While there are a variety of ways marketers can use Facebook (ads, pages, games, applications, etc), Facebook pages for brands and companies are a no-brainer, assuming engaging people on Facebook fits with your overall goals. Facebook pages are free and easy to set up, can be customized relatively easily, can be used to easily test ideas and engage your audience/drive them to action.

Many big brands and plenty more smaller ones are already leveraging Facebook to achieve their goals. This goes for celebrities, athletes, businesses, musicians, etc. Some are doing a great job (NBA, Nike, Gatorade, Reggie Bush, Levi’s, Vitaminwater, etc), and many aren’t even scratching the surface on what is possible.

For fun, I recently asked my followers on Twitter what Facebook page(s) they would manage if they had their choice. Here are a few of the responses I got:

AshRead14 – Organisations would be @Thefadotcom or a chance to run one for Great Britain Basketball. Athlete’s would be Beckham or LeBron.

Shikhashikz - google ,facebook, twitter!!, nike, adidas, wimbeldon

JackieAdkins – Mine would probably be @soccerdotcom. Right up my alley with soccer (and it’s in NC!)

CubanaLAF – Packers. And I’d run SM for free.

Sheesidd – I wish I had something to do with @ussoccer, they do a great job of keeping us fan’s informed!

Which Facebook page/s would you like to manage? And to take it a step further, what would you do to improve on what they’re currently doing?

I’ve been in Raleigh, NC my entire life (minus college at UNC/Chapel Hill and studying abroad in Italy for a summer). I’m one of the few people I know who were born here and are still living here. Raleigh is an awesome place to live.

I love the city, the people and being around three hours away from the beach and the mountains. I’ve been fortunate to meet and know some awesome people, watch a ton of UNC football and basketball games, see Raleigh’s downtown greatly improve, go to some fun social media events, experiment with hyper-local news and work with some innovative companies.

I’ll always love Raleigh, but after 26 years, it’s time to move on.

3 Reasons I Am Moving

1) New Experiences

I’m really looking forward to doing a lot of new and cool things up there.  Arlington is great. I’m really looking forward to getting involved in the social media scene up there, going to some cool events and exploring new places. Arlington is close enough to everything where I can easily get to a lot of  bars, restaurants, sports stuff, etc. But also gives me some space, where I can afford to live in a decent size room with attached office in a great house.

2) New People

I love all the people I’ve met throughout the years in Raleigh. But I’m also excited to continue meeting new people, especially those who share my passion for social media + sports.

3) I Can Work Remotely

My current company, eWayDirect, is great when it comes to being flexible with how/where people work. While I’ve been working out of the Raleigh office for the past 10 months, the company is based in Connecticut, and most everyone I work with is up there. They’re fine with people working remotely as long as the work gets done and is quality.  I’m excited to continue working with them on our online community platform…some of the features we’re implementing and metrics we can give brands would blow your mind if you saw them. Just ask me if you’d like to see/hear more.

If there’s anyone you think I should connect with when I’m up there, please drop me a line here or at jpeck at hwy24 dot com and let me know. This month also marks my 4th year of blogging here. Thanks for sticking with me, and let me know if I can ever help you in any way.

I also want to thank each and every one of you who reads my blog, follows me on Twitter or just happens to stop by here every once in awhile. Thank you. I really appreciate your time and attention. Please let me know if there is anything I can ever do for you or if there is anything you’d like to see more coverage of here.

Hope yall are doing well. Now that the Tar Heels have started playing basketball and are still doing some exciting things in football, I couldn’t be happier as a sports fan.

I just wanted to let you know I’ll be speaking at the Triangle Social Media Club this week on Thursday night at Twine Interactive. If you live in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and are even remotely interested in social media (who isn’t these days?) you should check out this club. The Triangle Social Media Club chapter was first launched in October 2007 by Ignite Social Media. As the chapter has expanded, it has partnered with other companies and individuals to continue hosting events in the Triangle, NC region.

I’m planning on talking about purpose-driven communities and maybe even discuss some ways companies can extend the reach and engagement of their existing loyalty programs by adding a community aspect. Karlie Justus, a PR office for the NC State Fair, will also be speaking about how she helped implement the Fair’s first social media campaign. I’m really looking forward to hearing about this, and I’m sure it will be very interesting.

If you’re interested in the event, you can RSVP here. Hope to see you there!

I wrote this about a month or so ago- some of the numbers may not be exactly correct now, but I think the overall message is still accurate.

