How the San Francisco Giants use social media to engage fans
Originally published on Business 2 Community
With the defending World Series champions just down the road it made sense to connect with Giants Social Media Director Bryan Srabian to talk about how the Giants manage their digital efforts and stay ahead of new innovations like Vine, video on Instagram and more.
Q: How did you get involved with running social media for the Giants?
Srabian: Previously, I had worked for the Giants, running the marketing and entertainment division. When the Giants decided to invest in social media and have one person run it for them, I was contacted and decided this would be the next step in my career.
Q: How is social media for the Giants structured? Do you have a team or is it a one man show?
Srabian: I am basically the social media team, however, I rely on many departments to assist with content creation. We in essence are evolving how we communicate with fans.
Q: What have been the biggest trends you have noticed during your tenure with Giants?
Srabian: Sports and social media continue to grow, a match made in heaven. We’ve seen mobile dominate this space and photo and video are growing immensely. Second screen is a big feature with sports, so staying engaged is the biggest priority for us.
Q: Does MLB give you specific guidelines for running the team’s social media? Or do you have complete freedom?
Srabian: Teams have freedom for the most part. All teams are on the same platforms, and some teams choose to be more active than others, but MLB helps teams by generating ideas or even creating content to assist with specific campaigns. We often are sharing best practices throughout the league.
Q: How did you come up with the Vinechat concept?
Srabian: We are always looking for new ways to connect with fans, including Twitter chats, random phone calls, etc. Thought it would be fun to use Hunter Pence as the 1st MLB Vine Chat with fans. It blew up instantly, trending #5 in the US within 15 minutes and created huge buzz in our market. It just shows that you don’t need a big budget (or any budget) to create success in social media.
Q: Where did the idea of the @Cafe originate?
Srabian: Our numbers have continued to get stronger in terms of engagement metrics. We felt that there was a huge opportunity to take advantage of that in the ballpark and create a space where fans can see the social conversation in real-time. We are so thrilled with the initial results, including a naming rights sponsor, associate sponsors, numerous media mentions and foot traffic. We are already planning ideas for 2014 and looking for new ways to engage with fans at the ballpark.
Q: What is your dream social media campaign that hasn’t been implemented?
Srabian: I’ve got a notebook with lots of ideas…a few of them are my dream ideas. I keep those close to the vest. I never stop studying what other teams/athletes/brands are doing in the space and thinking how we can continue to move the needle.
Q: What’s the most important social media lesson you’ve learned in your time with the Giants?
Srabian: Your plan and strategy are often the most important tools you will have.
Q: Day-to-day, what would you say is your biggest challenge?
Srabian: Probably the amount of work vs. time. Game days are extremely busy and the day simply goes by with a blink of the eye. Time management is critical to make sure you are connected at all times, but also connected to what is happening in and around the team.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a community manager about running social media for a big organization, what would it be and why?
Srabian: Your biggest challenge is to communicate what you are doing with your organization. Communicate your victories and your challenges. Make sure everyone understands what you are doing and plan on doing. You are the voice of your brand, and you need to be in sync 100% of the time.