March Madness Conversation on Social Media

      Social media is a powerful tool to engage with consumers online. Specifically, marketers should take advantage of social media during peak times, such as sporting events or ceremonies. Social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have the ability to provide valuable statistics to marketers so brands can engage more effectively with consumers online. Facebook provided information and advice during the the Oscars, the Super Bowl, and Valentine's Day. In 2016, conversations grew by 40% during March Madness. Therefore, if you are intending to reach sports fans, March Madness is  key opportunity on Facebook and even Instagram. According to statistics, more than 650 million people like a sports-related Facebook page, while about 165 million follow an Instagram account that displays sports information and posts. March Madness spurs online and mobile conversations. As brands plan for the 2017 year, they should consider the following:

   
   

   

     Worldwide, basketball is ranked as the second sport talked about on Facebook and Instagram. During the month of March, sports-related brands need to take advantage of these platforms in order to place themselves in the minds of their target audience. As an avid basketball fan, I am watching the game at any opportunity possible, whether that be in person, online, through the TV, or on social media. Brands can position themselves online for consumers to see during this peak period, to boost their potential and influence on sports fans everywhere, both men and women. Even outside of sports fans or men fans, women are also an easy target for marketers. Many engaged online throughout the tournament. Brands have an opportunity to engage with consumers when social media is magnified, sporting events, ceremonies, and award shows in order to take themselves to another level.

The Use of Emojis in Social Media

     It's important that brands keep up with trends in social media in order to stay relevant to consumers. Specifically, the use of emojis is a way for brands to communicate like consumers via social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and even Facebook. More importantly, even if it might feel uncomfortable, brands must adapt to using this form of communication or they could lag behind competitors and the modern times.
     According to Social Media Today, 92% of people use emojis, and more than 1/3 of people use emojis multiple times a day. Marketing campaigns involving emojis have expanded by 777% year after year. On Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, data has shown that engagement increases with the use of emojis. In 2015, Oxford Dictionaries deemed an emoji their "Word of the Year", allowing language to reach a whole new level for marketers.
     To use emojis more effectively, guidelines are offered to aid marketers. I found some guidelines to be extremely helpful, and could make or break marketing campaigns put out by brands on social media. First, marketers need to understand what emojis mean to the public. A survey showed the perceptions of the emoji, the peach, and how the use can be misinterpreted among consumers.

 

     Second, emojis should be used to engage with consumers in real-time. Twitter and Snapchat are the primary social media platforms where brands can interact with consumers at the moment. Therefore, they should capitalize on these conversations, with using emojis to remain trendy and with-the-times. Not matter the type of company, emojis humanize the brand. Shown below is a tweet from Bud Light for Fourth of July that is simple, but more creative than a tweet with words. 

     Last, but certainly not least, brands should use emojis to connect them with their brand. Through the use and repetition, brands have the opportunity to change the meaning of some emojis. For example, the World Wide Fund for Nature is an organization that protects the environment and endangered species in the world. They launched a campaign around emojis on social media that for every character used, 0.10 euros would be donated. There were 17 endangered species who had emojis, so they made these emojis have a meaning and used them to make the public aware of their cause. 

The Curse Continues

Atlanta, Georgia is debatably one of the most "cursed" sports cities in the United States. From the Braves to the Falcons to the Hawks, every team has made spectacular runs, and yet failed miserably when it matters the most to fans. It is safe to say that Atlanta sports are going through a dry spell, and Super Bowl 51 might as well add another disappointment to the list. As you may or may not know, the Atlanta Falcons dominated the New England Patriots for the whole first half of the game. However, the fate turned quickly against the Falcons, as it has many times for the sports teams in the Atlanta area. The Atlanta Falcons blew a third-quarter lead of 28-3 to the Patriots, and ended up losing in overtime, going down as one of the most epic failures for Atlanta sports teams.

In the curse of Atlanta sports teams, history repeats itself. Fans used social media to talk about the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl 51 failure. For the vast majority of the game, the Atlanta Falcons had over a 95% of winning the game. With platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat, fans were able to show their negative reactions online for the world to see. 

  

As if the Falcons loss wasn't enough, the negative combat on social media made the Super Bowl 51 arguably the most epic failure of all time for Atlanta. As many fans discussed on social media, the this Falcons loss is worse than the Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA finals. With the presence of social media, this loss will not only haunt the Atlanta Falcons fans, but also be used as memes for future sports discussion until the next sports failure occurs.