Note: This article was written for inclusion in the April newsletter for FundSport.com. FundSport.com is an online grassroots sport community providing sport clubs and athletes from around the world with professional, easy-to-understand advice and articles on all aspects of grassroots sport. We cover a range of topics including sponsorship, fundraising, the Internet and social media, club management, PR and marketing.

We have all heard stories of how professional sports teams are using social media to build their fan base, promote events and create new revenue opportunities. And, you might be asking yourself “Can an amateur or semi-professional sports team benefit from social media?”. After all, these professional sports teams already have a large loyal fan base and a marketing budget to put towards their efforts, right?

The fact is, social media does not require a big budget and you don’t need millions of fans to see a positive return from your social media efforts. If you could put a few more people in the stands at your games or sell more merchandise at your team store without it costing you anything, wouldn’t that be worth your time?

Every team has fans. Some are more loyal and engaging than others, but every team has a fan base that wants to see your program succeed. What social media does is give you the tools to engage with your fan base and turn them into advocates that will help you achieve your goals. The only thing you have to do is provide value. And, yes, value can be defined in a number of ways. It doesn’t mean you have to give away something that costs a lot of money. Value can simply be providing your fan base with something that they normally wouldn’t experience such as access to behind the scenes action, exclusive offers on tickets and merchandise and creative online contests that encourage participation.

The same tools that professional sports teams are using to engage with their fans are also available to amateur and semi-pro sports teams. The challenge is knowing which ones to focus your efforts on and how to use the tools in a way that provides value for your fans. For many teams, the first step is knowing where to begin. Here’s a good place to start:

1. Own Your Name
It’s likely that most amateur and semi-professional teams have some presence online in the form of a website. If not, you need to secure your team domain name now! And, for only a few hundred dollars (hosting and domain cost), you can setup a simple Wordpress blog, display all of your social accounts on your blog and push content out to your social accounts using simple tools.

A service that I recommend is Dreamhost. With Dreamhost, you can easily register a domain, sign up for a hosting account and install your website using Wordpress with only a few clicks.

2. Create a Facebook Fan Page

There are over 400 Million people on Facebook. Now, of course, they are not all going to be fans of your amateur or semi-professional team, but I guarantee that many of your fans are already on Facebook. These fans would happily “Fan” your team on Facebook if you ask them. One of the many benefits of a Facebook Fan Page is that it provides you with a platform that encourages “sharing” and “liking” of your content, which can make your message can spread very quickly through Facebook.

3. Create a Twitter account
Although the number of people on Twitter is nowhere close to those on Facebook, it is still a tool that can’t be ignored. It is more of an instant communication tool that allows you to provide up to the minute information about your team as well as engage in direct conversations with your fans. At the very least, you should be on Twitter to follow other sports teams to see how they are using the tool to engage with their fans.

A good place to start to follow other teams on Twitter is at http://www.sportsin140.com/

4. Create a YouTube channel
Many people do not know that YouTube is the #2 search engine behind Google. By creating video content, you can give your fans a perspective that can’t be communicated through text or photos. YouTube is also a great platform to run simple contests that encourage fans to voice their loyalty to your team.

5. Create a Flickr account
Flickr is a photo sharing website that allows you to tag your photos and create albums that can be pulled into your website. Flickr is also a great way to share photos with people that blog about your team? By providing high quality photos to your fans that have the appropriate Creative Commons licensing, you will generate goodwill with the bloggers that will then hopefully link back to your website and help you promote your team.

Case Studies

Here are a couple of real life examples of how amateur and semi-professional sports teams are using social media.

Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones are a college hockey team that competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The program is completely funded by donations, fund-raising and revenues generated through advertising, merchandise and ticket sales. Iowa is a mid-western state that is predominantly known for it’s football, basketball and wrestling programs. So, it goes without saying that hockey is not an easy sell in this market.

The team first began using social media back in July 2009 prior to the 2009-2010 season. They wanted to figure out ways to generate more interest in the team in order to put more people in the stands, sell more merchandise and create more interest in their fund-raising efforts.

