media team slapped on some Spectacles to capture the experience of the Broncos deplaning via a firetruck rig. By the time their rescue rig arrived, the Vikings had to know their harrowing tale had kinda gone viral and that providing some unique content that fans could not get anywhere else, they would have a win on their hands.

The next morning saw some more typical Snapchat pregame content, with quick shots of player arrivals to the stadium and setting the scene, with a first look at the empty stadium. The Vikings continued experimenting with Spectacles, following the players on their walk down the stairs to the field for warm-ups. They got unique positioning for fan’s eye view of players walking by fans hoping for a high five.

Once on the field for warm-ups, the Vikings continued donning the Spectacles and made sure to get in precise positions to deliver some great content to fans — including a view of receivers catching in warm-ups, linemen taking dry snaps, and a cool / meta look through the lens of a sideline photographer. Once the game began, the only Snap came from a sideline shot of WR Adam Thielen after a touchdown (they may have done more if the game was going differently?) and then a final score graphic uploaded via Memories after the game.

Another place the Vikings shined with pregame content was through their use of Instagram and Instagram Stories. Their use of the Stories platform included novel and unique use of the platform’s features to deliver content just a little differently. The Vikings stuck to Snapchat for their travel tale content, and the first use of Stories came with player arrivals the next day. There were more one-on-one arrival shots on IG Stories than on Snapchat, and you gotta like they took the time to find Instagram’s Christmas-theme candy cane font.

After arriving to the field, the Instagram Story content resembled that of the Vikings Snapchat — but different — more, well, for Instagram. We saw some of the close-up access and entrance shots (not to be taken for granted, especially now available to an arguably larger audience on Instagram for the Vikings), as well as a nice shot of TE Kyle Rudolph’s special Christmas Eve warm-up cleats. They also snagged a player dancing during warmups and took the time to use the Boomerang effect, which added even more to the content.

The Vikings continued to use the Boomerang feature to great effect, and did so in a way that enhanced the content (not just doing just to do it; or, worse, making the content worse). There were big linemen bouncing back and forth and a hyped huddle that looked even more hype in the Vikings’ IG Story. The Story stopped once the game began, appended only with a final score graphic to give the story an ending.

While I enjoyed their pregame Instagram Story, the Vikings’ Instagram feed was active throughout the day, as well. The content on their feed was mostly some eye-catching, prepared graphics, trying to capture attention in the feed. They did include a shot from the plane here and then had a handful of pre-planned content to set the stage for game day. This included a cartoon drawing (re-purposed across platforms) of a Vikings stomping some cheese, and a few matchup graphics prior to the game started. Rudolph’s cleats also got some love on the feed. While the Vikings had hype videos for Facebook and Twitter, their Instagram feed did not feature any video this Sunday.

Once the game began, the Vikings’ Instagram feed featured score graphic updates (and strong photos in each, non-sponsored) after each quarter and some select in-game shots from Thielen doing a “Lambeau Leap,” a Kai Forbath field goal, and a sack later in the game. The Vikings may not have been having a great time on the scoreboard, but their Instagram feed did not go silent until the end of the game with a final score graphic, which would be their last post of the day on the platform.

Of course, where we see the most volume of content, and discover the ‘voice’ of the team, is on Twitter and the Vikings did not disappoint there. The Vikings made sure not to let their travel experience pass without amplifying all of the fun, endearing content players were putting out via social media, retweeting several pieces of content related to the experience. They also shared a snippet of their Spectacles content.
Then, the preparation came into play – with a pregame hype video, a simple but perfect short video in which snacks for Santa were rightfully replaced with a Vikings cookie, and pregame visuals, including the aforementioned cartoon drawing and an Inactives graphic (straight from the team). The remainder of their pregame Twitter content showed some photos from warm-ups, a couple warmup Vines, a shot of fans at the road game, and a sweet GOF of a Santa-clad fan visibly yelling (the Vikings chant) ‘Skol Vikings!’ The fans had to feel satiated by the time this game kicked off.

After the game began, the Vikings were informative first and foremost. And they were helpfully quick to the trigger to share video highlights (throughout the game) posted by the NFL. They did actually report Packers scores (some do not) and had a Field Goal graphic ready for their first points of the day. [They later showcased a field goal GIF, as well] The end of the first quarter featured a score graphic and they also tweeted out some stats, as opposed to retweeting a team reporter or PR account. It was clear they tried to ‘read the room’ and to take advantage of opportunities that were presented, seizing upon Thielen’s big day.

