When I began teaching high school journalism, it was easy to see that social media was going to play a vital role in my students' futures. If newspapers weren't going online, they were surely setting themselves up for certain death. And businesses are no different. According to Forbes, the American sports industry alone is estimated to reach $73.5 billion by 2019. And the way to crack into that growth? Using social media in sports marketing.

Knowing what to post when and where in terms of sports

We've worked on sports campaigns for a few clients, and it's really quite a delicate balance of posting enough yet not posting too much. The key is:

  1. Knowing what audiences are on which platforms
  2. Identifying what content to share to which platform, when, and why

Play-by-play action is great on Twitter, but not so much on Facebook. Facebook is better for live viewing, especially for people who do not subscribe to cable (where many “big” games are broadcast). Instagram is better for amazing photography before, during, and after the event, but not for play-by-play action. Furthermore, non-sports businesses who are trying to capitalize on sports have different considerations. For example, businesses should watch local sports game times and be sure to not schedule posts that can be overlooked by their local community. Here in Nebraska, Husker football games are so important that couples even schedule weddings around game days. True story.

Social Media Impact on Sports and Business

Our friends over at BettingSites have a fantastic infographic on the social media impact on sports. Knowing that “61% of sports viewers follow sports online” lends to question how businesses can create their own similar community that encourages followers and contributors just as sports does. The key to community growth and engagement is creating raging fans that can't get enough of your content. That content, like sports marketing, can be the rawness of a business. For example, asking for employee buy-in is increasingly important. Our friends over at Rockbrook Camera often share images of and from their employees. They utilize videos made by employees which grows a fanbase and, therefore, increases sales and in-store visits. Those types of posts garner more traction than general sales content about the newest Sony camera or Sigma lens (which is still necessary, but these types of posts shouldn't make up more than 20% of your overall content).

Obviously, social media has a great impact on overall sports viewing. When live tweeting during a game or competition, it allows for fans who cannot be in attendance to virtually view the action as it occurs. Gyms that hold competitions like powerlifting meets or strongman competitions can greatly grow their audience by offering this type of a “service” during a competition. Utilizing Facebook Live in such an example and tagging the person (if their account allows it) can use their accounts to grow their following, too. Encouraging fans to share your pages with their friends for updates can greatly increase your following, too; this type of sharing can also increase your business as well!

The Growing Impact of Social Media On Sports [INFOGRAPHIC]

View the entire blog post and infographic on BettingSites' website!

social media impact on sports

Final thoughts

What's your thought on the impact of social media on sports? What tactics have shown to be successful in your business?

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