When you think about social media and why it has become so popular what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? If you’re like me the first thing that comes to mind is 1) people and 2) the technologies. The technologies are what enable people to socialize with one another and connect in a way that wasn’t possible before. But if you dig deeper, the main appeal with social media is the connectedness you become apart of.
Your connected to friends, people with the same common interest as you, thought leaders, businesses, organizations, etc. Social media has allowed you to become part of what Seth Godin calls a tribe. “A tribe is a group of people who are connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea” (2008). What happens is you become apart of something that is bigger than you.
So what does all this have to do with social media and college athletics? Since creating this blog, I’ve been a strong advocate of having college athletic programs use social media to connect with fans in hopes that this will lead to a thriving online community, a tribe. It’s about making sure fans feel like they are apart of the program which matters, and I came across a site that was remarkable.
The Gonzaga Athletics Department launch an online campaign called, “Inspired Season.” Go ahead and click on this link and make sure you enter your first and last name, and your phone number (make sure your phone is near by). Do this now and come back to this blog when your done. I don’t want to spoil anything.
http://www.gozags.com/inspiredseason/
Here’s why I found this to be remarkable.
- It’s easy. The Gonzaga Women’s Basketball team needs your help to be inspired and all you need to do is provide your name and your number.
- It’s personal. When the assistant coach walks in with the clip board showing Coach Graves that you’re the only one missing, what does he do? He calls you and leaves a message telling you that they need you to go to the game. Coach Graves makes you feel like you are an important part of his team’s success.
- It’s different. Most of the time, when the athletic departments want to get people to the game they’ll offer discount ticket promotions, send out press releases, have the coaches speak in front of the media, etc. How often do you get a personal call from the coach telling you to go to the game?
Gonzaga’s “Inspired Season” got it right on so many levels and goes to show that with a little creativity, making people feel connected to your program can be fun and rewarding.
Filed under: experience