Cyclones Social Accounts

Facebook Fan Page – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cyclone-Hockey/121262733317?ref=ts

• Started August 2009
• October 16, 2009 – 710 Fans
• March 30, 2009 – 1420 Fans

Twitter – http://twitter.com/CycloneHockey
YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/user/ISUCycloneHockey
Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/CycloneHockey
Player Blog – http://cyclonehockey.wordpress.com/

For more information on how the Iowa State Cyclones use social media, check out the ongoing case study on Sport Fan Connect (http://sportfanconnect.com/category/case-studies/iowa-state-cyclone-hockey/social-accounts)

South Carolina Stingrays

The South Carolina Stingrays are a semi-professional hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League. Located in the deep southern US, hockey is a tough sell in this market.  However, despite that fact, the South Carolina Stingrays continue to excel as a premier team in the ECHL and we’re crowned the Kelly Cup Champions in the 2008-2009 season.

The Stingrays dove into social media back in September 2009 when their newly hired “Media Specialist”, Joseph Zakrzewski, wanted to find ways to further engage with the Stingrays fan base.

Stingrays Social Accounts

Facebook Fan Page – http://www.facebook.com/SCStingraysHockey

• Started September 2009
• October 16, 2009 – 1368 Fans
• March 30, 2010 – 5414 Fans

Twitter – http://twitter.com/scstingrays
YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/user/SCStingraysHockey

For more information on how the South Carolina Stingrays use social media, check out a series of interviews on the Sport Fan Connect YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/sportfanconnect#p/u/21/uyPcJCnKrMk)

Sports Media Challenge Interview

Check out my interview with Kathleen Hessert (President – Sports Media Challenge) as she talks about how and why amateur and semi-professional teams should use social media. Kathleen’s company works with many professional, semi-professional and collegiate programs in helping them understand how to use social media effectively.

EAVB_LBEIPXNUTH

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It continues to amaze me when I see how much social media is impacting the world that we live in. The devastating earthquake that recently hit Haiti has once again thrown social media into the spotlight for it’s ability to rally the masses when disaster strikes.  There have been many amazing news stories about how new media (Twitter, Facebook & Mobile in particular) have played a major role in fundraising efforts. Here are a few of these stories:

• Twitter Grows Up in Wake of Aftermath of Haiti Earthquake – The Twitter account for the Red Cross, which on average had been adding roughly 50-100 followers a day before the Haiti quake, has gained more than 10,000 followers since.
• Haiti Earthquake: Twitter Photos Sweep Across the Web – Photos taken by journalist @CarelPedre on his mobile phone are providing a glimpse into the devastation that has slammed the Caribbean nation. Another Twitter user, @MarvinAdy, shared those pictures through TwitPic (), resulting in tens of thousands of views and countless retweets.
• Twitter Used to Help Land Plane With Aid for Haiti Earthquake Victims – Twitter, the messaging service often used by the self-absorbed to update the world on their breakfast choices, may have actually saved lives in Haiti Sunday.

YYC4Haiti Fundraiser

Closer to home, the effect of social media can be seen in the overwhelming support that has been shown for YYC4Haiti, a Calgary fundraiser for the Canadian Red Cross Haiti Relief (organized by @alex_ruiz @C_DIG & @that_angela and supported by a number of great volunteers).  The event, which will be held on Thursday, January 28th at Flames Central has mobilized the city’s social-media and business community to raise funds for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. (Check out the official press release)  All of the Calgary sports teams, including the Flames, Stampeders, Roughnecks and Hitmen have shown their support through donations to the silent auction and many businesses have also stepped up for a good cause.

To hear more about the event from one of the organizers, listen to Camilla Di Giuseppe’s recent interview w/ Rob Breakenridge on AM770 Radio:

YYC4Haiti interview on AM770 Radio

I can’t remember where I heard this term, but “One person may not be able to help a thousand people, but, thousands of people can help one person each!”  We are all fortunate to live in a great country like Canada, so, let’s all do what we can to give back a little!

How You Can Help

Follow the official YYC4Haiti Twitter account: http://twitter.com/yyc4haiti/

Add a Twibbon to your Twitter profile: http://twibbon.com/join/YYC4Haiti

Join the official YYC4Haiti Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/YYC4Haiti/405051695230

Donate to the cause on Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/433271

RSVP for the YYC4Haiti Event @FlamesCentral: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=294505628046&ref=mf

And, if you are attending the event, keep an eye on Alex Ruiz…..rumor is she’s got her eye on the PEZ basket: http://twitter.com/alex_ruiz/statuses/7966276701

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While on my travels over the past 3 months, I have met a number of amazing people in the Sports & Social Media world.  Many of which, I first met and conversed with via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Blogs).