The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) runs some of the most exciting and accessible events in the sports world.  If you’ve seen an event live, you know what I mean. Beach volleyball players are some of the most athletic people on the planet and the AVP’s events have a cool festival/party community atmosphere.

So, the AVP has great events, awesome athletes, cool content, passionate fans and some good sponsors  (Crocs, Barefoot Wine, Russell Athletics, Bud Light, etc). There’s a huge opportunity for the AVP to leverage social media to connect with their fans, build their brand, increase traffic to their website and extend their sponsorships. Here are some social media tools and platforms they’re using (based on some quick research), along with some opportunities for ways they can get more out of their efforts. But I really think they need goals and strategy (if they don’t already have them) to maximize their social media efforts.

Twitter

The AVP’s Twitter account is difficult to find (it’s not linked to on their main website). It appears that the AVP started their Twitter account on April 3rd, but they haven’t really utilized it much (only have 2 updates and 168 followers, and they are following zero people). The biggest benefit of Twitter is that it allows brands to show their human side and share interesting content to build trust and relationships, so the AVP has a lot of room to grow here.

Facebook

The AVP’s Facebook page has about 7500 fans and appears to be updated occasionally with pictures, videos and links to AVP content. They have done a good job at including their 2009 events in this page. However, I think they could do a better job at posting interesting content (AVP-related and other volleyball related stuff) to become a resource for all volleyball fans. And they should look at ways to reward their fans on Facebook to give them a reason to connect with them there.

YouTube

The AVP links to this YouTube account on it’s Facebook page. However, there are no videos on this YouTube account. With all the great videos and content the AVP likely has, they’re missing a big opportunity here to syndicate their content to YouTube, create original content and involve their fans and sponsors.

As we know, social media isn’t just about off-site tools and platforms. On-site elements and features can be utilized to enable audiences to easily share content with their friends and empower them to create their own content (or let them be involved in the process) to give them a stake in your brand. Here’s some of what the AVP is doing on-site.

Blog

I was excited to see that the AVP links to their blog on the front page of their site in a very visible location. However, I was disappointed to see that the blog hasn’t been updated since August 2008. The blog also lives on wordpress.com, instead of on avp.com, so the AVP doesn’t have full control over the creative design of the site and they are missing out on capturing the traffic that comes to the blog. On the plus side, it was nice to see that AVP pros such as Jake Gibb and Todd Rogers had been contributing content to the blog. But a blog needs to be updated at least weekly to be effective, and they should have a content strategy in place to ensure that what is written is relevant and engaging.

Videos

The AVP has a nice video section on its website that features a variety of videos and channels. They appear to be professionally done and they include some great content. People can share these videos on other sites such as Facebook, Digg and StumbleUpon by clicking the “share” link under each video. I’d probably look at making this more visible by including the logos directly under the video and I’d also add a few sites to this list to really give people an opportunity to share this content with their friends.

Other

The AVP has some very passionate fans, but the organization is missing out on capturing this conversation and soliciting feedback on their website. It may make sense to build a community for fans, similar to what other leagues and teams have done. This would most likely increase time spent on the site and page views. More time spent with a brand = stronger fans = more revenue. There also are ways to integrate sponsors into a fan community to add value and generate additional revenue.

If the AVP is going to be successful with any community efforts (on-site or off-site through other social media tools/platforms), they probably need to hire a community manager who is very passionate about volleyball and the AVP. This would be someone whose job is to facilitate conversations, content creation, fan evangelism and feedback and help grow the AVP’s brand and community.

Of course, the AVP really needs a strategy before doing anything. They need to figure out what their goals are, what they will measure as indicators of success, how they will achieve these goals, and what tools/platforms they will use. Once they do this, they will be in a much better position to leverage social media to help them engage fans and build business. What do you think?

I found this great Wordpress theme from Think Design, and modified it just a little bit. I hope the result is a cleaner/more professional look (I was tired of that giant polaroid picture of me in the middle of the site). I still have a few kinks to work out and will probably cut down on the categories some.

I’d love to hear what you think, and if there’s anything I should add. I’m not an expert coder by any means, but I’m open to suggestions.

Thanks!

Legacy Direct

1 – How did you become the guy to lead Legacy Direct into social media?

I was brought onto the Legacy Direct team as an intern in July of 2008, doing mostly research and administrative work. Within the first few months, I realized how significant the social media marketplace was becoming and wanted to create a blog to reflect the messaging of our company.

2 – Can you give an example of one of your your clients who has utilized social media to enhance his/her brand and connect with fans?

