Category: Team Reviews

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.

The Miami Dolphins are located within an empire of eye candy. From beaches to babes, there is no limit to the visual panoply of pics that command the attention of fans living in South Florida.

The Dolphins clearly prioritize their visual content — from real-time photos to touched-up pics and even video montages of photos peppering their content and telling their stories. This is all underpinned by a desire to endear individual players to fans and serve as a strong second screen and content supplement to the plays taking place on the field.

I caught the Dolphins at a good time, as they earned their sixth consecutive win to get into the playoff picture, beating the San Francisco 49ers at home fairly easily. Each of the big four platforms was utilized, with only Snapchat feeling a bit under-served, and the Dolphins delivered again and again throughout game day Sunday with eye-catching visuals that were attractive whether you were cheering Fins Up or not.

While many tend to take it for granted, the Dolphins did a great job of feeding fans on Facebook with an array of content to engage fans with visuals and player-focused content. As is the case with most teams, the Dolphins got a lot of sponsored content ‘out of the way’ in the day and hours leading up to the game, with content-laden posts/graphics/links tagging and including a sponsor. They also re-purposed some of their creative over this time period, but it was likely not noticeable to fans, with likely only a handful seeing all the posts from the Dolphins Page at this time. Also notable was an evergreen Facebook cover image, differing from some teams that will change week-to-week to promote that week’s game.

The Dolphins had an impressive array of video content leading up to the game, from talk with a commentator, hype videos, and an excellent 360-video allowing fans to look around the locker room and the field in the hours before the game. Once the game began, the volume decreased, but I was struck by the end of quarter score graphics — not just static graphics (and not sponsored), but score update VIDEOS that showcased not just the score, but some awesome shots from the game action during that quarter. A great way to (likely) drive more impressions and engagement, and to make the most of the Dolphins’ sweet collection of photos from the game.

As the game went on, the Dolphins shared some additional photos besides the score update videos (and each of the photos were nicely branded with a ‘Miami Dolphins’ pennant logo. After the game, the Dolphins shared some great, short videos featuring players personally speaking to fans and one player talking about how great the home crowd was. It doesn’t get much better than that! Like others, there was no native video highlights from the game (and not much pushing website traffic to view clips, either). The game day ended with a couple sponsored content posts to cap off a fun day for fans on Facebook that had them exposed to tons of appealing content in many forms.

Of course, the busiest platform for the Dolphins, and one where we saw more visual storytelling and player promotion, was their Twitter presence. We saw the typical hype videos and preview content on game day, but we also saw player arrivals (typical to what most teams share on Snapchat) with some well-done (not amateur) photos of players arriving and preparing. By singling out players one at a time, particularly out of their pads and unis, it really served to individualize them effectively for fans. And even the sponsored content (presented by Bose) were fantastic visuals that felt very organic for Bose, typically showing players using Bose gear. Their video content of pregame arrivals and prep were labeled Bud Light Quick Hits, an easy way to insert a sponsor with content the team knows fans will love and want.

The Dolphins were mostly consistent in effectively tagging players (and even their venue) in tweets — an easy, but oft-overlooked way to get more engagement and users for these accounts. There was a heavy volume of quick visual content to get fans ready before the game started…and the next tweet was a 49ers scoring play. I did appreciate that they gave some info about the play (Kaepernick to Hyde) and also tweeted out lineup and player health info themselves (no RT’s of a PR account or team reporters).

When the Dolphins began making big plays, the team whipped out some creative, retro-feeling (like Nintendo classic-ish, which is all the rage on social) GIFs to celebrate big plays. They all looked very similar, but were personalized (and it looked great) for specific players, at times. These GIFs were also used for scoring plays, as there was no special [or sponsored] graphic for scoring plays. Each was then followed up with an image (branded with that Dolphins pennant logo), giving some stats about the drive. The team also did well to share some highlights from the NFL Snappy TV account, quoting some NFL tweets. Each quarter update was given by a graphic (same as the first frame on their Facebook videos),. but no video here, as that was Facebook-only [do not mind that, at all].