Thielen kept giving the Vikings fodder for content and the team took full advantage of it. When Thielen did a Lambeau Leap, the Vikings thoughtfully decided to post a scratch-reel GIF, allowing fans to scratch back and forth to see the leap again and again. They also had a GIF of Thielen prepared when he scored a 71-yard TD pass (and quickly shared the NFL’s highlight video). The Vikings also continued to use other prepared graphics, all embedded with a strong visual and purple hue (and they even had one for a “3 & Out;” good to have handy when the offense ain’t doing much). I also noticed they frequently tagged players’ Twitter handles in tweets about them, a nice touch for teams.

As the game started to look like an imminent loss for Minnesota, the Vikings kept the content coming when opportunity presented itself. They had a quick article on Thielen’s big first half and then busted out a handful of template (but personalized) graphics and photos to celebrate the big plays (mostly from the defense, in this one). Even as the game started to get away the Vikings shared GIFs and video highlights when there was something for fans to cheer about. The Adam Thielen wave was nice to ride, too.

After the game ended in a 38-25 loss for Minnesota, the Vikings shared a similar score graphic for the final (non-sponsored), retweeted the PR account (the only time they did this all day), and then took to Periscope for media availability for head coach Mike Zimmer and QB Sam Bradford. Good to see them do this, despite the loss and the road site. The recap content trickled out the rest of the day, with links to various recaps before their last activity of the night, a retweet of a Merry Christmas tweet from the day’s standout star – Adam Thielen. The Vikings did not cheat their fans on Twitter, providing coverage and quality content from pregame to postgame.
(NOTE: The Vikings have done a lot of work this season, and last, with Ian Padgham, who makes some incredible vines and animated short videos. There was not one produced for this week, however)

The Vikings by no means forgot about Facebook, where they kept fans feeds full during the pregame and sought to build up to the game, with different forms of content. Much of their content in the pregame was links to preview stories on the site, and even the sharing of their travel woes did just okay in terms of engagement. The post of the cartoon drawing was perfect for Facebook pregame content, as was the short hype video getting fans pumped for the game at the rival Packers.

The rest of the pregame window on Facebook featured a solid shot of a Vikings flag planted at Lambeau and a video of the team heading onto the field. Once the game began, content slowed down and there was no first quarter score update, but they did share the photo of Thielen doing the Lambeau Leap, bound to get good engagement. After a halftime score graphic, the Vikings later shared a link to video of Thielen’s 71-yard touchdown, followed by an end of third quarter and final score graphics. There were some sporadic hashtags peppered in the copy of some Facebook posts, including #Skol, #Vikings, and #MINvsGB.

After the game, the Vikings shared some postgame content, including links to a couple of articles, and a video recap. In one of those posts, they also tagged Gatorade, likely part of a sponsor obligation. Notable that Periscope is their platform of choice for live postgame content. They also quickly adjusted their Facebook cover photo (which had previously been one touting the Vikings-Packers matchup) to a photo of Adam Thielen. Between the postgame content was also a Happy Hanukkah graphic, acknowledging the first night of Hanukkah that night.

The Vikings didn’t have the best day on the field, or even on the team plane, on this game weekend in Green Bay. You can prepare to capitalize on success, but you also have to be prepared, ready, and willing to react and cut on a dime. It was a weekend that went far from hopes or expectations for the Vikings. But they made sure fans were there for all of it and made it worth their while.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the better teams in football, often flying under the radar in playoff contention. But their fans are as fervent as any in the NFL and the Chiefs social team seeks to deliver all the fuel they can to fan the flames of their fans. A recent review of their game day content, on a frigid  Sunday afternoon narrow with tough-to-swallow loss at home to the Tennessee Titans, showed a team ready and waiting for the moments, and then delivering, while also listening.

The Chiefs had their most creativity and engagement shine through on their Twitter feed. The Chiefs made the most of the times when fans were cheering, serving a complement of GIFs and video, primarily. The pregame window saw mostly game preview content, posting the inactives, and some good content around the very cold weather. Also notable was their pregame listening – replying to and retweeting fans excited for the game.

