Sep

25

Twitter and Sports News

Filed Under Social Media 

A few interesting tidbits have come out over the past week with regards to Twitter and social media. I wanted to make sure I pointed them out to you:

The Washington Post took a look at the Washington Capitals’ players and whether they had a Twitter account or not. Some of the players didn’t even know what it was and/or had no interest in the social networking website. Others had an account or planned to get one just to ensure that fans knew it was the legit account.

Twitter did not respond to two e-mails seeking further comment on the policy, but the fact that most of Washington’s players’ accounts are parodies is not obvious to everyone. Last week, one member of the team’s front office called Ewell to ask if Alzner’s alleged account was legit.

“If that can happen to a staff member . . .” Ewell said.

Ewell said he plans to urge Washington’s players to sign up for accounts in an effort to discredit the fakes.

“That way, they can say: ‘Hey, this is the real Jeff Schultz. I might not post on here, but this is me.’ ” Ewell said.

In other news, a Washington Redskins rookie Robert Henson went too far on his Twitter account and got a fair amount of media attention because of it. He first tweeted “All you fake half hearted Skins fan can .. I won’t go there but I dislike you very strongly, don’t come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!” He followed that up by replying to some followers and D.C. Sports Blog rounded up all of his tweet comments. It’s not usually a good idea to call out your fans. Social media is supposed to help bridge the gap between athlete and fan and engage the fans, not get them upset about someone who didn’t even play in the game.

Finally, PR News Online has some tips to help sports organizations effectively use social media and why it’s important for sports PR professionals to understand.

2. Listen and engage

Being successful in the social media space isn’t only setting up Twitter and Facebook accounts.  You have to constantly engage fans in conversation.  A good way to start is by monitoring social media tools to see what fans are saying about your brand and respond to those conversations.  You also should regularly participate in targeted conversations by commenting on blogs, responding to Tweets and adding value to other social networks.  Also, don’t be afraid of negative comments because they’ll be shared with or without you.  Instead, listen to feedback and try to quickly and diplomatically address specific issues.

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