Athletic directors are true jacks-of-all-trades. They do everything from solidifying schedules to balancing budgets during the day, and make appearances at countless games at night. Managing social media is just another task on their very full plates.
But no matter how much work running social media can be, there’s no denying that it’s important. Twitter is a very effective tool for keeping fans, players and college scouts in the loop. It also connects athletic directors to a strong network of athletes and journalists that can help amplify their stories.
But how do you manage your Twitter on top of everything else in your day? It may be easier than you thought. Here are six simple ways to keep your Twitter game strong while saving yourself time.
First, conquer the basics:
1. Make sure your Twitter is on brand. Your profile photo and header should sport your mascot, school name and school colors. Linking your Twitter to your official athletics website also legitimizes your account. By affiliating your account with your school, people will recognize and follow you right off the bat.
2. Tweet frequently to stay relevant. Some analysts say the sweet spot is 3-7 quality tweets per day. These tweets should contain a nice mix of information from all of your teams. If you’re crunched for time, you can schedule tweets in advance through an online scheduler like TweetDeck.
After you’ve hammered out the basics, it’s time to increase your following:
3. Invite others to interact with your tweets. You should use hashtags and tag any relevant accounts in your tweets. By doing this, you’re welcoming people to like, retweet or reply to your tweets. Creating custom hashtags for events and fundraisers can also increase your traction.
4. Join conversations. Follow other ADs, coaches and journalists on Twitter to stay up to date – and don’t be afraid to interact with them. They’ll likely reciprocate your interest, which leads to more engagement and followers for you.
Last but not least, post the right type of content:
5. Give quick updates. Because of the 280-character limit, Twitter is a great platform for short posts. You should use your website to post longer content such as recap stories, news articles and full-length videos. You can always post teasers on Twitter and direct fans to the full story.
6. Live tweet whenever possible. A lot of fans are following along at home this season – and your Twitter activity can help them stay involved. Live tweeting scores, video clips and photos will drive traffic to your account and keep your community informed from a distance.
By following these tips, your athletics account will gain followers in no time. If you need ideas on what to post (especially if there’s no sports going on), check out our latest blog post.