One of these bright minds is Jason Peck. Jason is the author of http://jasonfpeck.com (a blog focused on the sports business, sponsorship, new media, social networking, and whatever else he finds interesting).

I was flattered that Jason asked me to contribute to his new ebook: Sports and Social Media Predictions 2010.  The ebook includes insights from many of the brilliant Sports & Social Media enthusiasts I have met over the past 6 months and provides many great thoughts on where we may be heading in the world of Sports & Social Media in 2010.

2009 has been an amazing year and I believe we have only just begun to see the impact that social media will have in the sports world. I hope to one day meet everyone included in this ebook.  In the meantime, I’ll be sure to follow them online!  I’ve included a list of the contributors at the bottom of this post.  Be sure to give them a look and feel free to drop any one of them a line.  If there is one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that the online social community is all about sharing!  And these folks are certainly willing to share their time and expertise!

Sports Social Media Predictions 2010

Sports and Social Media Predictions 2010 – Contributors

Brian Gainor - http://partnershipactivation.com
Dan Beeman – http://sponsorshipinsights.com
Darren Heitner – http://sportsagentblog.com
Don, Chris & Kyle – http://blogswithballs.com
Espree Devora – http://zexsports.com
Joe Favorito – http://joefavorito.com
J.W. Cannon – http://twitter.com/khuda1
Lewis Howes – http://sportsnetworker.com
Pat Coyle – http://sportmarketing20.com
Peter Robert Casey – http://peterrobertcasey.com
Rob Katz – http://twitter.com/robkatz
Russell Scibetti – http://thebusinessofsports.com
Ryan Stephens – http://ryanstephensmarketing.com
Steve Cobb – http://activ8social.com
Ty Ahmad-Taylor – http://fanfeedr.com

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While researching the latest news surround Social Media in Sports, I came across this video produced by Hockey Night in Canada (Inside Hockey). In the video, Elliotte Friedman (HNIC Reporter) talks about the impact social media is having on sports and the NHL in particular.

Some key points from the video include:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning become first team in any sport to announce a trade via Twitter (before releasing thru any other media)
2. Ted Leonsis (Washington Capitals owner) discussed how he predicted that traditional media (TV, newspaper) would be in deep financial trouble.  Also acknowledged that the fan base would become big contributors of content. He is quoted as saying: “It’s not a matter of should you acknowledge bloggers, its imperative that you embrace bloggers and use social networks to your advantage”
3. NHL players were shown videos warning them of the impact social media can have on their reputation as “high-profile athletes”
4. Ted Leonsis discusses the fake Twitter account setup under Washington Capitals defenseman – Jeff Schultz.  He says his reaction was not to try to shut it down, but rather, to encourage Jeff Schultz to establish his own official Twitter account.
5. NHL star, Keith Tkachuk, was the victim of identity fraud
6. Sports Agent, Allen Walsh, announced via Twitter that his client, Scott Hartnell, would not be suspended for his butt-end on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.
7. Ted Leonsis states ” There is a lot more positive that will come out of being authentic, reaching out and being interactive with your fan base than being stand-offish.  This is not going away, it is only going to get more personal, it’s only going to get more interactive. Prices are coming down, technology is getting better…..this is like oxygen…..get used to it!”
8. NHL is considering implementing rules on when it’s players can and can’t use social media.

Needless to say……the best part about this video is Ted Leonsis’s quote stating that there is way more upside to being authentic and participating in social media….rather than trying to stop it.  I recently wrote an article on the Washington Capitals approach to Twitter after visiting with Nate Ewell (Washington Capitals Director of Media Relations) at the Capitals exhibition game vs the Chicago Blackhawks.  See what Nate had to say about their approach to Twitter: http://sportfanconnect.com/day-3-capitals-vs-blackhawks-nhl-twitter. As you’ll notice, the leadership and vision of Ted Leonsis resonates throughout the whole Washington Capitals organization.

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On my travels during the Sport-Fan Connection Tour (http://sportfanconnect.com), I made my way down to Charlotte, NC to meet with Kathleen Hessert and all the great people at Sports Media Challenge. They are doing some exciting things there around social media training, strategy, audits and monitoring (BuzzManager).

Jackie Adkins (Media Analyst w/ SMC) asked me to summarize my travels and tell all their followers about Sport Fan Connect. Here’s a link to the article they posted on their BuzzManager blog and here’s the video posted on YouTube:

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We recently ran an online contest on Sport-Fan Connect called Capitals Fan Connect where we asked entrants to submit a video or written story explaining how they connect with Sports using social media.  Roberto, Judy and Sofia Coquis (otherwise known on Twitter as @30ballparksbaby) were our winners.