Staying with their propensity for pics, the Dolphins continued to supplement our game-watching experience with fantastic photography. In lieu of play-by-play, the Dolphins used text sparingly and let their photos speak for them – showing a sick catch and celebrating a big play. They did continue to provide scoring updates (including the opponent, which is refreshing), but did stay silent for the last 15-20 minutes of the game as fans sweated out a last-minute drive by the 49ers with a chance to tie the game. When the clock hit zero, the Dolphins came out with a final score graphic, exhaling along with all the fans. Some teams try to articulate the emotion of the moments of a tight finish, with language and emoji, but the Dolphins opted to let fans focus, celebrating in the end (and then serving up post game content).

After the game ended, the Dolphins told the story of the game with more awesome photography, to go along with graphics and some player retweets, as well. The team also went live on Periscope (they are among the best on the platform and their Monday presser with Head Coach Adam Gase had over 40,000 viewers) for post game press coverage. They had the same two videos of players addressing the fans on camera right after the game that we saw on Facebook. Again, love this. The only link in any Twitter post came late in the day, with a link to a game recap. They also included a sponsor on one of their photo tweets, but it fit right in with all the great visuals we saw throughout the post game and throughout the day from the Dolphins on Twitter.

Of course, the Dolphins and their dedication to eye-catching imagery, was impressive on Instagram. The pregame window featured a collection of pregame shots and on-field warm-ups, along with a hype video and some sponsored content. The Dolphins would continue posting during the game, with some sick content all branded with the Miami Dolphins pennant logo, as well as end of quarter score updates.

The Dolphins did not rack up a ton of interaction with their posts, but the visual ‘wow’ content continued, with some strong raw images and well-applied edits or filters.There was n re-purposing of video post game, but just some additional photos, particularly close-ups of players, building that identification with fans.

The Dolphins are among the few NFL teams to utilize Instagram Stories, and the product is a stunning collection of imagery. Not necessarily a cohesive narrative, but a well-curated photo offering. They had a nice branded intro to their game day Story and then featured the build-up to the game with an awesome array of images. It makes it easy to quickly consume a visual story of the Dophins pregame.

The Story did not end once the game began, either. More thoughtfully selected images that showed game action and exuded emotion kept Instagram users engaged as they tapped on while watching the game. The Dolphins utilized Instagram Stories to feed more of the Instagram content they love to fans; not so much a unique and compelling use, but I enjoyed, and no doubt other fans did too, seeing a steady stream of stunning visuals throughout the game day, fit for the Instagram platform.

The Dolphins dedicated themselves to incredible imagery on their platforms and do not spend as much time on Snapchat, which, of course, is more about ephemeralness and rawness. The Dolphins had three pregame posts, including some shots of their sweet throwback jerseys for the game and a quick personal word from a player, and utilized the game day pregame filter. Not sure if they have a home stadium geofilter or not.

 

Following the Dolphins’ social media on a game day is a visual delight, with iconic photography and both real-time and prepared content. The player imagery showcasing their individuals is second to none and they create opportunities for fans to fawn over (and engaged with) players. They are also prime Periscope users, dedicated to the platform (and their numbers reflect it).

The Dolphins may still be working to reach their potential on the field, but they know and showcase their strengths on social media, capturing the eyes and emotions of fans, one image at a time.

Postscript: On Monday, the Dolphins shared a marvelous montage of fan videos showing their perspective and the ambient atmosphere on the final decisive play of the game, which cemented the win for Miami. Very cool!

 

 

Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills. Or, at least that’s how the saying goes. I followed closely along with their social media coverage of a road game win on a recent Sunday at Cincinnati (note that road games oftentimes feature less content and manpower for pro sports teams, including many NFL clubs).

The Bills take a thoughtful, timely approach to social media — with a lot of engaging, endearing, and informative content leading up to the game, before shifting into more of a game coverage mode, with just enough emotion at the right times to throw gas on the fire for their fans, while still serving as a source of info. They came in prepared, reacted to the ebb and flow of the game, and kept the content coming, even into the Monday following the game.