The Chiefs had reason to celebrate shortly after kickoff when Tyreek Hill scored a long touchdown. The Chiefs made the most of the big early play, posting a nice animated touchdown GIF, followed by a sponsored drive summary (the only instance of this, not other scores), and continued to monitor their feed for opportunities to selectively engage. They also threw out a quick GIF of him celebrating (in real-time, permitted by new NFL policy), followed by a tweet of the NFL’s SnappyTV cut of the play. They were prepared with personalized player GIFs, used a few times to celebrate big plays. There was not much play-by-play, more so punctuating noteworthy plays for the team during the game.

The Chiefs had an end of quarter and halftime graphic, that was a nice visual, with no sponsor integration. They continued to make use of real-time and prepared GIFs and were quick to share highlights via the NFL. The Chiefs activated a sponsor deal during the game, a McDonald’s ‘Big Mac for Sacks’ deal, and had a prepared GIF to showcase that (that did not include the McDonald’s logo).

The Chiefs had some halftime content for fans – including a link to a photo gallery and a short text halftime recap. The early 2nd half was similar to the first – with GIFs and video highlights comprising the majority of the content. They also supported an activation (?) with AwesomenessTV and a celebrity takeover, while the attending the Chiefs game.

The feeling was that the Chiefs would win this game, but things started getting pretty hairy later in the second half and the volume of content (and reasons to tweet) slowed a bit. (They did retweet their cheerleaders account, celebrating a Pro Bowl nod). During the nail-biting, they saved their time for the positive Chiefs plays [including a retweet of actor Don Cheadle] and let retweets of their website reporter be the bearer of bad news. The decisive plays of the game at the end were delivered in this manner, followed by a final score graphic and an immediate post with a Periscope stream started up, standing by with a graphic card, waiting for the start.

The remainder of the postgame window on Twitter was a couple of nuggets of postgame quotes (via retweets of a team reporter) and a Periscope link to Alex Smith’s and Andy Reid’s pressers. They later posted a link to a game recap and had video of Reid’s solo postgame interview with the team reporter. There were also posts with game photos and, later on, a couple of player retweets. They finished off the game day Sunday with a very late night tweet promoting the McDonald’s deal activated during the game, using a photo of the sack that activated it. Even later in the night, it appears there was a little snafu as tweet went out with a GIF promoting tune-in for the already completed Sunday game.
Overall, a strong Twitter presence for the Chiefs with worthwhile, real-time and content and an active presence that pays attention enough to conversation to uncover opportunities here and there to amplify.

For the Chiefs, Twitter was their primary in-game platform, followed by Instagram, which they kept active during the game, particularly Instagram Stories. Instead of peppering their Instagram main feed with game day content (though there was some), the Chiefs used the Stories feature to showcase photos of fans leading up to the game. Once teh game began, there was a consistent flow of game action photos, likely pulled from Getty or an in-house team photographer.

The all-photo content, mostly from game action, but some fan, remained for the rest of the game, with some of the ‘best’ also getting posted to the main Instagram feed. The curation was solid and a good effort to use the feature throughout game day. While it lacked the wow factor of some others and the pre-loaded graphics or videos, it was a nice narrative trip through the game.

Meanwhile, on primary Instagram, the Chiefs began with some game day hype content, including a couple of videos to get fans pumped for the game. The content began the day before, with videos and a GAMEDAY graphic with just a player shot (i.e. not a tune-in or match-up graphic). The remainder included warm-ups (which included a nice posed shot, it appears) and in-game, narrative action shots, as well as a halftime score graphic; though no final score graphic. The content was eye-catching and well-selected, and Instagram is a platform the Chiefs make sure to serve on game day Sunday.

The Chiefs Snapchat, primarily to build up to the game, but had a nice mix of content and just enough up-close access to satiate fans. They, like many teams, set the scene with a morning stadium shot and, of course, utilized the temperature filter to hammer home how cold it really was! Not to be lost, as well, is the way they stylize their text, with red on yellow and yellow on red. They also had some up-close shots of some star players in warm-ups and even had the ability to get up close and next to the pregame coin toss, which was a nice touch.

Once the game began, the volume slowed down considerably, but they did take advantage of the NFL permitting a little in-game content with a live shot of a field goal. They also didn’t rest during halftime, capturing some of the promotions, including a plinko game, as well as a score update using the filter. There was no Snapchat content during the 2nd half and the rest o the day was a nice ‘Football is Family’ post game prayer shot and a final score to conclude the story.

