Profile - The profile of a Twitter handle is crucial to the success of an account. In detail, the profile includes such aspects as the account name, the profile picture, the cover picture, and the biography. Of the aforementioned Twitter handles, the best profile goes to @FIFAWorldCup. First, their handle is official of the event and its operators. Second, their profile picture features the World Cup logo, which signifies the official sense of the page. The greatest detail of their page is their cover photo, which is all encompassing. It features photos of fans, the trophy, and a stadium. This illustrates a full experience rather than just that of a futbol (soccer) game. Furthermore, their biography states, "Updates from Brazil provided by the Official Site of the 2014 FIFA World Cup." This biography notifies followers that this is the official feed of the World Cup. They also include a link to the website, which provides easy access to fans. Overall, they do a great job on all fronts. In other mentions, the @spurs and @LAKings do a great job with their cover photos, both after winning their respective championships. On top of this, the @spurs profile picture also features their recent championship accomplishment. Opposite, the @MiamiHEAT account could use improvements, most notably the fact that they do not have a cover photo. At this moment, the Miami Heat's top 3 (LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh) have all opted out of their contracts, which makes a fan-favorite cover photo difficult. However, they could feature a photo of another aspect of the team.
Tweets/Content - The entire makeup and being of Twitter is the tweets of its users. In consequence, t comes as no surprise that the tweets and content of an account can determine its success, popularity, and following. Of the accounts being examined, the top tweets/content goes to @ussoccer. The @ussoccer account features hashtags (#) or mentions (@) in nearly every single tweet, a significant success factor in a Twitter account. For example, at the current moment, @ussoccer most recent tweet (link) states, ".@ishodwair reppin' the #USA jersey at the Street League @NikeSB World Tour in Chicago. Tune to @foxsports1 at 7 ET!" This tweet features a wide variety of quality information. First, instead of simply stating Ishod Wair's name, they mention him, allowing fans access to his account and tweets. Second, instead of simply referring to the jersey he is wearing, they feature the #USA hashtag, which allows the respective tweet to show up in all #USA searches. Furthermore, in similar fashion to mentioning Ishod, they mention the Nike Skateboarding account, allowing fans access. Finally, they call for action by telling fans they can tune in to the event to watch Ishod on Fox Sports 1 (again, mentioning the account) at 7:00pm ET. Overall, all of their tweets feature similar aspects. In reference to their futbol tweets, they feature team hashtags, a World Cup feature of Twitter that allows shows the country's flags. They also have created #USMNT, #AreYouReady, and #1T1N hashtag campaigns to involve all USA fans. These factors help to create quality posts that allow searchable, interactive tweets.
Replies/Interaction - One of the greatest features of Twitter, and what really sets it apart from other social media channels, is the ability to reply and interact with other users. For a team, this is a great tool to utilize in order to interact with fans and create a more personal relationship. When a team or league builds their social media image, they must decide whether this is an aspect they want to create. For some, such as the @NBA and @NHL, you are unlikely to find any replies, unless the league has an athlete do a "takeover," where they control the account and interact with fans. For others, they want to build that relationship and they incorporate it in their strategy. The @LAKings are arguably the best Twitter in sports to do this (just ask @darrenrovell: link). Not only do the @LAKings constantly interact with fans (link), but they go about it in a humorous way; they build on relate-able posts (link). As Darren Rovell points out, this is key to successful interaction (link). To add a little comic rivalry to the Stanley Cup, following the LA Kings' win to reach the championship, the @LAKings tweeted, "Cruizin' to the airport like [Photo from Home Alone]" (link) to illustrate their flight to NY. In response, the @NYRangers tweeted in response, " @LAKings image from "Lost In New York." #NYRCupFinal" (link). These relate-able, humorous interactions are what create a personal relationship with fans that creates appeal in a team.
Multimedia - A significant part of Twitter is the ability to post photos, videos, vines, and gifs. These elements add another dimension to tweets that allow users to view even more than just the text of a tweet. In this analysis, the winner of best multimedia use goes to @NBA. However, there were a number of excellent multimedia users, including the @spurs, @NYRangers, and @ussoccer. The @NBA does an excellent job with their use of multimedia through the constant use of photos and video. For video, the majority of their posts involve YouTube videos where you can get inside looks at athletes and NBA material. On top of this, they feature Vine videos where appropriate (6 second maximum). Furthermore, they feature a wide variety of photos in their posts. These photos are crucial to posts because they add an extra element of interaction. For example, in the recent NBA draft, @NBA got exclusive photos to popular draft pics, along with their signatures on the photos. These photos help fans to connect to the athletes and their welcome to the NBA. @NBA also does a great job of involving multimedia in "boring" posts, such as stats or quotes. For example, with the 19th pick of the draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Gary Harris. Rather than simply tweeting the pic, the NBA featured a photo of Gary Harris along with facts, such as his college, hometown, position, and wingspan. This adds an element of interest to a tweet that could have been considered lackluster. One account that could use improvement in multimedia is the @MiamiHEAT. While they do a great job of involving the multimedia, they force fans to search the multimedia to get to what they want to see. For example, in a recent tweet welcoming Shabazz Napier to the team, the Heat tweeted, "
These four elements make up crucial aspects of a successful Twitter account. Each element differs based on the strategy of the respective account, as illustrated in "Replies/Interaction." Overall, based on the set forth criteria, the best Twitter account of those analyzed goes to the @LAKings.
Wade,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I thought it was pretty interesting the Heat's social media accounts don't seem to be managed very well. Did this surprise you at all? I would have assumed with their success as a franchise that they would be on top of it a little more.
The interaction between the Kings and the Rangers was comical. Although I'm not much of a hockey fan, I might follow the Kings for awhile to see how they manage their social media. Overall, very interesting information that we can all learn from!
-Andrea