As is the case with many NFL teams, particularly in the pregame window, Snapchat was such a unique, effective (broadcasting) platform for the Bills on Sunday. Yes, we had the obligatory plane boarding and suitcase pics, but these were made better by players egging for the camera, including some playful poses for one group. These little glimpses of fun and personality make fans go from rooting to loving, eliciting some sort of emotion in fans. The Bills also had an opportune use of Snapchat’s temperature filter to show a ball-sy Bills player out for warm-ups shirtless. They even captured some Bills fans on-site in Cincy.

Warm-ups are often a time, when the relationship between the social media person and the players is right and one of trust (and the social person when and to whom they can or should go for content) can be seen at its finest. The Bills shined here getting some personal interaction with Shady McCoy on camera, as well a timely shot of a d-lineman dancing. Way to be ready to capture that priceless moment! After some solid pregame access of players getting psyched up to take the field, the Bills shut down Snapchat for the day. This is an area where some NFL clubs stay active all game (or are active at halftime and/or post game), but the Bills’ game day use of Snapchat on this Sunday was 100% pregame, even after an exciting win and (no doubt) happy flight home. Still, some good work in the pregame window on Snapchat.

[NOTE: The Bills do have a solid home Snapchat geofilter]

The majority of their attention, and really a source of almost all other content [and more] seen on other platforms, the Bills’ Twitter presence was very active, particularly pregame and post game. Their in-game tweeting was timely and typically informative and noticeably a bit lower in volume than many other clubs (but refreshingly so).

The pregame window was busy with a vast majority of sponsored content (similar to Facebook, but heavier volume on Twitter). Despite all the brands and logos, the Bills have taken care to present their sponsored content with value added, whether a GIF featuring United Airlines showing their travel, a funny cartoon to report the weather, and content from Bose and Tostitos, among others,  that added value, among many others. The sponsorship felt relevant and never forced, and even had an element of engagement with their Selfie contest. Definitely a lot of brand impressions, but also good content for fans, for the most part.

 

The rest of pregame featured some of the typical game prep content seen elsewhere, as well as a pic destined for virality of a player out for warm-up shirtless. Though the most extensive pregame content was seen on Snapchat, there was more of a focus on information and even some retweets of players and reporters. The game began without much fanfare and the Bills, from there on out, mostly reported scoring plays and turnovers, often whipping out a few pre-made, customized-for-player GIFs. Good to see they were prepared for their running back Lesean McCoy to pass Marshawn Lynch on the career rushing yards list, with a nice graphic they shared across platforms.  Their template for end of quarter / half updates were well-done (not branded) and they eschewed additional graphics like drive summaries, stat graphics, and the like.

There is no single way that NFL clubs disseminate team info on Twitter, but the Bills are among those that (mostly) choose to do so by pointing to their PR account or team reporters. The Bills, as mentioned, mostly were active with scoring and turnover updates, but had some solid pre-made graphics in the can ready for use. Among in-game content was also a sponsored “Photo of the Game” (selected quite early for such a lofty declaration! Ha). As the game progressed, the Bills injected a little bit of voice into tweets, including a little swag around good plays and a solemn emoji when passing on news of McCoy’s injury.

The infusion of emotion actually increased in the waning minutes and seconds of the game when the Bills win was still in question. This is the only spot when the Bills threw out a couple of tweets just to post, well, something, because they could sense the emotion of the fans (and likely seeing Twitter going a bit nuts). Many teams will do this throughout the game; the Bills only did when it mattered most. After the final whistle, the Bills served a final score graphic (and, have to happily mention, got a final score graphic [the same one] on Facebook instantly, too!).

The Bills did not go live with any video after the game, but passed on an array of content for their fans to see after the win. It was primarily photos and quotes (just a few), as well as a subtle mocking of a cliche? They also shared a Snappy TV clip o a touchdown play, but did not share any highlights during the game itself. The Bills didn’t go heavy with volume, but remained attentive. Overall, their Twitter presence is prepared, thoughtful, and fun; not a lot of fan interaction, but they are clearly paying attention and reading the fans.

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The Bills were heavy on Facebook in the days and hours leading up to the game. As on Twitter, there was a lot of (quality) sponsored content and preview content prior to the game, but no hype videos sometimes seen from other clubs. The visuals were strong and eye-catching, however, mostly seeking website traffic as the goal.

