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Storytelling Through Social Media

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A little over a year ago, I wrote a post for this blog entitled “Social Media: The Age of New Recruiting” (if you have a couple minutes, give it a quick read).

In that article, I talked about the importance of storytelling in recruiting both players and fans for your program. Whether it’s through photos, videos or written content, fans LOVE to know more about what’s going on with your team!

Any time I write an article, give a presentation, or talk one-on-one with people about storytelling through social, I always get positive responses. People are excited about the possibilities for their own programs because they themselves love consuming content from their favorite sports teams. However, when it comes to implementing those ideas, those same people are seemingly paralyzed with fear.

The perfect photo, the highest quality video, the best written blog post – the chance that what they produce might not be exactly “right” or as good as someone else keeps them from doing anything at all.

SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

Get out your phone and just go. Don’t overthink, just try. In reality, chances are if it’s the kind of thing that interests you (a sports fan), then it will probably be interesting to those who follow your program (other sports fans).

You may be thinking still, “I don’t even know where to begin.” Here are a few suggestions of things that have worked on our team pages:

  •          Game photos
  •          Team pictures at special events
  •          Congratulatory milestone photos and graphics
  •          Videos of players competing (on the court, in the weight room)
  •          Video documentaries of trips
  •          Pictures and/or videos of community service events
  •          Instagram and/or Snapchat “mini” stories of 4-5 photos/videos
  •          Group photos

See, the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to emotionally connect with your fan base. And the best way to do that is simply to story tell by regularly documenting your team’s journey. Don’t wait any longer. Start storytelling!

Tony Miller is an assistant men's basketball coach and head of the sports management program at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.  His blog, "Coach.Teach.Lead", contains more coaching and leadership resources.

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Social Media: The New Age Of Recruiting

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Social media has not only changed the way we communicate, but for many, it’s changed the way we do our jobs. No one is immune from its effects, not even coaches. 

As a college coach, I’m interested primarily in three groups – our players, our fans and our recruits. Our players constantly use social media (including during post-game speeches by the head coach). Our fans use social media (even during our games). And our recruits use social media (often in the middle of their school day when they should be paying attention to someone like their government teacher).

See, social media is all about storytelling. As a coach, I want my players, fans and recruits not only to know our program’s story, but also to be excited about sharing our story with others. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of this powerful tool to tell my program’s story?

Less than a year ago, our basketball program decided to start consistently employing social media to tell our story, focusing primarily on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Over the course of the season, we found success with our followers not only viewing our content but also sharing our content.

Here are just a few examples of the ways we tell our story through our social media platforms:

ROAD TRIP ANYONE?

As a small program, not a lot of our fans always travel with us. However, we still value their support and want people to feel like they’re a part of our team. Whether it’s a photo from the plane, a video on the bus, or a picture from a morning shoot around, we attempt to bring our fans with us on every road trip.

We'll be playing two games is week in Puerto Rico. #BruinsInPR🇵🇷

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

Team shoot around at the University of Cincinnati. #ChampionsToday

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

PUERTO RICO

During our trip to Puerto Rico in December, we also put together vlogs each day.  We recorded short clips of everything we did that day and conducted short interviews with players to recap.  You can check out each vlog from our trip below!

REMOTE CAMPUS VISITS

Long before a recruit ever steps foot on campus, he has the opportunity to get a glimpse into every aspect of our program. Facility tours, player workouts, practice, film sessions – they’re all chronicled through our team’s and coaches’ Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat accounts.

4 more days until the #BruinsInvitational matchup against Barber-Scotia College. #ChampionsToday

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

ALWAYS COACHING & TEACHING

Social media has allowed our coaches to continue coaching and teaching even after practice has ended. In addition, we understand that coaches and high school players from around the country are reading what we post. It is important to give each follower value, whether it’s through a motivational quote, a quick hitter, or a suggestion for practice.

MORE THAN SPORTS

Our goal as a program is to use basketball as a platform for spreading the love of Christ. Really, it’s the most important part of our story. So whether it’s ministering in a church, helping in the community, or reffing a Special Olympics basketball tournament, we want those following our social media accounts to know what we value and who we really are outside of basketball.

🙏🏽 #LiveChrist

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

FOLLOW US!

Make sure to follow our coaches & players on social media to stay connected to everything that is going on in our program.  You can also get more content from Coach Miller by clicking the link below!