New York Giants Wide Receiver Steve Smith is using Facebook to secure his vote for the Pro Bowl. However, instead of just starting a Facebook group or a “get Steve Smith to the pro-bowl” like online petition he has smartly turned the experience into an interactive contest.
Steve will randomly select from those who vote and give away an all expenses paid trip to watch the pro bowl in Maui.
Steve Smith Contest
There are plenty of professional athletes out their who utilize social media to build up an online fan base, become more transparent, and craft an image. However, there are very few that are truly interactive, that utilize social media to connect and engage directly with their fans.
Chad OchoCinco has been leading the way with social media innovation, connecting across a myriad of platforms with fans. Do you play Call of Duty? So does he. He gives his COD username out via Twitter so other gamers can team up and play with him. He gives away shopping sprees, and rewards those who show to events early. He is an early master of the online contest.
Steve Smith is following suit. As social media becomes more and more mainstream, and the market for attention becomes further saturated, it is difficult for even top tier NFL wide receivers to gain a foothold. If you are a professional athlete, it is no longer impressive or innovative if you have a Facebook or Twitter page. What are you doing with those pages? How are you utilizing the medium to get people talking about you?
Are contests the answer? Well, it is a little to early to tell, but the idea behind them is powerful, and a great use of social media to generate real word of mouth. As the novelty of social media wears off, and as it becomes even more ubiquitous and central to our daily lives, users are going to need incentives to interact. Are contests that incentive? Perhaps.
Personally, I feel that a contest or sweepstakes is a great way to build up a buzz around a brand, individual, or product quickly, but sustaining that buzz and initial interaction is very difficult. This is where true innovation comes into play. Every week Ocho Cinco releases a new product, connects with fans on a new platform, or does something that is newsworthy. Bottom line, he is a personality that people want to follow, feel an attachment to, and connect with.
So Steve may be getting some good buzz about his pro-bowl contest, but how is he going to translate that buzz into a thriving , dedicated and engaged fan base?
Hey, I can think of a few ideas. What are some ways that Steve could use this contest as a jumping off point, and build a true online community?
