I was recently invited to speak at Tribe Social Forum hosted by Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians on September 16th, 2010. It is an event focused on the increasing trend of social media usage in our society and networking with some of the finest folks in sports today.

Back when we did the Sports Business Survey, participants voiced that they wanted more networking opportunities and I believe this is a great chance to network with experts in the business. Attendees will learn how social media is changing the way we communicate, especially in the sports world.

I am humbled and excited to be part of a panel that includes some of the biggest movers and shakers in sports and social media, including:

• Mark Shapiro, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Cleveland Indians
• Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com Beat Writer
• Dominic Litten, Social Media Club Founder, Cleveland and Leader of Interactive Marketing at Point to Point, Inc.
• Lisa Zone, President of the American Advertising Federation, Cleveland and SVP at Dix & Eaton.

Besides the panel, there will also be a buffet, drinks and a baseball game to top it all off. We will be watching the Indians play the Anaheim Angels from the beautiful Indians’ Champion Suite!

Aside from the fact that I will be speaking there, I think this is a great move by the MLB and the Cleveland Indians to embrace social media. Late last year, Sam Taggart gave the MLB a mediocre grade on it’s use of social media. I believe that hosting more events like this will not only be beneficial to the Indians, but to the MLB and the sport of baseball as well.

If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll consider coming to the event. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here.

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you there!

The opportunities social media provides to pro sports teams and athletes are well documented, but I feel social media also provides massive opportunities for amateur and semi-pro teams.

A lot of the conversation around sports and social media focuses on the idea that teams already have a massive following they can just tap into. This isn’t often the case for grass roots teams though. Many teams need to build their followings up from scratch and social media is a great way to do this. However, in order for social media to be successful it must be approached in the right way.

This quote from Lewis Howes sums it up perfectly: “For a sport to grow, it must first be seen and talked about, and the social web is a free ticket to accomplishing both. However, utilizing the power of social media is more than simply getting a Facebook account or signing up for Twitter. It’s a fundamental change in the way things are done, and the way messages are spread.”

All sports teams want to give their players, members and sponsors the best possible experience – the best kits, best equipment etc. However, nowadays I feel that teams of every level should also be looking to give everyone involved the best online experience too.

Not only does social media provide teams with the chance to increase their exposure and reach more people, it also gives them the chance to build team spirit by creating talking points, sharing content and building up a sense of community around the team.

For teams and athletes alike, a strong online presence can separate them from others and make them stand out. This could potentially be the difference between getting sponsorship or not. There’s no escaping the fact that the Internet is going to play a big part in the development and future of teams of all sizes.

FundSport.com (a site I Co-founded) is dedicated to helping grass roots sports and after seeing how under-utilised social media is within the grass roots arena we prepared a free 30 page guide to help educate people on the ins and outs of social media.

‘The Essential Guide to Grass Roots Sports and Social Media‘ features a foreword from Sports Networker founder Lewis Howes, an amateur football and social media case study, an introduction to social media and also explains some of the social platforms available.

Since releasing the guide we’ve had some great feedback, see what others have been saying and download your copy of the guide for free here.

Let’s carry on the conversation, how do you feel grass roots teams can utilise social media? Also, if you download the guide, or have already read it please feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

###

Image by Alasdair Middleton

(This is a guest post by Ed Palubinskas)

The free throw shot is the most important skill to learn in basketball, and yet it is still the most inadequately taught. There is a huge lack or void of sophisticated shooting information out there. Just take a look at the national free throw shooting percentages in the pros, (75%) colleges (68%) and high schools about (65%). There is only a 10% difference between high-school and professional ranks.

We are all capable of shooting much better. However, we practice the wrong mechanics. Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Also, knowledge is not power. Applied knowledge is power. The common denominator that mediocre shooters share is an obvious lack of scientific information applied to mechanical application.

I shoot at 99% and have done so ever since my near fatal accident in Utah in 1981. It took a near death experience to grab “perfection” by the horns and harness its potential. Prior to the accident, I shot 94% all day long. Hospital rehabilitation and wheelchair shooting really opened my eyes to the importance of minor muscles and the finer movements for superior shooting.