One small note on Snapchat is the Chiefs have a couple of my favorite home stadium geofilters, but they opted not to use them (or have active?) or this past Sunday’s game. Take a look below, from a prior week.

The Chiefs did a lot in the pregame window on Facebook, building up the moments and narrative leading up to the game and giving fans plenty of preview content. There was some similar content, which included the sponsors also featured prominently on Twitter (with sponsors on the visual and tagged in the post), as well as a link to a preview article and a timely post about the stadium battling the frigid temperatures. The content was almost all visual (with some links), but there was also a quote snippet from a post tagging a local media network.

The Chiefs delivered probably their best Facebook content with their final two pregame posts, including a unique tune-in video, in an artistic drawing style, as well as a pregame video with content filmed just minutes before. While the video was not as produced as some hype videos, the quick turnaround and quality shots was certainly notable. Once the game began, there was not much content, with a halftime score graphic, a link to an early Tyreek Hill touchdown highlight, and then a sponsored final score graphic. Later in the day, the Chiefs posted a sponsored (Microsoft), natively uploaded video of Coach Andy Reid’s postgame one-on-one interview with the team reporter.

The Chiefs arrive on game day with content at the ready and with a specific eye to each platform, whether distinct, timely, unique, or for selective re-purposing. There is no platform forgotten each tries to deliver with big hits and a less is more mindset, rolling with the flow and the narrative of the day.

On a cold day that ended in a heartbreaking loss, the Chiefs kept their fans cheering at the right times and delivered the more somber news with a light touch. #ChiefsKingdom is in good hands.

The Carolina Panthers rode their team hashtag, #KeepPounding, all the way to the Super Bowl last year and, in doing so, took home the ‘title’ of the #1 sports team hashtag in 2016. So, yeah, they have a brand and a rally cry that their fans know well.

But it’s more than just a hashtag, as a review of their game day social media content revealed. It’s a motif that runs throughout their social media, as their content and voice bring a unique energy, a personification of the ‘Keep Pounding’ mantra.

The Panthers’ content on Twitter exuded this energy and enthusiasm throughout the day, and their content (granted during a fairly comfortable win over San Diego, at home in Charlotte) reinforced this all day long. Their pregame was comprised of much of the preview content to which many are accustomed – with articles and inactives (posted by the team itself within the text of a tweet, thank you!), but the images and videos still gave off that energy. And the hashtag was ubiquitous. It wasn’t their content, either, but retweets of Fox Sports PROCast (most teams retweet this) and the customary Bud Light and pizza sponsor tweets. They also shared a touching pregame moment with TE Greg Olsen and a little kid (this was featured on every platform).

Once the game began, the Panthers began sharing out an impressive array of consistent and, well, *pounding* GIFs. Some of these were customized for the specific play, others incorporated specific players, and each had a consistent look and feel that got the pulse racing. They also stayed aware and listening, as website writers/reporters were retweeted for observations and certain game notes, and responded to a local celebrity tweeting about the team. Between the GIFs and the hashtags was also a smattering of play-by-play; not excessive, but enough to fill in most of the blanks for fans.

One thing the Panthers did tremendously well was their use of real-time GIFs. The NFL recently relaxed their much-panned, much-argued policy on sharing any ‘moving pictures’ from the in-game window by allowing content of fans, sidelines, and celebrations, among other little stuff. And the Panthers were all over this, getting some great GIFs in near real-time showcasing player personalities and celebrations [and Cam giving a TD ball to a fan). They shared score update graphics at the end of each quarter (non-sponsored) and consistently used players’ official Twitter handles throughout the game. Scoring drives were capped by drive summary graphics, too, which were sponsored by State Farm. Also notable is they have a @PanthersPromos Twitter handle to make fans aware of, well, promotions, and impressively has over 16,000 followers. The main account will often RT this account, too.

As the game continued, the Panthers continued their similar GIFs to celebrate plays and, a mini round of applause, even had a GIF at the ready for their team recording a safety. Prepared for anything! While they were dominating the game, the Panthers did update their fans when the opponent did score, even giving the actual scoring play description. As you can see, they also got more, well, playful, as the game went on. The energy stayed high and GIFs including Zoolander, Super Mario, and The Office were utilized during the second half.