There was much of the same sponsored content seen on Twitter, and some unique stuff, too, along with pregame photos and a natively uploaded video of the players waiting to head to the field. They were not shy about posting (which was good), filling their fans’ pregame feed with a decent volume of content.

Once the game began, volume on Facebook slowed down considerably, with just the sponsored ‘Photo of the Game’ in the first quarter, a halftime graphic, and posting of the McCoy rushing milestone graphic seen elsewhere. After the game, the Bills posted a final score graphic, with a link to photos, followed later by a link to game highlights. The last post of the night was a promotional graphic offering free shipping on merchandise purchase of $50 or more, in celebration of the win.

The Bills had a couple of eye-catching visuals on their Instagram, but it was not a main focus on game day. Their most memorable post on Instagram came a few days prior, with a unique print (Prisma-ish) image with the caption ‘Protect the rock.’ On game weekend, it was mostly a source of re-purposed content and graphics that were well-designed and curated, but not unique to the platform. It showed a bit with a closely cropped graphic on Saturday and a CTA on their Selfie contest asking fans to submit pics below (in the IG comments; they can link to their IG post, I suppose). Their feed was still a nice visual sight, throughout the day.

The Bills were not too busy with Instagram during teh game, but did post some well-chosen professional photos to post during the game. They did not use Instagram as a place for score updates or score update graphics, sticking just to pics. The Bills did not use Instagram video or utilize Instagram stories, as well.

The Buffalo Bills have a dedicated fan base built up over decades of tradition and dedication, of ups and downs. The Bills don’t overwhelm them with overwhelming amounts of content, but they are clearly thoughtful, prepared, and pointed with their social media strategy, and do well to monetize it, also. Fans and sponsors are well-served by the Bills social media presence, delivering what fans expect, want, and need on social media on game day.

The Dallas Cowboys are an enormous brand. “America’s Team,” as they’re still known to many. Their brand is so widespread and their nation so strong, even a passing social media presence would garner considerable reach and interactions.

But the Cowboys feed their social platforms with attention, unique content, and earn greater reach and engagement, as a result. There is a good mix of access,pre-made content, sponsor integration, endearing content, and some real-time engagement. I caught them on a good day, indeed, a dominant win over the Cleveland Browns, 35-10, but it appears the Cowboys make sure to serve their fans with content on each platform.

The Cowboys did an excellent job with well-curated photography and an intentional look and feel with their Instagram page. While not every NFL team utilizes Instagram stories, the Cowboys had a set of unique graphics and video clearly designed for Instagram stories. This part of the platform is young enough that a well-done Instagram story really stands out. The focus was on pregame, only, but it was well-done. Their pregame content also included the requisite shots of players arriving to the stadium.

The Cowboy  really had some eye-catching visuals once the game began — including some aesthetic player shots and a cartoon of punter Chris Jones that definitely stands out in the feed. The in-game content also included score update graphics used on the Cowboys’ other platforms, as well.

Instagram was not a place where sponsors were called out or integrated. Overall, good selection and a talented team photograopher (or Getty / AP photographer) that the Cowboys utilize well for their Instagram feed. They also capped off the night with Instagram video of their own #manneqinchallenge, which on last check had around a quarter million views.

 

Increasingly becoming the platform where deeper engagement and relationship-building can take place, the Cowboys utilize Snapchat for the most raw and pathos-appealing content. In the pregame window, the Cowboys didn’t go too heavy on the ride / welcome to the stadium content, but shared a portion of warm-ups where the perspective is more fly-on-the-wall than invited guest. This plays perfectly for intimate moments between receiver Cole Beasley and a young fan, and some authentic interactions between Beasley and some fans in the stands in the road environment in Cleveland. Love that.

The Cowboys continue to let you be an inside observer of the team’s pregame experience with an opportunity to be there for a pregame prayer and huddle, and on the field for post game exchanges and celebrations. (Noting that winning helps) While many teams (not all, though) provide such access for pregame Snapchat and other social coverage, it does not happen without trust and cooperation, so kudos to the Cowboys for delivering this to their fans. The Cowboys do have a Snapchat filter at their home stadium and chose not to use any local geofilters for this road trip outside of the NFL scoreboard. No sponsor integration was clear/clearly intentional for Snapchat.

