SPORTS, SOCIAL MEDIA

AND ALL THINGS DIGITAL

GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION

the lineup

• TIPOFF with some facts and stats• WHY reporters should use social media tools to cover the local sports scene.• WHAT social media tools are available to reporters.• WHAT reporters should cover through social media.• WHEN and WHERE reporters should post the content.

86The percentage of people who will check sports updates while at work. Factoid• “Social media has climbed to the top as the

No. 1source for the average person’s sports fix.”

Source: GMR Marketing

by the numbers

83The percentage of fans who will check for gameupdates online while watching a game on TV. Factoid• “Live-Twittering is the appetizer we use to get

people hooked on our site’s content.”

— Jason Piscia, online editor / The State Journal-Register

Source: GMR Marketing

by the numbers

81The percentage of sports fans who prefer theInternet over radio for sports news.

63 The percentage of fans who check on gameupdates while they are at a game.

Source: GMR Marketing

by the numbers

58The percentage of sports fans who check ongames while in the bathroom.

9The percentage of fans who check on game updates while attending church.

Source: GR Marketing

by the numbers

Best source for breaking sports news

41 Percentage of sports fans who turn to Twitter and Facebook.

40 Percentage of people who turn to national news websites.

13 Percentage of people who turn to television.

4 Percentage of people who turn to sports radio.

Source: Daily Infographic.com

by the numbers

• Generate buzz around your name; get people talking about the brand.• Build up followers on Twitter, Facebook and your blog.• Build a more loyal audience.• Increase the reach of your content.• Increase the amount of time spent on your site. — Shane Snow, cofounder of Contently, publishing platform for brands and marketplace for

professional freelance journalists

Factoid• “Without content, social media is a sports car

with an empty gas tank: All show, no go.” — Joe Chernov, Content Marketing Institute

why social media?

• Proactive approach allows readers to follow the action, not just read about it the next day.• Helps keep fans from bypassing the middleman.

Factoid• Professional lacrosse players have Twitter handles on their jerseys instead of their names.

why social media?

Taking the first steps

• Reality of earlier deadlines. • Recognize cultural shift in way people consume news. • No longer can rely on print platform to shoulder responsibility of result-based content.• Recognize opportunities to cover prep sports.• Become more creative in digital approach. • Put reporters in position to win with social media.

Source:

social media is a game-changer

How can we give fans a moreengaging experience?

• TWITTER — Micro-blogging service that allows you to post real-time updates and short bursts of information.

• FACEBOOK — Social networking platform that allows you to connect and share content with friends.

• PINTEREST — Virtual pinboard that allows you to create and organize theme-based visual content.

• STORIFY — Blogging platform used to curate a timeline of posts from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.

tools of the trade

Virtual box seat (Box scores and results are static)• Live updates — cancellations, lineup changes, crowd and parking updates, alerts• Interaction and engagement — Who do you think is going to win? Who will be the star of the game?

what to post

Factoid• Major League Baseball saw a 36 percent increase in its balloting for the All-Star Game after hyping the selection process with a hash tag campaign.Source: business2community

Pregame• Who is starting?; who is injured?Gametime• Problem with goal posts in south endzone; kickoff pushed back 30 minutes Postgame• Video of coach’s decision to go for 2. www.rrstar.comPractice time • Coverage throughout the week to keep readers engaged.

When to post

Factoid• “Twitter is like a time stamp on a scoop. If you get it on Twitter first, that’s what a lot of people are going to recognize at this point.”

— Dustin Dopirak, Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times sportswriter

Twitter feedsUse Twitter widgets to embed Twitter boxes in story on yourwebsite. https://twitter.com/about/resources/widgets)

where to post

Factoid• Soccer fans sent 15,358 tweets per second as Spain scored the winning goal in the Euro 2012 Finals. It is the second highest rate in Twitter history. Sporting events account for four of the top five most related tweets per second. — Brian Anthony Hernandez / Mashable

StorifyIt is a good platformto recap a game, a championship run ora season.

where to post

Factoid• The real-time, right-now nature of Twitter is just a snapshot. Over a period of time, a whole story emerges.— Jon Mitchell / ReadWriteWeb

where to post

PinterestIt is a good platform to organize theme-driven visual content such as best pitchers in the conference, best plays of the season, etc.

Source: Norwich Bulletin

where to post

Video archiveCreate a site where sports fans can go throughout the season to view and review action.

Source: The Repository / Canton, Ohio

Factoid• “Bottom line … make the commitment early and go all out on stuff you know your readers will eat up.” — Scott Brown, director of digital content / GateHouse Ohio Media

the takeaways

• The numbers don’t lie. Sports fans are relying on social media and networking to keep them informed with real-time content.• Sports departments and reporters need to recognize the cultural change and rethink the way they gather and report news.• Determine the right social media tool/tools• Develop a game plan — what, when and where to post.

Factoid• Mike Turley, content team manager, central region / GateHouse Media News & Interactive Division

mturley@corp.gatehousemedia.com

SPORTS, SOCIAL MEDIA

AND ALL THINGS DIGITAL

GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION