As an avid, life long, Essendon Football Club fan, and as a keen student and practitioner of both Fan Culture and Digital PR and Marketing, I am keenly following with interest these jobs, online chatter about these jobs, and I will be interested to see who fills the role. I know that with the Digital Marketing Coordinator position, there certainly are big shoes to fill!
I know I come with a certain sense of bias (it’s undeniable given how long I have supported Essendon) but I do genuinely believe that Essendon has been at the forefront of digital engagement, both through their website and through social media platforms.
These are both going to need to be filled by inherently creative people for a number of reasons including:
New Telstra Digital Deal – I’m sure that Telstra and the AFL have their own great ideas and initiatives coming up but the new rights deal also creates possibilities for conflict when some ideas that the new Essendon Insiders come up with may be vetoed by the AFL so that they, and Telstra can protect the value of their rights (which I think Telstra got quite cheaply but that is another story!)
2. It’s bloody hard to capture and keep attention- We live in a time of plenitude online. There are so many entertainment options so you may need to cast the metaphorical fishing rod out in a number of different directions. Essendon is good at this with huge Facebook and Twitter following, they are also active on Google+ but you also need to develop these fans and get them to spend money. Well I think you should anyway. I mean, the money from the AFL is good but there’s no point in just treading water.
Some possible future opportunities that may be relevant to these positions:
Blogger outreach- Essendon had a competition in 2010 to identify their greatest fan. I think it should be extended to cover already active bloggers – whether video, text or audio. Reach out to them, get them to provide you with great content and give them a t-shirt.
Social Media Suite – This may be a vested interest of mine, but I’d love to see a Social Media Suite at both Etihad Stadium and the MCG. The Cleveland Indians are trendsetters here. Obviously we need to speak to those Telco providers first as it’s a bit of a struggle trying to get onto Facebook and Twitter at the moment whilst at a game.
I do hope they find an Essendon Fan to fill this role.
This reminds me of the Cleveland Indians Social Media Suite and is something I’ve suggested in the past across various platforms that this type of event would work at an AFL game (assuming that there was either WiFI or 3G coverage which is no guarantee at a game at Etihad Stadium or the MCG. I hope that GC Suns don’t have this problem at Metricon Stadium!)
This event is about creating a deeper connection with their fans. I can’t help but wonder though whether they should try and better integrate those who can’t attend the game on the weekend to fully utilise the medium and perhaps further encourage attendance in the future- i.e. make those who can’t attend still feel involved but try to incentivize them to attend more games in the future.
Not sure how they could do that though properly, especially if some of those participating live interstate.
Have you got any suggestions for Gold Coast Suns? Perhaps you could outline them below?
I was reading Jeff White’s piece over on the White Echo Blog and thought it was worth sharing.
I’ve recently been talking sponsorship with a number of local sporting teams and I truly believe Fan Engagement and Activation, with the social media tools available, is just as important for local teams as it is for big brands at the top level.
What if you had a strong local following of 2-3,000 locals on your Facebook page? Do you think promoting a club sponsor to this audience would be more powerful than that sponsor putting together a radio commercial? Of course it would. Why? Because it’s word of mouth advertising and if you get fans and players involved, then that brand all of a sudden becomes a local hero.
If you were to create a little ad on Facebook and narrow your target audience to your local area, just have a look how how many people you would be promoting too.
Fan Engagement is for everyone with Social Media. It’s time to get on board.
Disclaimer: Before talking about the amazing Fan Engagement possibilities associated with this website, let me say that I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I am just a little bit excited about this website. Imagine how huge a Star Wars site like this would have been had the internet been as widely used 30 years ago?
Okay, so enough of that. Hands up if you really thought the last book and the last movie would be the end of the Harry Potter franchise? I am sure that if I asked this in an auditorium full of people I wouldn’t see any hands raised. And, if I did, I would just assume they had misheard the question. The global Harry Potter phenomenon meant that, whether JK Rowling wanted it to or not, it would keep rolling on.
If she didn’t control the output, then it would be fans keeping the phenomenon going, with their own websites and their own message. With Pottermore, Rowling, her publishers and the team at Warner Bros can control the brand whilst engaging fans- it is a win-win situation.
I am also extremely impressed with the way that they are launching this website- Twitter, Youtube video (below), generate buzz, pre-release for special fans only and then a general release come October. In only 4 days the Youtube video has generated nearly 1.3 million views!
The Pottermore website has been released also as an ingenious form of Fan Activation with new digital products available for sale when it is launched. I’m sure there are plenty of people who own the books who will also purchase digital eBooks and perhaps even audiobooks to listen to whilst travelling.
There are so many possibilities there and, as high speed internet and social networking platforms now do, the magic doesn’t end when you finish the book or finish watching the movie.
This one from Mashable got me thinking about whether there will be a move amongst the sporting fraternity to offline activation at the expense of at-stadium engagement.
Here’s an interesting article from Fast Company on how the NBA does Fan Engagement. It is interesting from a number of perspectives but, to me, the fascinating aspect is how, through utilising engagement techniques and new technologies of business and globalisation, the internet can empower fans whilst also maintaining the cultural hegemony of sports as a business.
I think the rules and guidelines they follow are interesting and worth repeating here:
1. Make fans feel like insiders- Clubs need to give fans a reason for following them on Facebook and Twitter, they need to add value, otherwise there’s no reason for ans to participate in the league or team controlled conversations.
2. Don’t join the conversation. Create the conversation- A lot of crap gets talked about online and a league or team shouldn’t participate in every conversation. Don’t bag out the opposition. Ask questions and encourage conversation though.
