When it comes to social media, sports teams are generally among some of the most active users. Between practices, media opportunities, and the games themselves, there is plenty of content to share — and captive audiences to consume it.

As we get ready to cheer during the big game, here are some winning strategies from NFL teams to inspire your own “social media playbook.”

Taking Content Off the Field

Typically, we only really see athletes on the field. We do not get to learn much about them or get any sort of glimpse into their personalities. Social media has changed that as many teams have begun to feature content that features their players outside of on-field highlights.

Scooter Media’s local team, the Cincinnati Bengals, have done an excellent job at showcasing player’s personalities on social media. In a series on Instagram titled “Mic Check,” Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. walks around the locker room asking players off-the-wall questions, such as the one below.

 

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A post shared by Cincinnati Bengals (@bengals)

Content like this gives fans a glimpse into how the players interact with each other, what their personalities are like, and allows fans to form connections with players that they might not have had before. Your brand can achieve similar results by implementing behind-the-scenes content that gives audiences a look inside your organization and the people who are a part of it.

Posting On-the-Field Highlights in Real Time

While content featuring players outside of typical on-the-field activities is fun and engaging, at the end of the day, football is still the focus of the content strategy for every team in the NFL. Throughout every game, there are many exciting plays that teams will often highlight on social media by posting a video or .gif shortly after the play happens. This is not only a great way to showcase the team’s success and keep fans informed on how their favorite team is doing, but it also can increase engagement as fans reply, retweet, share, and comment.

Teams across the NFL (and most other sports leagues) post similar content to their social media channels, and it is an excellent example of how you can use in-the-moment content to keep audiences engaged — whether it’s posting from a big event for your organization, or even posting a few Stories from fun activities in your workplace.

Inside Access to Players on the Field

The concept of attaching a microphone to players is nothing new, as NFL Films (the NFL’s video and content production company) has done it for years for a variety of purposes. However, in the past few years, many teams have started using the same approach to give fans an inside look into how players communicate when on the field, whether in practice or during a game.

 

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A post shared by Minnesota Vikings (@vikings)

As shown in the video above, training camp is a place where many teams incorporate this strategy. For fans who are fully invested into little details that happen throughout a game or practice, this gives them a front row seat to the intricacies of the game.

Getting Creative with Evergreen Content

Every year (usually in May), the NFL will release its full regular season schedule, which serves as the first official look at matchups for the season. While this might seem like an uneventful occasion, in the past few years teams have gotten creative and gone all out to celebrate, creating high-quality videos highlighting their season schedule in unique ways.

The example above is the Los Angeles Chargers video from this past season, highlighting each opposing team in a video with anime-style animation. These videos are a great way to create engaging content around a subject that most people may not find very exciting. There are many strategies for implementing a similar approach on your own brand’s social media channels — check out “4 Creative Ways to Repurpose Content” for some additional inspiration.

Are there any other social media strategies you have seen your favorite NFL team utilize? Let us know by tweeting @ScooterMedia!

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