I was not born a great shooter. It was a learned behavior that I must apply in every single shot I shoot. One second at a time, forever. Therein lies mastery. ‘Know thyself‘ as my good friend Socrates once said. Then learn all there is to know about scientific principles. You cannot deny the laws of science, ie- gravity.

I can usually get teams to above 90% from the line within 7 days or less, depending on the strength level of the players. My players undergo behavioral modification and elimination of flawed physical actions relating to the specificity of a shot. Like I said, practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

###

Ed Palubinskas is a shooting surgeon general and owner of the site www.freethrowmaster.com. He is the Vice President of the National Basketball Shooters Association and holds multiple world records in shooting, including the guinness world record in making 1206 free throws out of 1265 free throws in an hour. He was a third round draft pick in the NBA in 1975 and a 3 time Olympian. He is soon releasing a book called “Taking the Mystery of Free Throw Shooting to Mastery”, which is 300 pages of advice on how to turn your shot into perfection. In 2000-2001, he worked with the world champion L.A. Lakers as a shooting coach, helping Shaquille O’Neal improve his free throw percentage.

Image by Keith Allison

(This is a Guest Post by Joseph Yi)

Sitting on a panel with some of the Bay areas leading social media professionals from teams like the San Francisco Giants and Sacramento Kings, a recurring discussion was the benefits that social media had as a branding tool. While we’ve seen plenty of examples on how athletes are using social media as a public relations and branding tool, many forget about the teams themselves.

With nearly every professional sports team having some presence on Facebook and Twitter, sports teams are faced with the difficult decision of having to decide how their organization and brand will interact with fans.

Before moving forward though and discussing how sports teams are using social media to maximize their brand exposure, we need to take a step back to look at how sports teams first used social media.

In its’ earliest stages of adoption, sports teams used social media primarily as a news feed where they could post updates and articles. While there was nothing wrong with this, sports teams weren’t maximizing its potential. With minimal fan interaction, little direction as far as best practices and strategies, and their respective leagues trying to develop digital media rules, sports teams were essentially driving blindly through social networks.

Fast forward now to the present and sports teams have come a long way since then. From league and team rules that regulate what can and can’t be done on social networks, along with best practices on how to use social media assets, teams are on the right track. A great example of this is to look at the Los Angeles Lakers and how they have effectively used social media to extend their brand into the digital space.

While every NBA team has a presence on Facebook and Twitter, the Lakers have extended their brand by branching in different directions through team personalities. Aside from team players on Twitter and Facebook, other Lakers personnel included under the Lakers social media umbrella are Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) and EVP of Business Operations, Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss).

By giving non-players associated with the Lakers a voice, the organization has in turn built a community for fans to interact with. While the Lakers engage with fans through their team’s Facebook and Twitter account, personalities like Jeanie help stimulate conversation with fans and also help to humanize the brand.

Additionally, the Lakers further their brand value by utilizing their social networks to funnel users to their league site, Lakers.com, and their official fan engagement site, my.Lakers.com.

The Lakers are just one of many sports teams that are maximizing their brands reach through social media. From the NBA to the NFL, teams are able to expand their brand while at the same time creating an impactful relationship with each of their fans.

###

Joseph is the Social Media & Marketing Solutions Manger at GAGA Sports & Entertainment. He has 7 years of experience working in social media and the digital space and started his first business venture as freshman in college. Prior to joining GAGA Sports & Entertainment, Joseph specialized in brand management and developed social media marketing strategies for organizations and corporate brands. At GAGA, Joseph works with professional sports teams, including the Lakers, Clippers, and San Francisco 49ers, where he develops engaging content as well as social media and digital strategies to help teams better understand and engage their fans. Additionally, he is a guest speaker and panelist at universities and social media events and has mentored several sports industry professionals regarding their social media assets.

