Florida State University’s fan page on Facebook is the information clearinghouse for nearly all things Seminoles. On there, you can find everything from the latest merchandise to an up-to-the-minute report on the rain delay at a baseball game.
Following almost every Facebook entry is a link back to the school’s official athletic Web site, Seminoles.com.
“It’s great to be out there on all of these different sites — Facebook, Twitter — but the end goal is to drive traffic back to our Web site,” said Ryan Pensy, Florida State’s director of digital media.
It’s all too common these days for college coaches to keep the masses of fans — and more importantly, recruits — up to date with entries on Facebook or Twitter. New University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari submits several Twitter entries a day, some from his recent trip to China, others with inspirational sayings.
Like many schools, Florida State’s athletic
program is active with Facebook and Twitter.
But there’s a business angle that schools are exploring as well. Some schools such as Florida State are using the Facebook and Twitter connection to encourage fans to visit the school’s athletic Web site.
“Be the first to own the new 2009 Coaches Dri-Fit Nike Performance Polo. All three colors are available now on Seminoles.com” read the Facebook entry on Florida State’s fan page last week.
Facebook fans are often offered incentives for visiting Seminoles.com, including discounts on merchandise or images from the photo gallery. They’re usually the first to know when a new football poster or new computer screen wallpaper is available.
Facebook fans are sometimes offered a promotional code that grants them free shipping or 10 to 15 percent off their purchase on the Web site. The Seminoles frame the incentives as rewards or perks for being a fan on the team’s Facebook page.
“We can definitely see the numbers spike when we offer the incentives online,” Pensy said. “We’re constantly talking about ways we can use Facebook and Twitter to help monetize the site, but it’s a delicate issue. You have to do it subtly. If fans think that you’re just there to hustle them, they’ll go elsewhere.”