Sure. A great example is Natalie Gulbis, a LPGA Tour golfer, who has just recently began using Twitter to engage with fans and show them what she is all about.

**Take A Note: In less than two months, Natalie has over 2,000 followers–people who are interested in seeing updates from her about golf/life/whatever. Using Twitter is a GREAT way for athletes to show their human/personal side and connect directly with their fans.**

3 -We connected on Twitter. What about it made you want to bring Legacy into the community there?

I wanted to bring Legacy into the twitter community to strengthen the reach of our social media initiatives. I soon realized how valuable Twitter can be in the way of networking and building a brand.

4 – What is your favorite professional sports team and how do you currently get your news/updates about them?

My favorite professional sports team is the New York Mets. I currently get my news/updates about them by going directly to the team’s website or by reading blogs written by Mets’ fans.

5 -Have they ever tried to connect with you personally on social media sites (that you’re aware of)?

No, the Mets organization has not tried to do that. However, there are lots of Mets’ fans who operate blogs and are more than happy to connect if it means increased readership for their site.

6 – How would you like them to connect with you online and what kind of information would you want to receive from them?

I think it would be nice if the Mets had an “official” twitter account, where I could receive daily updates. A good example of a successful fan integration and public relations movement by a professional sports team is the Phoenix Suns, who have done a great job connecting with fans on twitter.

7 – Let’s say they wanted to connect with you and other fans but were unsure about the consequences/potential drawbacks. What advice would you have for them?

I would say, “Look at what the Phoenix Suns are doing with all of their social media initiatives and how they are staying on top of the latest technology. If you (the team) don’t start to embrace some of these new technologies, you will fall behind in terms of fan engagement and interaction.

——

Thanks, Andy. I think we’ll see more and more teams and athletes taking note of these new technologies to increase engagement with fans.

Are you or your team interested in learning more about how to use Twitter to connect with your fans? Contact me and let’s talk.

A very simple solution to implement here is to create a brief screencast/tutorial video to walk people through the process of buying a ticket (or whatever it is that you want them to do).  This video should show people exactly what they’ll see on their computer screen and break down the process into simple steps. You can use free software such as Jing (I use this on my mac), or you can buy something like Camtasia Studio, which has some great additional features, but is only available for Windows at the moment.

These step-by-step tutorial videos can be a great tools in getting people to try something new or encourage them to do something they wouldn’t do otherwise. Maybe that’s buying a ticket online, or maybe it’s uploading a picture to their profile on your website. Sure, a lot of people know how to do these things, but you might as well provide help to people who don’t–there’s still probably more of these people than you think.

For those of you who are new readers, this blog focuses on the intersection of social media and sports. Here are some posts that I hope you find interesting:

Social Networks Should Provide Value Beyond Connecting

Five Ways to Monetize a Social Network

Social Networking and Emotional Branding

Transparency and Blogging in the Business of Sports

50 Sports Social Networking Websites

I hope you enjoy this blog and find it interesting. If you’d like to know more about me, check out the More About Me page. Feel free to contact me with any thoughts, questions or comments you may have.

If you like what you see here you may want to subscribe via email or RSS so you don’t miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

I’ve been pretty busy lately so I didn’t even notice this. As of last month, I’ve been blogging here at Take A Peck for two years. The blog has definitely undergone some changes since I started it in 2006, shifting from focusing on advertising and random thoughts to sports business and social networking.

Here are a couple of posts from the last two years.

50 Sports Social Networking Websites 

Twitter – The New Stalker Tool 

Crowne Plaza on Target with Golf Ads

Sports in Movie Theatres

What is a Blog?

Guy Grocery Store Shoppers and Caveman Essentials

For those of you who’ve been reading the past two years, thank you. If you’re new here, I hope you find my blog interesting. Feel free to comment or use the contact form to get in touch with me about work, play or whatever and let me know what you’d like to see here.

This is obviously not major news nationally, but it’s just one more signal that MMA isn’t going away anytime soon. According to Carolina Fight Promotions, “MMA fights were officially the number one grossing sporting events in 2007. More viewers tuned in to the reality TV series “The Ultimate Fighter” than the American League Baseball playoffs.”

On another note, I’ve been on vacation the past two weeks (NC mtns, beach and Aspen) so that’s why posts have been sparse around here lately. Expect to see more regular updates from now on.

If you’re interested, go check out the interview.

Thanks for stopping by. What questions do you have about sports and social networking that you’d like to see answered here?

