NBC Sports launched the first "SNF" (@SNFonNBC) social media account on Facebook in '09, and in the years since, staying on top of all the trends and new social platforms has required constant attention. NBC Sports VP/Consumer Engagement Lyndsay Signor said, "As soon as you think you've figured out the strategy, the platforms will introduce a new tool or change an algorithm. It's important to not only pay attention to what's happening in sports but the overall media industry as well, understanding what entertainment is doing." One of the benefits of being part of the NBCU family is getting to learn firsthand from sister networks like E! what it is testing and trying on Instagram, she said. "We also have a bunch of different entities within NBCU where myself and my counterparts ... we get together on a bi-monthly basis to share best practices and learnings."
SOCIAL SNAPSHOT
Must-follow: @HouseBudgets. It essentially pokes fun at the show “House Hunters."
Favorite app: I have to be a little more engaged in TikTok. I would definitely say the content on TikTok is unlike anything else.
Average time per day on social media: It’s always up but I’m probably looking at it 2-3 hours a day.
Humor and imagery setting the tone:
There are a lot of different accounts on social that are tapping into the sport, from official partners to general accounts that cover sports. We wanted to cut through that and make sure that the folks who have chosen to follow "SNF" on social are getting something they really want and enjoy. It's also an extension of the "SNF" brand on broadcast. What we've found is, our fans really come to us for feel-good stories, for the positive part of sports -- this is NBC Sports content in general -- and good-natured humor has really worked for us since the beginning of the accounts.
User interaction with "SNF" handles during games:
We obviously want people to react to what's happening on television and during the game with us. We like to strike a balance between providing news and information and providing reaction, whether it be score graphics or a GIF reacting to a huge play. We also want to be sure that what we're giving them is something they otherwise couldn't get on their own. Six or seven years ago, we were focused on live tweeting the football game. What we realized is that everyone is doing that. Teams are giving score updates. Other writers and publishers are giving score updates, so as the broadcast partner and the anchor of "SNF," if all of that is already going on, what can we give the fans?
Social's role in production of broadcast:
A member of our team, Kylie Callura, is a part of the social media team but also is embedded with the production team under "SNF" Exec Producer Fred Gaudelli. She's on the road from Thursday afternoon and flies back after the game on Monday. She works very, very closely with everyone on production but also with sideline reporter Michele Tafoya and all of the content we create around her. She's also on the sidelines during the games capturing video content pregame -- if it's fans in the stands or tailgates -- she's taking photography for our Instagram and Instagram Stories. We work very closely with Fred in ingraining her.
Disconnecting from social media:
I have a 4-year-old and an 8-month-old. That has sort of forced me when I get home, especially during the fall, to make it a point to not jump right back on to my computer or on my phone. I try to do that same thing in the mornings now. I kind of have a limited window of time with my kids before I go to work. Even five years ago, the first thing I would do is wake up, check Twitter to see what's happening. Now, I pretty much always have Twitter pulled up on one of my screens throughout the day. Most of the time I think the world can kind of wait a couple of hours before I get in. My kids have really helped me put things into perspective. We work in sports: sports are on the weekends, they are every day, they are at night. I really try to prioritize them outside of the work window, which sometimes can be 12-hour days, but I try to put the family at the forefront during the week.
Coming Attraction:
We are in the middle of rolling out a franchise we started last season called "Football is Female" where we're really highlighting women in football. We just shot with the Buccaneers the week before last. They've done a pretty tremendous job of putting women in leadership positions across the board whether it's the front office or on their coaching staff. Their co-Owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz is a woman. We interviewed four women and rolled out the first part of a two-part series this past weekend and the second will be coming out this week.
If you know anyone who should be featured for their use of social media, send their name to us at jperez@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
