Super Bowl social media +600% in 2012: what's your game plan?

Guest blogger Bill O'Connor

Bill O’Connor from AbilityLinks is the first Social Syntax guest blogger of 2012. Bill is a highly respected social media specialist, recruiter and disability information specialist who manages the social media presence for AbilityLinks itself as well as the IT Knowledge Abilities Network (ITKAN) in Chicago.

The Super Bowl is a day of victory and defeat, parties and tummy aches. It is also a day preceded by massive media coverage. Long before kickoff, America’s television networks take full advantage of 300+ hours of possible pre-game action to build anticipation for the biggest sports event of the year.

Advertising plays a major role in building that anticipation. The Super Bowl attracts millions of viewers worldwide, making television ad rates some of the most costly–typically in the millions of dollars for 30 seconds of air time. Advertisers naturally want the most “bang” for their dollar, and that includes using TV spots as a way to increase their social media presence. Whether introducing a new product or repackaging an old favorite to highlight a worthy cause, companies and networks are using advertising to get people talking before the game starts… and keep the conversations going for days or even weeks after the game ends. Meet Weego the rescue dog.

Bluefin graphic showing Super Bowl social media analytics

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This strategy seems to be working. On Super Bowl Sunday 2012, social media comments increased by 600 percent (12.8 million) compared to last year (1.8 million). They came from around the globe, and covered everything from Eli Manning’s touchdowns to Madonna’s halftime performance. Social media enabled us to experience the game in our own way and control how it filtered to us as individuals. For example, we could watch Weego, then reach for our phones to see him again or tell a friend. We could even find out what our hometown quarterback thought about the last play. Messages were instantaneous and relevant, because they were delivered by word of mouth (or iPhone or Android) from other folks just like us.

The next day, while meeting with one of my colleagues in the diversity and inclusion business, I made sure to promote AbilityLinks’ social media presence as well as our message of hiring people with disabilities. My colleague’s response to our mission was enthusiastic and positive, but I was puzzled that he seemed to back away from using social media. When I asked why, his response blew my mind: he said it was a “passing fad.” I checked the calendar to make sure that this was 2012, pulled myself together and made my case.

Using my colleague’s brand as an example, I asked him a few questions:

Bluefin graphic showing Super Bowl half-time show social media analytics

Click to enlarge

Do you want to hear and deliver the same messages that are shared throughout the disability employment industry, or do you want to project your organization’s mission in your own way?
Do you want to control the message, or do you want the message to control you?
Do you want to keep sending businesses the same time-consuming email blasts that get tossed without being opened?
Or would you rather reach an audience that stays on your LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter page to be read, analyzed and discussed again and again for little or no cost?

I wanted him to see that it’s not the tool you use to deliver the message that matters – it’s the relationship you build. In today’s economy, where service providers are experience funding cuts across the board, everyone from the CEO to the lowest-level manager needs to focus on innovation and value. Many turnkey social media solutions are available to help you do it all. Or you can build your own LinkedIn or Facebook page to market yourself or your organization. The only boundaries are the ones you set.

Later that afternoon, my colleague sent me a Facebook friend request from his organization. He had already found three more shared relationships and was engaged in conversations with them. Another convert, another “fad follower,” another touchdown—and more importantly, another organization getting the word out about what they do in their own unique way.

What’s your game plan, and how will you score a win for your organization?