What are my thoughts about “what is a blog?” I consider them testing-grounds for new ideas, so they can be spontaneous and unfinished at times. I think blogs don’t necessarily have to be formal or well-thought out. Mainly I think blogs are thought-outlets which should promote conversation and interest among your readers.

This holds true whether you’re blogging about sports, real estate or money. If your blog isn’t interesting, it’s not going to attract readers, and without readers, there can be no conversation. I’ll be the first to confess that I don’t always have the most thought-provoking posts that promote conversation, but I think that should be the goal.

Ultimately, blogs should be authentic. This means being open and honest and transparent about the purpose of the blog. A company shouldn’t pay someone to pretend to be a brand advocate and blog about it, and try to play it off as an authentic blog. A CEO should not have an intern write a blog for him and pretend that it’s his.

So those are my rambling thoughts right now about “What is a blog?” What do you think?

For some reason I tend to try to read many books at the same time, instead of reading one all the way through before moving on to a new book. So, instead of doing a full-blown recap for each of the books I’m reading, here’s a few thoughts about each book I’m currently reading.

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Great book so far. It discusses a lot about the merits of negotiating based on principles, not positions. If I had to summarize the best part:

4 points of principled negotiation:

• People – Separate people from the problem
• Interests – Focus on interests, not positions
• Options – Generate a variety of possibilities before deciding what to do
• Criteria – Insist that things be based on some objective standard

Join the Conversation

Joseph Jaffe, president/founder of Crayon and blogger at Jaffe Juice sent me (and other bloggers) a copy of his new book to review as part of his “Use New Marketing to Prove New Marketing” initiative. Here are a couple thoughts/things I’ve learned so far:

• Word of Mouth is people telling their friends about products, services, etc.
• Conversation is about bigger things – laughter, life, love, frustration, etc.
• In the world of social media, everyone is a critic. Deal with it.
• Microsoft is on board. It’s shifting its marketing strategy from informing/persuading/reminding to demonstrating/involving/empowering consumers.

The Story of My Life

I know this isn’t a sports business or marketing book, but Casanova’s autobiography includes some great stories, insights, and thoughts on life. If you ever forget that most guys’ lives revolve around girls (this was true in the 1700s and is still true today), read this book. Guys aren’t paying attention to your marketing efforts because they have more important things to worry about.

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Because being a good negotiator is a valuable skill, especially in the sports business world.

The Art of Woo

Because it’s important to be able to persuade people that your ideas are good, whether they’re your boss, a client or someone else you work with.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! See you in 2008.

According to a study overseen by non-profit coalition Informed-Choice, and conducted by HFL, one quarter of dietary supplements purchased in a recent sampling contained traces of steroids and 11.5 percent had banned stimulants.

This comes five years after five years after an International Olympic Committee study that sampled 240 supplements purchased in America and found 18.8 percent of them contained steroids. The full article from the Denver Post is here.

This is pretty shocking, and I’m kind of surprised I never heard anything about this earlier. While I doubt most people who test positive for steroids do so because of accidental tests from supplement contamination, there’s got to have been cases of this. One that immediately comes to mind could be the UFC’s Sean Sherk, who by most accounts is a great person and has steadfastly denied taking anything illegal, even though he tested positive. But I guess you never know…

Hopefully professional sports will be able to get past steroids and move on. I personally think it’s much more important to focus on the future than the past, and that we’ll never really know the full story. There will always be cheaters and people who try to get around the law and take the easy way out; that’s just reality, and this transcends sports. Not that this makes it OK.

What is everyone’s take on all of this?

AllFacebook.com posts that Facebook’s new SocialAds service may not be that revolutionary. Click-through rates have been awful and many individuals and small businesses have had their ads rejected without explanation. Also, bands pages are starting off slow. Dave Matthews Band’s FB page has 56k fans, compared to 300k friends on MySpace. Only time will tell if this number will grow or stagnate.

Google is reportedly working on a web-based file storage service that would allow people to store all of their word documents, music, videos and pictures on the company’s servers. Baseline service would likely be ad-supported/free with an additional fee for premium options.

Sports Business News’ Howard Bloom writes that the death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor was “tragic but sadly predictable.” This is definitely an interesting read about Taylor’s past, the culture of the Miami football program, and how it can sometimes be hard to escape the past, even when a person is trying to change for the better.

To branch out from sports and social networking…a friend of mine recently released a website containing hundreds of drink recipes. While all the drink names on PartyExpert might not be politically correct, they definitely look interesting.

And last but not least, here’s Axe’s newest spot for your viewing pleasure. Chocolate, anyone?