The place where personality most shines through and interaction is most possible is Twitter and, especially when they’re dominating, the Cowboys post with a confidence knowing that they’re good. (But, it’s not cocky) The pregame coverage had a volume of photos from the trip to the stadium, along with some good raw photos of players, direct fan interaction, pre-made videos, and some sponsored content, as well. Even with timelines going a mile a minute, notice, too, how they caught and replied to legendary Cowboys running back Emmit Smith.

Throughout the game and the pre-game, much of the more newsy content from the Cowboys came via retweets of the team’s website writers. The Cowboys had some of their best pregame “access” content on their Twitter feed, with a few videos that garnered major engagement leading up to the opening kickoff.

The Cowboys continued to bring it with god photos and graphics and GIFs during the game, including a sponsored post, and delivered content with just that little hint of Cowboys pomp. They had a good graphic ready to go for a Dak Prescott achievement early during the game.

The Cowboys had frequent use of emoji, strong score graphics, and continued retweets of writers, especially for statistics, and GIFs throughout the game. The social team is monitoring their Mentions app, too, catching a shoutout from NBA player Quincy Acy to retweet. I definitely like that their score graphics also display some of their strong photography. Also notable, these score update graphics did not contain any sponsor logos. There was only one sponsored element during the game on the Cowboys’ Twitter feed.

After the game, the Cowboys had a handful of postgame informative tweets, a retweet of Omar Epps, and a nice Player of the Game short video. There were also more game photos; the Cowboys utilize all those great photos, better than most teams.There was no live content, or live content promoted, in the post game window, outside promotion of a live radio show. There was one piece of sponsored postgame content (Bigelow Team, also seen on Facebook).

The Cowboys are a global brand and that huge reach is reflected on their Facebook page. The pregame (and post game) consisted of a good amount of sponsor-integrated content and preview content (typical for NFL teams, in any case), all did include visuals, but most were shared links that required clicking through to get to the content. There were a couple of pregame videos that gave fans a raw feel of being embedded with the team, and the view counts were significant; clearly, the fans love it! The content understandably slowed down during the game, but they did drop their nice prepared Dak graphic, when he passed Troy Aikman for most touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in club history.

The same score update graphics used elsewhere were re-purposed on the Cowboys’ Faceboo during the game and garnered good interaction, no doubt helped by the team dominating the game. Also notable was the Cowboys had a specific, labeled cover photo for the game (typical for most teams), which included a hash tag. Their Page’s CTA is to ‘Learn More’ as opposed to other teams that will have Shop or Get App, among others. The Cowboys ramped up the coverage post game, but, like on Twitter, it came in one big content dump, perhaps posted after the team landed on a flight back from Cleveland.

The post game included a few sponsor-integrated posts, mostly recap articles, but with unique twists. Highlights were posted, sponsored by Bigelow Tea, and this was a link back to their website to watch (as on Twitter). They made a huge bang, however, with their #mannequinchallenge video filmed on the plane after the big win. They were among a few teams that played off the viral video theme of the moment, and the fans certainly enjoyed it. While the video was also posted on Twitter and Instagram, Facebook predictably had the furthest reach, with, now a couple of days later, has over 9 MILLION VIEWS. Wow. Sometimes, the hardest part is just getting everyone board, and doing it. With nothing more than a phone.

The Dallas Cowboys do right by their brand and by their fans on social media. They take care to plan, to provide good access, to read the room and the moments, to actively look for major engagement opportunities, and to carry just enough swag for America’s Team. Like most NFL clubs, their primary goal is often to drive traffic to their owned real estate, on their website, but the strong visuals (and hard not to like that mannequinchallenge video) make them a welcome presence in any feed, with an opportunity for the more avid fan to read up on the more football-y part of being a Cowboys fan. They don’t go overboard with promoting individual players, but don’t ignore individual achievements, nor do they excessively feed the Cowboys unique brand, but they still command a captive, sleek presence, with the access to fit. Sure, it’s easy being the Cowboys and it’s easy being 7-1. But it shouldn’t be an excuse to take a social audience for granted, and the Cowboys take this to the heart.