Twitter: @Joseph_Yi
Blog: http://josephayi.com

Did we just witness the entirety of Stephen Strasburg’s professional baseball career in the span of mere months? I doubt it, given that the success rate of Tommy John’s surgery is over 90%, but it is a possibility.

Strasburg is one of the most hyped players in professional sports in recent memory and he was living up to the buzz in his first season. Not only was he delivering on the mound, with 98-100 MPH fastballs and dirty curveballs, but he was generating more television viewers, ballpark visitors, and straight cash for the game of baseball, a sport which is still struggling somewhat from the Steroids Era.

Many have called Strasburg’s injury a “sad day for baseball.” And it is. But let’s forget about the game for a moment and think about the individual. What a potentially awful day for Stephen Strasburg.

Considering that significant injuries happen all the time in sports (St. Louis Rams’ wide receiver Donny Avery tore his ACL last week, for example, and is out for the season), and that we live in a time where personal branding has become so important, is it foolish for any professional athlete, Stephen Strasburg or not, to not be focusing on building their brand off the field?

To be fair, Stephen Strasburg is only 21 years old. He’s hardly had enough time to grow a beard, let alone a personal brand. It’s also important to consider the fact that Strasburg’s brand has been built, to an extent, on its own. But the brand is all built around his pitching ability.

We know little about his personality or his character. Sure, the kid has an amazingly freakish ability to throw a ball 60 feet at another man’s outstretched hand, but what else is there to Stephen Strasburg?

Some Branding Tips:

Personal Website. The absolute best platform for long-term online branding is a personal website or blog. Forget Facebook or Twitter. They could disappear tomorrow! Unlikely, but true. A personal site also gives you the most control. You create the content, talk about whatever you want! Show diversity! Be you! You control the layout and the design. And the domain is your choice as well.

Social Media. Use social media to interact with fans and build up loyalty. Every pro athlete’s playing career ends at some point. That’s just a fact. And while performance on the court/field is the biggest determination of legacy, there are certainly retired athletes who are still beloved for their personality more than anything else. Your advantage is that you already have a built-in fan base, you have a head start on most of us. So start showing them you care!

Traditional Media. Many retired athletes find second careers in the traditional media. Take Jalen Rose, for example. During his playing career, when he was either injured or in the offseason, would make television appearances as a basketball analyst. Today, he is a retired NBA player, but has become an employee of ESPN/ABC as a NBA analyst. There are opportunities for current athletes to participate in traditional media in their spare time, which could lead to second careers down the line. Obviously, not for everyone.

Finish Your Degree. Hey, it’s an option!

There are many layers to Strasburg’s injury. I just barely touched on the negative impact his absence will have on the game of baseball (while fascinating, this topic has been discussed thoroughly). The injury, for me, was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the importance of personal branding for professional athletes. Athletes can’t be athletes forever. And autograph sessions with fans, hosting infomercials, and VH1 reality show appearances won’t be there forever either.

In closing, I absolutely hope and pray that Strasburg’s career is not over. There is no real reason to think so. But… what if?

###

Image by geoliv

Image by wfyurasko

On August 26th, I drove over two hours in my 14-year old car with over 240,000 miles on it (yes, it’s a Honda) on my almost-yearly trek, to attend my beloved Dallas Cowboys training camp at River Ridge Field in Oxnard, CA. Except for the fans who stay at the Marriott Residence Inn next door, the rest of us park in a half dirt/half mud parking lot that really should only allow dune buggies and 4-wheelers.

We all pay $10.00 for a parking space and while we’re watching our Cowboys train, a big truck maneuvers through the “parking lot,” row by row, to water down the dirt and mud which sprays that same dirt and mud all over the cars and trucks. The water truck does not just give a mere sprinkling; it’s like the force escaping from a fire hydrant. But, it’s all part of the fan experience.

Anyway, for 9:15 a.m. practice, I stood at the 50-yard line, behind the fence that surrounds the entire field. Official-looking city volunteers with official-looking badges manage the crowd and exchange friendly banter. I was amidst hundreds of other fans, some highly annoying in their fan-like behavior. One fan screams over and over at the top of her lungs, “Miles, I love you Miles.” I overheard comments from those around her to the effect of, “maybe she’ll lose her voice…” Oh well, every fan exhibits their affection in their own personal style – she provided some laughs and entertainment along the way. For the most part, Cowboys fans are good-natured, friendly, non-violent fans.

As I watched the 3:15 p.m. practice drills from the end zone, I observed a few lessons we can all take to heart:

1. Do what you love. From the running backs to the wide receivers – from the defensive backs to special teams, the ‘Boys were having fun. They were just doing what they love and it showed. Of course, getting paid millions of dollars helps. You may currently have a “good enough” job; one that pays the bills, a ‘propeller’ to get you where you want to go – a career path you’ve always dreamed of, a unique vocation you’ve always wanted to try, a dream vacation destiny. Keep your dream fresh in your mind…practice taking at least one step a day in the direction of your dream. Post pictures of what your dream will do for you.

2. Fulfill YOUR position. I did not see Tony Romo trying to take Gerald Sensabaugh’s place. I did not see Tashard Choice trying to tell Bradie James how to do his job. I did not see Miles Austin impersonating a linebacker. They were each focused on what they do best in the position they’ve been assigned to. We need to do the same – focus our mental power and energy on what we do best. If we try to be all things to all people, we will fail miserably and end up mentally and physically exhausted in the process. Focus on your current position in life and thrive at it.

3. Aim for the trees. Since I was positioned at the fence in the end zone, which was considerably less crowded, I had a clear view of Mat McBriar kicking each ball through the goal posts, over the trees, and beyond the fence. On one particular kick, the ball flew up into the trees and rested on the highest branches possible. That’s exactly how we should aim our goals – for the tops of the trees!

Our efforts should never reflect a ‘just enough to get us by’ mentality. Aim high! Sometimes we think of ourselves as silly for having such lofty dreams but we were created to dream big. So, start right now and write down your high and lofty goals – the dreams you’d love to come true. Let your thoughts rest in the highest branches of your brain for awhile. If some come down, so be it…it’s never a waste of time to dream. So, aim for the trees and you’ll find yourself smiling more.

###

Image by grantlairdjr

Image by tedkerwin

We have teamed up with Ben Sturner and his extraordinary crew at Leverage Agency to bring you the top five movers and shakers each week in the world of sports sponsorships and marketing.

Top Chinese Athletic Brand Signs NBA’s Evan Turner

For years, we’ve been talking about the importance of American sports brands, including shoe companies like Nike, getting into China. We haven’t talked as much about Chinese shoe companies getting into this country.

That’s about to change. CNBC has exclusively learned that Li-Ning, China’s top athletic brand, has signed Evan Turner, the No. 2 pick in this year’s NBA Draft to a multi-year deal that will make him the face of the brand.

Wal-Mart to climb aboard Gordon’s car?

Wal-Mart’s potential move into NASCAR has led the retail giant deep into negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet next season.

There continue to be several moving parts to the Wal-Mart discussions with Hendrick and NASCAR, which began in the spring and have progressed through the summer. Wal-Mart’s play could have tentacles in both sponsorship and licensing at the team and league level, according to industry sources.

The retailer has been hesitant to spend money on sports sponsorships in the past, so Wal-Mart’s entrance to NASCAR would provide a huge boost to a sport that has been ravaged by the recession and attracted little new sponsorship money in the last two seasons.

Shift would allow sponsor logos on swimwear

Soccer has corporate logos on jerseys, and NASCAR has them on cars. Soon swimmers could have them on swimsuits.

USA Swimming is considering amending its swimwear rules to allow professional and amateur swimmers to wear two corporate logos on their suits, caps, goggles and other clothing. If the rule is approved by USA Swimming’s board in September, swimmers will be able to wear the logos on their suits and caps for the first time at USA Swimming events.

To date, swimmers have been allowed to wear only the trademark logo of their suit, cap or goggle manufacturer. The new rule would allow them to wear the logo of any corporation provided it is not associated with tobacco, alcohol or pharmaceuticals that contain banned substances. Logos could even conflict with existing USA Swimming partners.