The fun continued with fan and player GIFs as the game ended (including a nod to ‘Santa’). They shared a non-sponsored post game graphic to celebrate their win, which, curiously displayed neither the final score nor the opponent. Then, right on the field, got a couple of players to personally address fans on video (which was posted across all platforms) and one of the players even told fans to ‘Keep Pounding.’ (I’ll wait while all team social media managers swoon). This was followed by a few graphics, including one sober way home option, a sack counter graphic (their defensive plays and ‘sacks’ are sponsored by local company Sakrete, love it!), and a graphic accompanying a link to a game recap.

There was live video coverage after the game, as well, though it was hosted on the team website, as opposed to Periscope and/or Facebook Live. There was only the single link to Cam Newton’s presser and no quotes tweeted from the conference. They likely knew the pic of Cam at the podium (in his latest outfit) would go viral. This was followed by some sponsored content, including a Bud Light Top Performer graphic, an activated offer from Krispy Kreme, and a ‘Drive of the Game’ image + link to video, sponsored by Ford.The remainder of the day featured links to the coach and Cam press conferences, full game highlights, and, the last tweet of the night (of course), a simple #KeepPounding.It was a fun ride on Twitter with the Panthers.

While Twitter is indeed where a voice is most defined when it comes to social media, the theme and the emotion is built up with the narrative offered on the Panthers’ Snapchat. The early pregame content showcased the stadium and some sweet filters, along with some early player warmups. No player arrivals one-after-one in their civvies. They also captured Greg Olsen interacting with  a military family (which was repurposed across platforms). It was a quick look around, including calling out some specific players, by name.

The Panthers also gave us a little of that inside access fans crave, with a brief glance  inside the tunnel with the players ready to take the field for introductions. It was notable that, while clearly there was someone filming the pregame huddle (likely where a player was pumping up the team), the person behind the Snapchat was only shooting from a distance. Overallth, the player-focused pregame window was a valuable, snackable sampling of the atmosphere and they even got some players to pose together, making eye contact with the fans following along. But it wasn’t done there.

The Panthers’ Snapchat was like a virtual ticket to the pregame rituals and atmosphere, delivered one snap at a time, helping to build the excitement for the game and convey the emotion. There was a look at the crowd, the intros, the flyover, and the traditional Keep Pounding practice, led by well-known NASCAR crew chief Chad Knaus. And the content didn’t stop once the game started. There was constant presence on the sideline capturing  post game celebrations on the field and on the sideline.

The Panthers continued with shots of the game and of the crowd and sideline, all the way up to the win and a couple of Snaps of a  post game prayer with members of both teams and the traditional jersey swap between players. This was the last of Snapchat content for the day, but overall, a source they feed throughout the game and game day, doing their best to bring the stuff to fans that watching on TV cannot.

The Panthers also put some time into their Instagram presence, using both regular posting and stories. Much of the content is re-purposed, sometimes filtered, pics and graphics and video from elsewhere, but the result is a nice peppering of content, seeking to convey emotion. There wasn’t a ton from warmups (this was more so on Twitter and Snapchat and in their IG Story), but did include a couple of photos of Olsen’s meeting with the military family (tearjerking). It was good to see some use of video a bit on their Instagram page, as well. During the game itself was mostly some eye-catching game photos from the game and notably no score updates or graphics.

The Instagram feed did stay active during the game with more pics, the general Panthers Win graphic and the on-field videos seen elsewhere made up the initial post game content. This was followed with up a branded content post (also posted elsewhere) and the Krispy Kreme activation. They finished the day posting a pic of Luke Kuechly, currently in concussion protocol, on the sideline during the game talking to players. Something they knew fans would like to see, but likely done with the security it was okay with team ops and PR.

As compared to their regular Instagram posts, the Panthers used Instagram Stories for more quick updates, as well as some of the second screen in-game content seen on their Snapchat. There was some in-the-tunnel content for pregame before giving way to an easy way to get a good look at the game and brief updates. They utilized score update graphics for each quarter, similar to what they did on Twitter (but not Facebook). They also shared a pic of a fan getting a TD ball (also repurposed on other platforms) with the Panthers Snapchat geofilter (or a facsimile, at least) at the bottom.

The Panthers continued to share sweet sideline content and score updates on their IG Story for the rest of the game and their graphic overlays on photos were done very well. The post game end of the Story included a final score post and a player interacting with a fan. Solid use of the platform.

