Process Beats Posting: How to Successfully Navigate the Sea of Social Media

In the dynamic landscape of modern marketing, social media has emerged as a powerhouse for building brand identity and fostering connections. In today's world, it's just as vital to your club as having a newsletter, website or any traditional print advertising.

However, it’s easy to get caught in the here today, gone tomorrow currents of the medium and get lost chasing clicks via the latest fad. To get the most out of social media it’s more important to take the time to create a process, leverage the right tools and build your voice and brand thoughtfully. It’s a long game to play, not a sprint, so plan accordingly.

Follow this process and you will be on your way to engaging your audience and community.

Step 1. Understand the Know-Like-Trust Factor:

Social media is a game-changer for developing the Know-Like-Trust factor. At its simplest form, Know-Like-Trust marketing is a concept based on the idea that people are more likely to purchase from a brand that they have a relationship with. Because of this relationship, people are familiar with you. To create this relationship, consistency is the key, and it's crucial to understand that social media success is a marathon, not a sprint. Establishing trust takes time, so play the long game to make the most of this powerful tool for your club.

Step 2. Plan Ahead and Strategize Each Month:

Take a proactive approach by strategizing each month. Create a content calendar that outlines upcoming events, tryouts, tournaments, and coaches' engagements. Implement themed days, such as Monday Motivation or Friday Funnies, to keep your content engaging and diverse.

Step 3. Establish Yourself as the Expert:

Showcase your organization’s expertise and what sets it apart. Highlight achievements, statistics, and your vision for the future. This positions your organization as a leader in the field and builds credibility among your audience.

Step 4. Share, Don't Sell:

Avoid the hard sell. Instead, share your club's story authentically. Bring your followers into the narrative, sharing behind-the-scenes moments and creating a genuine connection that goes beyond a simple sales pitch. In real terms, don’t post ads all the time. Nothing turns you off of a relationship more than being asked for something each time you see that person. Same thing works for organizations and clubs.

Step 5. Mix it up! Video and Content:

Blend your content strategy with a mix of videos and curated content. Short, engaging videos can add a personal touch and help convey your message effectively. Highlight specific drills or practices, add music, and keep it simple yet impactful.

Step 6. Leverage Voices in Your Club:

Foster diversity in your content by having coaches take over social media for a week. Co-posts and different voices add authenticity and variety to your club's online presence. You likely have some interesting people in your organization that you don’t know about, find them by asking for help. You will be surprised who steps forward. 

Step 7. Utilize Tools and Services:

Simplify content creation by using tools like Canva for batch creating visuals. If needed, consider outsourcing content creation through platforms like Fiverr or collaborate with social-savvy coaches and players.

Step 8. Pay Attention to Metrics:

You’re a sports organization, you probably like stats. Social Media has stats galore. Analyze your social metrics to understand what resonates with your audience. Pay attention to peak engagement times and use this data to refine your posting schedule for optimal reach.

Step 9. Embrace Stories and Tagging:

Utilize Instagram and Facebook Stories to tag players and coaches (with permission). Use stories to share surveys, memes, and cross-promote to enhance your club's visibility. Tap into your community, especially those people you found in Step 6, to help spread the word. 

Step 10. Once you’re ready, embrace TikTok:

Explore the potential of TikTok by creating a club account. The Savannah Bananas (think Harlem GlobeTrotters of baseball) is amazing at this and it has grown their following immensely via the platform. Ask your athletes to make TikToks or Reels, (ie: have them do a TikTok of the week after practice.) Your club shares it and tags the key people in it. The players can even send the TikTok of the week to the coaches to vote on to share as a club each week. These can go viral pretty fast.

Step 11. Collaborate with Vendors and leverage their brands:

Collaborate with brands and vendors to run promotions and giveaways. This not only adds excitement to your feed but also expands your reach through cross-promotion. An easy one - work with your uniform or apparel rep and ask him/her to do a giveaway with you and you both share it in your feeds for two weeks marketing it.  ​​

Step 12. Leverage LinkedIn, appropriately:

Tap into the professional world of LinkedIn to showcase each coach, the club, and share content in a more professional setting. Establish your club as an industry expert. Tone is key, of course, so be sure to understand the tone of LinkedIn before posting. Simple tip, TikTok and LinkedIn rarely share the same posts.

By incorporating these strategies, you can navigate the ever-evolving landscape of social media and create a powerful and authentic online presence. Like any game or challenge, your process and preparation are paramount; so take it step by step.