Super Bowl is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the United States. In 2016 Super Bowl 50 – just like the previous ones – is full of controversy, hype, scandals and upsets.
Just in case you are not in the United States – or having a remote interest in American Football, Super Bowl 50 is the finale of the National Football League (NFL), determining the champion for the 2015 season. In the game played on February 7, 2016, in the San Francisco Bay Arena, CA, the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos took the title after defeating the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers 24-10.
It’s the third Super Bowl title for the Broncos.
Now, if you a faithful follower of American Football, you might have already knew that the Super Bowl is not only a mere a sports game, but it’s also a display of sporting event as a lucrative business venture. Very lucrative, generating, at least $620 million for the NFL.
For the business world, the Super Bowl is the best venue for advertising products and services. But you know what, the game has changed – thanks to social media; and businesses know what that means for their brands and bottom line.
At the national event, we can now see what social media marketing is capable of. As players share their experiences from the event on their social media accounts, businesses use social media in the so-called ad wars, which of course features the winners and losers.
So, what can the Super Bowl 50 teach us about effective social media marketing? Here are the five lessons you can learn:
1. Ride the trend and focus on virality
Social media today is characterized by viral content – memes, GIFs and so on; this holds true for the Super Bowl 50.
Incorporating the most recent trend into your micro content marketing is proven to be very effective – ride the trend, and put your brand in the mix and you’ll see results.
2. Own the pregame
While Super Bowl ads offer effective ROI, TV ads lose effectiveness. You may want to shift your marketing budget to other ad media, such as social media – and focus on one aspect of the event: The pregame.
So, what does the pregame entail? Okay – suppose you are watching the Super Bowl on TV. Before the game begins, you’re likely to chat with your friends or family members. And I’m sure that while you are doing so, you’re swiping up and down, reading micro-content found in your Twitter account, looking for interesting updates and something that’s worth talking about.
As a business, you want to “own” the Super Bowl pregame: Publish micro-content actively before the game begin, and watch people flocking in to your ads, updates, links and everything that goes in between. And oh, don’t forget: Link the content.
3. Be opportunistic
Riding the wave is probably the smartest tactic of all: Instead of publishing micro-content and guessing away with the right timing, it’s better to be opportunistic: Don’t be afraid to ‘hijack’ other businesses’ successful ads – or ‘newsjack’ breaking news related to the Bowl. Nothing personal; it’s just business.
4. Utilize your own network
Know someone influential who enjoys American Football? Contact him or her and create a co-branding, co-ad, or co-anything. Do something funny – or corny if you want to – and launch the content on social media.
Takeaway
Whatever you’re planning to do with your social media marketing effort, make sure that you do it responsibly. Being funny can work, but overdoing it can backfire. Also, be sure to time your social media updates well, as mis-timed updates can bring your brand down in just seconds.
And lastly, take your brand to the social limelight in the way you want it to be portrayed by your potential clients. Just like the winners of the Super Bowl 50 ad wars.
Now over to you: How would you incorporate social media into your business culture? Are you choosing the controversial path or the safe way? Please share with us what you think!