The Panthers kept up with a stream of content on Facebook, meant to bring energy to the feed more so than anything else. The pregame window featured a lot of, well, preview content, as well as some sponsored content posts . The content was primarily links to articles as opposed to graphics or hype videos. The pregame buildup to the game started around midnight on the previous night with a team GIF post.

 

 

Once the team was suited up and ready to go, the Panthers did share some good raw videos from inside the tunnel with the team, which did well to go along with a pregame graphic and link to a pregame photo gallery. Once the game began, the Facebook feed was mostly a source of pics to highlight players performing well in the game, but there was a [non-sponsored] halftime graphic and the generic Panthers Win graphic at the end of the game, along with a link to the recap. The two on-field player messages were also shared on their Facebook Page. The rest of the content was the other sponsored posts seen elsewhere with the Bud Light Top Performer Graphic and Krispy Kreme Sweet Victory offer. Facebook is still an active presence for the Panthers, but there is not a unique attention paid to it over the other three platforms.

The Panthers are dedicated to the Keep Pounding mindset and brand. The charge of the social media team is to, like it is in everything the Panthers do, convey it through their content on the social platforms. While a win always helps, the Panthers have put a lot of thought and preparation into their strategy and content to assure that fans know and feel it’s all about the drive to Keep Pounding.

 

 

 

Life is always better when you’re the world champs. The Denver Broncos enjoyed a Super Bowl-winning season last year and a review of their game day social media content this year shows they are continuing to ramp up content with #horsepower.

I recently sampled all of their social media content on a recent game day, a close win on the road at Jacksonville. They had a clear plan and delivered a combination of effective prepared content, as well as real-time content their fans have come to expect and enjoy. They had a common theme and look (including re-purposed) with their content across platforms and fed their fans at the right times with content that mattered.

One place the Broncos certainly stood out was their use of Instagram Stories, where their content was not necessarily crazy eye-catching, but they effectively utilized Instagram Stories’ relatively new ‘swipe up for more’ option. They utilized the story feature of the app to let fans experience the game from pregame to post in quick pics (no use of video or dynamic graphics) with relevant opportunities to consume more. They also used the mention feature in Stories and most of their images were branded with logos.

The Broncos did not just put time into their Instagram Stories, but their primary Instagram, as well. They re-shared a viral pic that QB Trevor Siemian had posted earlier in the week and then got into their game days narrative. We see the travel pics, nicely done because the players were looking at you in the pictures, as opposed to grabbing a Paparazzi-like pic of them walking by.  While many teams shared several Instagram posts of the #MyCauseMyCleats (special cleats for charity, where players could select the design and the charity to honor), the Broncos shared only a couple on their Instagram feed. (More was on their website).

During the game, the volume slowed down and the content was comprised primarily of pics and copy posted on other platforms. The pics were thoughtfully selected and some included score updates. They shifted between a handful of hashtags, such as #DENvsJAX, #BeatTheJags, #BroncosCountry, and #horsepower. After their 20-10 win was finished off, they increased the volume, with a few more game pics, a locker room shot, and a nice one in black and white with a post game shot. Similar to their Stories, there was also no native video in their Instagram feed, to note. Overall, a solid if unspectacular stream of content, but feeding the feed with consistent, well-chosen visuals.

The Broncos were one of the more active NFL teams on Facebook, keeping their feed full for fans watching the game and scrolling on Facebook throughout game day. Their Facebook, especially before and after the game, felt like a true hub for all things Broncos. They were particularly heavy in the pregame window, not shy to maintain frequent appearances in their fans’ feeds, with a lot of linked (mostly non-native, but visuals were still strong) content. Also notable at first glance is they have an evergreen header image and their CTA invites fans to ‘message’ the Page. The Broncos did not hesitate to share content from elsewhere, whether it was a CBS Sports report, an EA Sports Madden NFL game simulation (a league partner), and even a GIF that seemed more suited for Twitter. They only shared one photo of a MyCauseMyCleats image, with a link to the website for more pics, as well as a link to see pregame travel pics.

The Broncos gave their fans plenty to make it til kickoff 10am. They do a great job with original video reporting content (Even more pronounced on Twitter). The Broncos all came prepared with graphics, website preview stories, and a few pregame photos from the ground. This all led up to kickoff when content did not cease, but the volume of content expectedly diminished.