We met them the night before the Washington Capitals home opener at the Baltimore Orioles game after finding them using the “Nearby” feature on Tweetie (Twitter iPhone application).  Their story was the perfect example of how social media can connect fans with their favorite leagues, teams and other fans.

In this video, we show how we found them at the Orioles game using Twitter which eventually led to an interview at Camden Yards.  We then chatted the following day in front of Capital Hill in Washington, DC to award them the Washington Capitals tickets.  Finally, we put together a short piece that shows the excitement around the Washington Capitals home opener and wrap things up with a conversation at the game with our winners. Needless to say, the Washington Capitals and the NHL have inherited 3 new fans thanks to the power of social media!!

Stay tuned for another video where we talk about their amazing tour in more detail and they tell us a bit about their upcoming charity auction on October 28, 2009. You can check out their website for details on the items available for auction at http://30ballparksandababy.com

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I am extremely excited to tell you all about SportFanConnect.com and the Sport-Fan Connection Tour!!

The Sport-Fan Connection Tour is a multi-city, multi-sport trip –a sports fans dream vacation– turned into a research opportunity.  We will tour the North-Eastern United States taking in games, observing broadcasts, interviewing fans, players, executives and staff of the area’s teams. We wish to gather information and data that might help us determine a Current Reality or “State of the Sports Industry” with regards to fan engagement, financial returns, identified needs, undiscovered opportunities, existing and potential service providers, promotions, the tracking of online reputations, and emerging trends as it relates to The Sport, The Fan, and The Connection between them.

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Social Media for Sports: Live Webcast

Monitor your brand | Engage your fans | Generate online revenue

Click here to view the webcast replay: Social Media for Sports Replay

Social media is a phenomenon today. More than just a hot topic, it is replacing traditional media at unexpected paces. The adoption rate is getting everyone’s attention and businesses are just beginning to learn and harness the power and potential social media offers.

In this exclusive webcast, zu social media consultant Trevor Turnbull will explain how the strategic use of social media tools in professional sports can boost your brand, expand your marketing reach, engage your fan base and create new sources of online revenue.

Mike Petrie, Director of Community and Media Relations for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, will reveal how the team bolstered sponsorship opportunities and garnered international brand recognition by implementing a social media strategy into its marketing mix.

Special guest speaker Kathleen Hessert, President of Sports Media Challenge, will join the panel to demonstrate why social media is critical for sports teams to embrace; how they can implement social media tools to build relationships and monitor conversations; and share her success stories as an international social media consultant who’s clients have included Shaquille O’Neal, Danica Patrick, The PGA of America, and others.

Learn about social media trends and statistics in the sports industry and how you can implement tools to control the conversation online, engage your fans and open new sources of online revenue.

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In my role as a Account Executive with zu (www.zu.com), I am responsible for staying up to date on the latest trends in website development, social media and mobile application development and work to implement strategies that will benefit my clients.  Over the past few months, I have been focusing most of my efforts on working with sports teams and am fortunate to have a great working relationship with one of our clients, the Calgary Stampeders.  We are currently working on a number of social media initiatives with them and I look forward to sharing these initiatives with all of you in the near future.

So, all that being said, I’ve finally got around to starting my blogging about the good, bad and the ugly in social media as it relates to individuals, corporations and sports teams.  As social media marketing is slowly being integrated into sports teams marketing mix, I believe the early adopters will benefit the most as they will be trailblazers in bringing the fans closer to the team and it’s players and in turn, will retain fans through tough economic times.  Although the thought of joining the conversation is intimidating for many Marketing and PR professionals, the reality is, people are already talking about their team……and until they join the conversation, they won’t be able to react to any of it.  I look forward to sharing my ideas on how teams can join the conversation using social media, how they can sell tickets in tough times and how they can retain fans in good times.

NHL Tweetup

To kick off the greatest time of the year (NHL Playoff time!), Michael DiLorenzo (Director of Social Media Marketing with the NHL) and Schuyler Baehman (NHL PR) helped organized the first official “NHL Tweetup” in celebration and anticipation of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. @dani3boyz and @goaliegirl were the brainchild for this idea and contributed greatly to the success of this initiative. The Tweetup event took place in 24 cities in the US and Canada.  The event went down at 7pm EST on April 15th in Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Edmonton, Hartford, Montreal, Nashville, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Regina (Sask.), San Jose, St. John (NB), Toronto, Vancouver and Washington DC.

