Matthew Harris Writing Sample 4

As the saying goes, the best things in life are free. In the athletics world, promoting and advertising are no exceptions. It’s Marketing 101. If there is a media outlet that will get your product and your message out to the general public for free, then it is a no-brainer that you should run with it. And for those schools with a limited marketing budget, this is a way to hang with the big boys.

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have become the one-stop-shop for the casual sports fan. Gone are the days of scouring a school’s athletic website for the latest news, scores, schedules, promotions, etc. With the advent of these sites, all someone has to do it either become a “fan” of your program on Facebook, or “follow” them on Twitter, and they are provided with constant updates from your school.

What is even more convenient is that these mediums allow the fan to be as passive as they want, but still get the needed information right at their fingertips. In this instant gratification world we live in, the general public most likely doesn’t have the time or the willingness to seek out the information that would benefit the program. For a program that has not yet utilized social media into their marketing plan, this dilemma can only be resolved with the use of time and money, both of which may be in short supply and both of which have uneven results. Once again, the easy problem is to embrace the social media world. You are putting your product in front of a much bigger audience in a fraction of the time, all with no impact on your budget.

During my time at Davidson College working in the Sports Information Department, we worked with our Marketing Department to create both a Facebook and Twitter account for athletics in an attempt to broaden the reach of the Wildcats to an even larger audience than could be reached by traditional marketing methods. And to say that it was a success would be an understatement. In just a few months, the Davidson Athletics Twitter page (DavidsonWildcat) has 432 followers, and over on Facebook, Davidson Wildcats has amassed 1,727 fans. Both numbers have been growing daily, and with each new addition, Davidson Athletics has just opened itself up to a new viewer of all the information it wants to distribute. From game and match stories to schedules and promotions, the athletic department is giving its fans all they want with the click of a mouse.

Both sites are connected to the main Davidson Athletics website via an RSS feed, which automatically posts all stories that are put on the website to the Twitter and Facebook pages, without any additional work by the athletics staff. They also are able to put up off the field content, such as a “Picture of the Day”, features, promotions, etc. And in a way to keep followers coming back to the page as often as possible, they have occasional deals and promotions that are exclusively advertised online, which as free tickets and time-specific special offers.

In addition, Twitter has given the coaches and student-athletes a chance to connect with their fans and give a more personal aspect to the department. Almost every coach for the ‘Cats has at least a Twitter account, which allows them to post individual content that is specialized to their sport and their team. In addition to keeping the fans up-to-date with the happenings behind the scenes, it gives them a chance to feel as if they have a connection with those they are following. Almost every sports fan likes to feel as if they are “in the know”, with the latest breaking news at their fingertips. And with these Twitter accounts, they are given this opportunity unlike ever before.

So for all those out in the athletic world still uneasy about jumping on the social media train, it’s time to punch your ticket and come along for the ride. It’s easy, it’s free, and in no time you will see your brand’s popularity and exposure skyrocket to new heights.