During the game, there were only a few photo posts, most with score updates. There was little to no text with a lot of the posts, which presumed fans were likely watching the game and knew what quarter it was, etc. It was cool to see them consistently use the ability to tag player and venue pages in their posts.Besides score update graphics, other in-game content included links to photos and a link to a video highlight. Similar to Instagram, a couple of hashtags were used on Facebook – #BeatTheJags and #BroncosCountry.

Despite hitting the road to fly home, the content did not dry up on Facebook after the game. The post game window saw lots and lots of links to additional content — game highlight video, several post game interviews, game photos, and a lot of written recap content. Besides the win post, none garnered an overwhelming amount of engagement, but the consistent action along with the heavy volume meant plenty of reach for the Broncos’ Facebook Page following their 20-10 in Jacksonville. Also some carefully chosen, terse copy and quotes and pics made for a nice-looking presence.

The Broncos took a more second-screen approach on Twitter, where their feed light on play-by-play and more about adding to the fans’ game day content. Again, the pregame window was by far the heaviest in terms of volume, with some retweets, sponsored posts, pregame travel photos, and more. Particularly impressive is their pregame Periscope live standup on the field, which garnered almost 50,000 viewers at around 10am local time in Denver. Their numbers on Periscope are impressive, and they use it much as they are allowed to. Beyond Periscope, there was a lot of the same content as Facebook – including prepared GIFs, videos, photos, and website links..

The Broncos did not do any tweeting of team reporters or a PR account and the only official team info was a link to the website to view Inactives. The pregame content abruptly gave way once the game started (no play-by-play or tweet announcing kickoff) and the first in-game post is a tweet with no text and a graphic showing the score 3-0 Denver. No indication if it was from an early Broncos score or the end of the first quarter. The Broncos generally took a minimalist, supplemental approach, with a couple pithy tweets reacting with their fans to a play, who were watching the game with them, no doubt.

The Broncos continued to seek to add to the primary screen for fans already watching the game – from some evergreen GIFs featuring Key (of Key and Peele) and some minions (perhaps a backhanded way to poke fun at the NFL rule), links to replays posted by the NFL (often overlooked by some clubs during the game) and some well-made player GIFs on the field that were within their rights to use. Similar to Facebook, they also continually tagged players to draw eyeballs to their Twitter accounts.

As the game went on, there remained mostly tweets that just added to fans already watching the game, including some tweets that echoed a play in the game — a #ProBowl tweet after a big defensive play (with the play not mentioned), score updates without info on how the Broncos scored, and a handful of GIFs that added to what fans were seeing, but may have not been as clear to those not watching. They have a pretty nice bank of GIFs and I don’t think I saw a single repeat GIF all day. Impressive. The final score graphic was also sharp. (Oh, and yeah, they retweeted a member of the band Yellowcard)

After the game, the Broncos were on the spot, firing up Periscope for post game press conferences, while also throwing in a recap link and partner post to NFL Game Pass for the game replay. Throughout the rest of the day and night, more links to interviews and post game highlights, along with a couple quotes, were posted, giving fans a breadth of content on the Broncos website, as well as real-time on Periscope, after the decisive win.

While the Broncos were not especially busy on Snapchat, the content they posted on the it was quality. There was not a heavy volume, but there was the up-close access that is the best part of the platform. As is typical, we get an up-close look at the team during warm-ups, as well a shot of some fans and use of a local, eye-catching geofilter.

The person behind the Broncos’ Snapchat account is clearly embedded with the team, knowing which players to watch for a fun snap and get some first-hand interaction from players. They also were able to track down Bennie Fowler giving some love and a ball to some Broncos-clad fans with a Spartans mention on their poster (Fowler is a Michigan State Spartans alumnus).

Once the game began, Snapchat slowed, of course, but did not cease. Their team reporter (who would go on Periscope throughout the day) popped on Snapchat to give a taste of the atmosphere, some Broncos fans in the crowd, and the sideline a couple times after a big play. That was the extent of Snapchat for the game, with no new content in the post game window.

The Broncos have a dedicated, large fan base that is as strong as ever after winning the Super Bowl last year. They pick their sports, pepper their platforms, and share, post, and link to content with forethought, strategy, and preparation. They’re providing the on-the-ground access and supplemental visuals and programming that gives fans something more while they watch the game. Fans are getting their fix in Broncos country.