I am kicking myself right now because this would have been a great event to coordinate here in Saskatoon.  As some of you might know, Saskatoon, Sk, Canada will be home to the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships this coming December.  zu will be assisting the planning committee with social media initiatives leading up to the event and a Tweetup is definitely on the list of things to do.  We look forward to joining in on the next Tweetup (which I have heard is going to be scheduled around the NHL draft).  If you are interested in keeping up to date on news leading up to the event in Saskatoon, you can become a fan at the official Facebook Fan page and offer your opinions and join the conversation on Twitter.

I’d like to give praise to Michael, Schuyler, @dani3boyz and @goaliegirl and all the other hard working volunteers for putting on a great event.  The NHL (along with the NBA) seem to be taking the lead when it comes to connecting with fans through the use of technology.  I came across an article on Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog where she interviewed Michael DiLorenzo about what he has learned thus far through social media engagement and what he plans to do with what he’s learned.  Michael made a number of great points in his interview, but here is a summary of the key points I took from his interview.

• “There’s a temptation to use these emerging platforms as just another way to speak *at* the public, not *with* the public.”
• “Both individuals and businesses are learning as they go. I don’t think that’s a great crime, as long as they follow a few simple rules:  listen, engage, be authentic and be (reasonably) transparent.”
• “I thought some fans might appreciate a direct line into the League office. What I’ve learned on this point is that I have to be vigilant in responding to fans that contact me. They’re all important to listen to and acknowledge.”

All great points………….and it is refreshing to see that someone like Michael is humble enough to admit that he is still “learning as he goes” as well.  There are many people out there that claim to be experts in social media when the reality is, it takes years of experience, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes to become an expert.  I look forward to future posts on Michael’s blog (www.fromtheblueseats.com) about his experience with the first official NHL Tweetup event.  I’m sure the next one will be an even bigger success and I, for one, am looking forward to participating in a future TweetUp event in Saskatoon.

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By Steven Snell, April 4th, 2009 in Design Showcase | 79 Comments | Forum

We recently showcased beautiful websites from the fashion industry, and in response to reader requests, we’ll do the same thing here for sports websites. This article showcases the most beautiful website designs from the North American sports industry, including ones for news, teams and leagues, sports apparel and more.

Trends In Sports Websites

As in any industry, sports websites have their own trends, as you will see below. However, because the websites showcased here fall into a number of different categories and serve different purposes, not all of the trends we discuss will be relevant or applicable to all types of sports websites.

1. Large Photos
Many of the best sports websites include a lot of images and photos, and many use large photos in the background or a featured area. News websites obviously include a lot of smaller photos to accompany current stories, but team websites and sports apparel websites in particular often rely on large photos as a prominent part of their design.

2. Colorful
Naturally, team and league websites are typically very colorful and highlight their official colors. Apparel and product websites are also frequently colorful.

3. News Area
Even websites that aren’t news-focused, such as team and league websites and those of individual athletes, typically contain recent news items on the home page. As more sports fans turn to websites to get their news and stay up to date on their favorite players and teams, news and blog sections provide an opportunity for easy communication with few barriers.

4. Featured Content Area
News websites of course have certain sections in their layout for headline news, but even team and league websites now provide content in feature areas of the website. In many cases, this featured content area works in conjunction with the news headlines mentioned in the previous point. Most of the featured content sections have a slider or similar effect that moves readers from one featured item to the next. Most also allow the user to override the slideshow effect and control what content is shown in the featured area.

5. Network
Many of the leading sports news websites are part of larger networks. You will see many of them pointed out in the news section. Sometimes the sports section of the network is on its own domain, other times it is part of the main news website’s domain.

To see the full article with screenshots of some great sports websites, check out http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/04/showcase-of-beautiful-sports-websites/

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Not on the list…….but definitely worth a mention is a sports website designed and developed by the company I work for…… zu.com communications.  zu collaborated with the Calgary Stampeders to launch a new website that features a sleek design and extensive video and audio capabilities. A continuously updating flash header introduces Stamps fans to the team with current season images taken from the field.

The site also features news, an Insider blog, a Locker-Room blog, extensive player interviews, profiles, statistics and video and audio material updated daily from games and practices.  The team dedicated significant resources to offer their fans fresh content that is unparalleled in the CFL.

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