Suiting Up in Jerseys Suitable for Women

The campaign, called “N.F.L. Women’s Apparel, Fit For You,” takes an approach to marketing clothing that is meant to be both fashionable and sporty. While jerseys and T-shirts for women have been available on Web sites like nflshop.com and in catalogs, this is the first time the league has dedicated a campaign to apparel for women.

If the terms “fashionable” and “football jersey” seem contradictory, that may be because of the way jerseys have been made.

The league has carried women’s attire for the last 10 years, but followed the “shrink it and pink it” philosophy of taking a man’s jersey and making it smaller and, well, pink.

Discover To Serve As New Orange Bowl Game Title Sponsor

Discover Financial Services, the Orange Bowl Committee and ESPN announced today that an agreement has been reached for Discover to be the title sponsor for the 2011-2014 Orange Bowl Games and the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. The Orange Bowl Game will be known as the “Discover Orange Bowl” and the 2013 BCS National Championship game to be hosted by the Orange Bowl in South Florida will be named the “2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game.” Under the partnership, Discover will be the official card of the Orange Bowl and the Bowl Championship Series.

In conjunction with this new alliance, a new game mark has been developed that will be incorporated into all Discover Orange Bowl and BCS-related materials.

The four-year deal includes the multi-media integration of Discover as part of ESPN’s season-long college football coverage and marketing.

###

Image by aresauburnphotos

NBA All-Star Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat recently made headlines being quoted for saying that loyalty has no place in free agency. Bosh mentions that at a store, you’d go to a store that has the cheaper price for your item, so how is basketball any different? You go where it makes sense for you.

I admit I was a bit shocked by Bosh’s comments because I am a fan of Chris Bosh and I respect everything he does on and off the court. While his new teammate LeBron James was busy rubbing it in Cleveland’s face, Bosh chose the high road and thanked all his Toronto fans for his time there. However, in this case – I have to disagree with Bosh. Just because sports are a business does not mean loyalty should be “an added bonus” as he puts it.

Before I go any further, I believe it is absolutely the player’s right to go play basketball wherever they want, and they shouldn’t need an excuse to want to go play elsewhere. In fact, when Bosh and James announced that they were heading to Miami, I didn’t mind it at all, although I was appalled at the way James announced it. A brief conversation with my friend went something like this:

Friend: It’s so stupid that LeBron and Bosh both went to Miami.

Me: If you got to choose to live in freezing cold Toronto or in the sunny beaches of Miami, which would you choose?

Where I disagree with Bosh is that loyalty should not be in the equation of free agency in professional sports since ‘it is a business’. I believe that loyalty is vastly underrated in business today.

Take a look at the empire Tony Hsieh has built with Zappos. If it were ‘just business’, Zappos would not be the billion dollar business it is today. It makes more sense for a customer to try their shoes on at a store. It makes more sense to shop at the merchant with the cheapest prices, which in many times is not Zappos. Zappos is successful because they did make it personal and chose to gain a consumer’s trust by providing top notch customer service, and customers responded with loyalty and repeat sales.

Edging a little closer to sports, let’s take a look at the blockbuster movie Jerry Maguire (spoiler alert).

When Jerry was at the lowest point of his game as a sports agent, NFL football player Rod Tidwell stuck with him when nobody else did for one reason: loyalty. Rod trusted that Jerry would bring him success in his career, money in his pocket, and above all, happiness. It was not what Bosh would call a ‘business decision’ as there were less risky agents for Tidwell to sign with.

A sports cliche we often hear from athletes goes something like: “At the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me and my family”. It is an interesting one because it allows spectators to realize that athletes are just normal people who have families to feed and want to be happy. For most athletes, happiness comes in the form of winning. When Bosh says that loyalty isn’t in the equation, it isn’t true. Loyalty is defined by the dictionary as staying faithful to a cause and in reality, Bosh’s trust for Toronto’s vision to make him happy (aka build a championship contender) faded over time with poor personnel decisions by the Raptors. He no longer felt like General Manager Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors could take him where he wanted to go and his loyalty went away.

