All I Need to Know About Social Media Marketing I Could Have Learned at the Tigers Opening Day

I Could Have Learned Everything I Need to Know about Social Media Marketing at the Tigers Opening Day

Ok, maybe not everything, but certainly enough to be successful. Over 45,000 people attended the game in Detroit and that didn't include the thousands who just bought tickets to private tailgating parties on the surrounding lots. We were some of those extra thousands happily enjoying our day in the fully stocked tents, so I had an excellent spot to watch how businesses can reach customers by celebrating events like Opening Day with them. And I realized that a successful social media marketing campaign typically follows the same principles.

1. Go Where the People Are

I mentioned there were almost 50,000 people in one place, right? Since I didn't notice even one of them being flown into the stadium on a private helicopter, I think we can assume they all walked down one of the few streets leading to the park. Plenty of businesses recognized the opportunity to reach customers as they were walking.

The marketing issue for businesses is often determining where the people are. I'll make it easy. They're all on social networks.

2. Figure out a Way to Grab Attention

It doesn't matter how crowded it gets, if you aren't offering something interesting, no one is going to pay any attention. There was a tent a few yards away from ours promoting...hmm...I couldn't tell you what they were promoting. Two people behind a table attempting to hand out pamphlets didn't hold my attention longer than the instant it took me to recognize they were there. They could have been offering something fantastic like puppies or free diamonds, but they were lost in a crowd where girls in bikinis were handing out stickers with logos and radio stations were blaring music to gain attention. The day was about entertainment and the businesses that recognized and catered to it were the ones with the most traffic in their tents.

Social media is about entertainment. People use it as an escape. Don't be the guy behind the table with the pamphlet. Be the girl in the bikini (unless you have no business wearing a bikini—myself included—then be the radio station).

 3. Give Stuff Away

Once you have figured out where the crowd is, you still have to compete with other businesses that are vying for attention. So what can a business do? Hope that the crowd will spread its message! As effective as bikini clad women may be, freebies and giveaways seemed to be the marketing gold. One of the best freebies I saw was a little baseball bat-shaped keychain with MetroPCS printed on the side. It seems silly. But the ticket to get into our tent, for example, was a dog tag-type necklace and where did everyone put those keychains? Right on their necklaces.

And what did I hear at least 50 times? “Oooh, where did you get THAT?” The response was, “The MetroPCS tent across the street.” These were adults, mind you, going out of their way to look for the cellphone company tent so they could have a tiny plastic baseball bat keychain, too. It was effective because it was relevant, visible and it sparked interest.

Successful social media campaigns that offer freebies follow those guidelines. They are fueled by two key factors:

1) People love free stuff

2) People want the free stuff that others have.

Businesses with effective social media marketing practices recognize that by offering something, they are allowing the crowd to market FOR them.

So what was missing, in terms of marketing, at the Tigers Opening Day that is essential for prolonged social media marketing success? Content. The sole purpose of promoting a business there was brand recognition and visibility. Effective marketing takes more into consideration—most importantly, it is concerned with reputation and trust. Solid social media campaigns offer a reason for the crowd to go beyond just recognizing a brand. They encourage the crowd to engage (and engage often).

Three out of four isn't bad. Regardless, the day was fun, the Tigers won–and I got a little plastic bat keychain.

Click here to see the original article