3. Know what your readers want, when they want it- Ask fans what they want, listen to what they have to say, and then provide them with the information that they want (but only those conversations and that information you are comfortable sharing.)
4. Don’t overwhelm your followers- Don’t tweet too much and do not put to much information on Facebook.
5. Plan ahead, because not every day has a big game- With software like Tweetdeck and HooteSuite you can preschedule tweets and Facebook updates so plan ahead to make your life easier.
Read the article and have a think about what you would do. What other tips would you recommend for anyone working in sports social media?
Update- How quick are the guys in the NBA? After the Mavs win today they were quick on the merchandise sales to take advantage of active and engaged fans.
I don’t know about you, but I thought this years Digital Sports Summit was great. I can’t compare it to last years summit because I wasn’t there but the calibre of speakers was huge and the quality of content shared was outstanding. The information shared was transferable whether you are currently in the business of sport or whether you work in a different communications field. They’re all fans online- especially in the entertainment world of social media.
Yesterday, I’ve taken a snapshot of the Twitter feed from the day (what Twitter Search Feature told me was all Tweets mentioning #DSSAU minus any mentioning how they had just arrived or talking about lunch) as well as added in some of my own notes. You can download it from here. I do consider it a work in progress so if you think I have missed anything or you have anything to share let me know and I will update it. Print it out, share it with your network, follow those who made points you found interesting on twitter (do yourself a favour and follow all of them.)
The guys from Digital Sports Summit have said they will be updating the presentation on the website soon. I am looking forward to seeing them again already.
I think there are enough fans to go around for everyone. So share the love and share best practices.
(If you want me to update something, share it in the comments below or send me an email)
I do love this video, but I do wonder if there’s any potential backlash here from Fans who get sad that Essendon players didn’t visit them.To be honest though, I am sure the positive news stories to come out of this will far outweigh any potential backlash and i am sure the team at Essendon thought about this before creating and publishing the video.
I’d encourage anyone that’s interested in this position to apply. Here’s my thoughts on the position and what’s required of the role. (I’m not applying because I have no experience in video production and because I love all my other clients too much. Plus I am an Essendon member so couldn’t handle missing any of their games. C’arn Bombers!) I love their use of Fan Engagement in the job description, and after poaching Nick Truelson who formerly held the position of Fan Development Officer at Essendon, I am sure that the Bulldogs are heading in the right direction.
Many clubs across sporting codes use the term “Fan Development” instead of “Fan Engagement.” I do understand the commercial imperatives of Fans in terms of club revenue but development is such an impersonal term. It makes it seem like Fans are only seen in terms of $$ terms and clubs are looking at ways to squeeze out that extra $$- turn them upside down and shake them for the last coin perhaps? Metal detectors at the gate? Engagement has a much better ring to it and ultimately I think those clubs that embrace an engagement attitude will more likely see the revenue benefits that all clubs strive for. By developing long term and lasting relationships Fans feel a lasting emotional bond to their club that would be stronger than any sales tactics utilised in a “Development” role. (For the record, I am sure that they do care but I feel that there is a slight psychological shift in attitude with an Engagement Role compared to a Development Role.) Engagement is about long term relationships and ensuring that Fans will freely reach into their pocket when asked instead of having to pry open their wallets.
Let’s look at numbers first. Essendon has 122,470 Fans on Facebook. The Western Bulldogs have 28907 Fans. I know that Essendon has a larger supporter base in general but things need to change here for starters.
I’d encourage the successful person to first read Alana Fisher’s guest post on the Digital Sport Blog. Try to post fairly regularly but not to regularly. If you have nothing to say don’t say anything at all. The Bulldogs are spending too much time updating game scores. There don’t seem to be that many comments on their posts suggesting some problems with engagement. But, when you crunch the numbers, it would seem they have the same percentage level of interaction as Essendon- i.e. 5 times the fans and 5 times the number of comments. Engagement levels would be seem to be the same amongst those that are fans but they need to work on reaching out and bringing in more Fans. They seem to understand this as one of the Key Responsibilities listed is “Develop digital engagement strategies.”
Some things to consider:
I think it would be worthwhile looking at hiring a Bulldogs Fan, even if there is a ‘better’ candidate. Football is a passionate game and someone with the right passion for the Bulldogs is going to be able to best let this through in online conversations. It’s about the Fans and it’s about speaking to them with their level of passion.
Hire a numbers geek with a PR background. Like I’ve mentioned, I think it’s about engagement and not necessarily just moving fans along a sales funnel until they spend money. Social media is a platform, and like other platforms success can be measured. Hire someone who can “create conversations online” but also understands the imperatives of meeting and exceeding KPI’s.
Don’t pay too much attention to the ‘video-editing’ ‘essential requirement.’ This is a skill that can be learned. I think that writing skills and understanding that things can be interpreted in a number of ways online is a much more vital skill. I also think that an understanding of relationships on Social Media is much more important- half the Australian population is on Facebook.
Okay, so I’ve had my little spiel. I suppose I should get back to work now. Are you applying for this position? What do you want to do? Even if you aren’t applying but you have an interest in Fan Engagement, what would you do? Do you think I have it all wrong? Feel free to tell me I’m stupid.
There’s huge upsides here for Richmond, for Jeep and for Fans. There’s a low barrier to entry for fans, it gives Jeep access to new people to develop relationships and promote their products and it doesn’t cost Richmond much to keep their sponsor happy.