Last year, there were 492 million Tweets about sporting events.
People like their sports, and they like Tweeting about them. In fact, of the 20 most-Tweeted TV events in 2013, twelve were sports related. And if you think about how people Tweet, that’s not surprising.
Sports are bursts – news bursts, bursts of joy, bursts of angst, bursts of emotion. And there is no greater medium for bursts than Twitter’s 140-character format.
In 2013, the typical Twitter user saw about 32 Tweets per sporting event. Compare this to a new episode of a popular TV program, which averages about 9 Tweets. You can reasonably assume that Twitter users received more than three times the Tweets about Game One of the World Series than Episode One of the new season of The Walking Dead.
Sports bring large populations into huge conversations. A single Tweet becomes a signal that says, “I’m with you. This game is amazing.” With a little craft and diplomacy, you may even generate followers with a carefully chosen selection of team loyalty.
With that in mind, brands that wish to engage the masses during sporting events should enter the conversation not with intent to sell, but with intent to join. Become part of the tribe. Appreciate the joy of victory. Commiserate in defeat.
Leave the business card in your wallet. At least on game day.