Fans should never think that loyalty lasts forever. Player loyalty is never a given, and even when it is earned, it can still be taken away if the player loses their trust in the organization.

However, organizations and teams should continue to put player loyalty as one of their primary goals because when an athlete believes that your team can help them accomplish their own goals, they will remain loyal and stay with you (See – Kevin Durant).

As an added bonus, players talk amongst each other. If you can convince your star players to remain loyal to you, they may just help you get that final piece your team needs to go for the championship. Just ask Pat Riley.

Do you think loyalty still plays a role in sports? How does your team focus on ‘employee’ or player loyalty?

###

Image by compujeramey

Image by scoble

(This is a guest post by Daniel McLaren)

This is another side to Social Media that is often overlooked, when organisations plan their online approach yet can be as important, if not more so than having a Facebook/Twitter page.

A old approach that has taken on a new meaning and been opened up by social media is creating brand advocates and generating positive ‘Word of Mouth’.  This is important because you as a brand can only generate a certain amount of trust in what you say to people.

Sound strange? Take a look at the graph below from the Neilson 2010 Global Trust Study.

We are very concentrated on the brand websites and setting up social media presences to get the product/service/team information out there that we forget how people use the internet to influence their purchasing decisions.

What is the first thing you do when you want to buy a product?  For me, I go onto Google and find out about the product and see what the reviews of it are like.  I take it with a pinch of salt of course but you can get a general idea about if it is going to be a good or bad idea to part with your hard earned cash.

This counts just as much for industries around sport.  Most teams have hospitality services on non-match days as well as match days which can be just as important (the need for income out of season).  There are thousands of products and services that are on offer to anyone in sport whether you are selling sports kit, trainers, marketing services, iPhone apps… the list goes on.

If we trust family, friends and online reviews the most then what social media has done is allow us to find out from those we trust even quicker and easier than ever before.  You can tweet or post an update saying that you are thinking of going to this game or buy X product and get others opinions.

For B2B you can use LinkedIn with its discussions areas in groups, status updates and Q&A section to find out from your peers and get their opinions.  With Facebook starting its own Q&A facility this is going to be expanded more than was ever thought possible.

Where am I going with this?

What I’m trying to say is that even though your online presence on the official channels is important.  It is vital you also have a presence where people will be talking about you and your products to generate truely great customer servoice experiences and word of mouth.

You will not only be able to connect with them and create advocates of them by having great customer service in an area where they are (rather than them having to come to you) but you can find out more about what people think of you.

Remember that not all criticism is unjustified charater assasination (!) but try looking at it as free product research.  If you are a club and launched a new season ticket policy or merchadise line then it can give you great clues as to what is working and what isn’t.

If you plan properly, listen and work hard at giving great customer service then you will gain some of your strongest brand advocates and create some awesome Word of Mouth.

###

Daniel McLaren is the founder of ‘The UK Sports Network’ and a Sports Consultant at social media agency called Spearfish Labs. He is an experienced sports events professional and passionate about social media. A lover of all sports, player of a few and ardent Manchester United fan. He runs several groups on LinkedIn including ‘The UK Sports Network‘ and ‘Social Media & Sport‘ which total over 1800 members. He tweets regularly on @danielmclaren.

Image by dotbenjamin

A couple of weeks ago I was faced with a challenge unlike anything I’d experienced in the last few years while attending the Professional Golf Association’s premier event – the PGA Championship — at the beautiful Whistling Straights golf course in Kohler, Wis. I went to the tourney as a fan, not as a member of the media, which limited my communication throughout the day.

According to PGA rules, I was not allowed to bring a phone or mobile device of any kind (which in my case, are one in the same) into the venue.  I could deal with having to silence my phone, but to be removed from social media and email was trying for someone who depends on those tools to run and monitor a publicity business.

Image by golf_pictures

Image by williamhook