Fans are never more primed to interact with your brand than when they’re in the moment.
Whether they’re at a sports event, watching a TV show, or experiencing your brand online, fans are a mighty resource to tap into. They possess the power to make real-time interactions more impactful.
When cool things happen, share ASAP!
When it comes to live sharing, like cool passes, dribbles or dunks, the NBA slams it on social media. But such moments are not the only ones that motivate real-time interaction.
What about before your event even starts? During times when your cameras are recording footage that doesn’t make it to the screen? If you have a person with a good eye in your marketing team, let them watch the live stream and capture moments worth sharing.
NBA TV does just this. When the station shared a clip of Draymond Green simply saying ‘hi’ to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, it was a genuine moment showing the human side to sport. Fans loved it. The tweet achieved more real-time interactions than any other tweet during the game, catching people killing time before kickoff and highly engaged pre-game.
Draymond Green showing some love to #NBA commissioner Adam Silver before Game 3 vs. Utah. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/LKYC6FwgP4
— NBA TV (@NBATV) 6 maja 2017
Use content not used on TV
On social media, your fans want to see scenes they wouldn’t get on TV.
A great example is the NBA’s KissCam. You know how it works – if you see yourself on the stadium’s big screen you kiss the person next to you. This is usually your partner. Usually….
Awkward Kiss Cam Moment Number 324… pic.twitter.com/bA52qa5ndq
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) 28 kwietnia 2017
The above tweet from Milwaukee Bucks achieved the most engagements in the club’s history, amassing nearly 3,000 retweets and 6,000 likes. On a good day, the Bucks get hundreds not thousands.
What the KissCam clip emphasises is that fans love genuine moments, particularly ones that make them laugh. Share these moments as they happen, and re-use for TV later.
Interact with your fans
Publishing sharable content in the moment can massively increase your chances of fan engagement. How you then interact via your social media profiles is a key way to forming stronger bonds with your fans. As you respond and interact, other fans will also look to join in on conversations as they happen.
Replying to comments on Facebook, or to tweets from viewers, is a great way of interacting with fans. This sort of activity can also be used to communicate your brand’s personality, presenting it in a way that fans can relate to. (Having a relatable brand is something I talked about in my previous blog.)
The STARZ team responsible for recently premiered TV show, American Gods, do a great job interacting in real-time with the show’s fans. The team’s insatiable retweeting during the season premiere was impressive, while their Facebook comments are in character with show itself. Check out the examples below:
