Back in April of 2016, I comprised a report on the Golden State Warriors’ social media for Dr. Brown’s Media Relations class at the University of Tampa. Although a lot has changed since then (some dude named Kevin Durant is on the team nowadays), the report still has some legs when it comes to evaluating what does and does not work with social media. Content is king, but as Golden State illustrates, structure can go a long way.
Web URL: http://www.nba.com/warriors
Basic features:
- Team mantra: “Strength in Numbers” welcomes the user in the top left corner
- Lucrative banner advertisement for the arena name sponsor, Oracle, is at the top
- Easily accessible game recaps and previews (primarily videos and some articles)
- “Trending now” tab with top tweets about the Warriors from pundits and players
- Videos are heavily pushed throughout the site – combining highlights, interviews & shorter videos that showcase the players as “normal” individuals.
- “Find tickets” button that makes buying tickets as simple as one-click
- “Shop now” button that displays special playoff gear and other merchandise
- An email subscriber tab that promotes their insider newsletter
Look/Design/Navigation:
With the website being underneath the NBA.com umbrella, I was not surprised that I was welcomed to a thoroughly clean, aesthetically pleasing website design. Navigation is clean due to the flurry of tabs and sub-tabs at the top of the page, and the tile layout is eerily similar to that of Google Plus – a design in which most people are pleased with. Watching videos and consuming content can be done in a pinch, causing users to spend endless minutes on the website without even realizing. It is easy to get sucked into watching a video of Stephen Curry’s day with President Obama when your initial plan was to show your friend how outrageous the ticket prices are.
Best/Worst aspect(s) of site:
Best: Without a doubt, the best aspect of the site is the way that the content is so seamlessly integrated into the browsing experience. As I mentioned before, videos are an obvious initiative of the site due to the demographic of their target audience. Those that are most likely to surf the web – the millennial generation – are drawn to short videos that can be consumed by the dozen. The NBA as a whole are experts in providing users with desirable material and it is apparent that they realize that their team websites need to be centered around video content or they will struggle to generate the requisite traffic to be deemed a success. It is helpful that the Warriors are one of the most marketable teams of all-time, but I feel confident in saying that there would be a plethora of playable content for every team.
Worst: There is a scenario where I could see a novice computer user becoming overwhelmed by the website design. For instance, if I were to show my grandma how to buy Warriors tickets on the website, her eyes would most likely bulge in horror and she would begin to shake her head with a puzzled look on her face. Eventually, she would belch out a “screw this,” and walk away from the computer in disgust. Also, there is minimal written content in comparison to videos and as someone who heavily enjoys the written word, I selfishly would like that to change.
Target Audience:
Based on the formation of the site and type of content provided, it is fairly obvious that the Warriors/NBA are attempting to cater to the younger generation. Not every “senior surfer” will grow as frustrated as my grandma, but I would be hard-pressed to believe that the elderly are going to flock to the Warriors’ website to consume endless amounts of videos. And that is the way it should be — the Warriors have captured the hearts of children all across America with their array of skill players capable of uncorking holy jumpers.
Facebook:
Basic features:
- The profile picture is a sleek logo that highlights the Golden Gate Bridge
- Black is a consistent theme in both the profile picture and cover photo
- Chronological timeline of posts that can be scrolled through
- The cover photo is yellow tally marks on a black backdrop – a tally mark is added after each Golden State victory … nice touch!
- Timeline is present on the right side spanning from 1946 (when the franchise was created) to present day
- “Apps” tab on the left side provides an easy outlet to interact with the team store, buy tickets and learn about team photo opportunities
Look/Design/Navigation:
It is more difficult to make a Facebook page feel unique other than mixing and matching the profile picture and cover photo when warranted. With that said, the Warriors do a great job of representing their “hip” brand with black being the dominant color.
As the above picture illustrates, there are tabs right next to the profile picture that enhance the user experience. Adoring fans can cycle through upcoming events, photos and learn about their beloved team by clicking on the “about” tab. Additionally, there is a nifty “like” button nestled to the right of the profile picture, allowing users to proclaim their love of the Warriors to all of their friends and family.
Best/Worst aspect(s) of platform:
Best: Aside from the smooth nature of the platform and ability to interact with fans with minimal effort, the best thing the Warriors do with their Facebook is quite simple: they keep up with it. The timeline is filled with updates from practice; assorted videos, photos and other announcements to further engage their fan base.
The above post was especially unique in that it was a simple reminder for fans to be weary of the fact that there will be two events taking place within a confined area and that parking is going to be a tremendous hassle. Rather than sit idle and brace for what is to come, Golden State went the other way and attempted to use their outreach to be proactive and push guests to use public transit – shout to the BART — to get to the game. Brilliant.
Worst: In a surprising turn of events, I did not see giveaways of any kind during the time I invested into researching the platform. I was almost positive that giveaways were going to be the primary objective of the Facebook page, but as it turns out, I was way off. Golden State may be missing an opportunity to further ingratiate themselves with fans by hooking them up with some sweet new gear. Then again, it may not matter at all because of the marketability of their players.
Target Audience:
Again, any social media involvement is usually going to be tailored towards the younger generation by default. Yet, I can see a difference in the way that the Facebook page is structured in comparison to the website. There are fewer videos, and a bunch of the commenters on each post would be classified as adults after a brief snoop on their respective profile picture. Conclusion: the Warriors are still trying to reach millennials, but with a few more nuggets mixed in for the older crowd as well.
Snapchat:
Basic features:
- Warrior-specific geotags that shows friends that you are cooler than them because you are at a Warriors game
- Other geotags that show the score of the game, stats & additional interesting musings
- Ability to add emojis to pictures and videos to curate some laughs
- Provides a different perspective on viewing a game/highlight
- Behind the scenes look at the players, coaches and staff
Look/Design/Navigation:
Snapchat has experienced a vast increase in both users and notoriety in recent years because of the additions of stories, badges, filters and geotags. Although there are countless features to play around with, navigating the app is not always the easiest of ventures. It is not uncommon to get lost within the app despite its simplistic design, and if you are unaware of where to click or press to activate app extensions, you will drown yourself in a sea of confusion. When everything is working on all cylinders, Snapchat is a useful tool to follow your favorite people or sports franchises to enhance your knowledge of what their everyday lives consist of.
Users are able to toggle through stories, chat with their friends and accumulate different badges based on their interaction with the app. Take a screenshot of a friend’s photo, and you will receive a badge that will assumingly make you feel all tingly inside.
Best/Worst aspect(s) of platform:
Best: The Warriors do a splendid job of pulling the curtain behind what goes on behind the scenes on a day-to-day basis. Each update has a purpose and flows at a constant stream. I happened to follow their account primarily because of this project, but they have undoubtedly earned my follow from here on out due to gems like this:
Worst: Although Golden State’s social media staff does a solid job incorporating the players in the stories and updates as much as they can; one has to think that this platform is a bit underutilized. It is difficult to interact with fans specifically — there are no “re-snaps” or anything of that nature. For the most part, it is a one-way message to their publics, and that is why Snapchat falls a tier below Facebook and Twitter in the unofficial social media power rankings.
Target Audience:
Snapchat is overwhelmingly tailored to fulfill the needs of the younger generation with its assortment of video content and new software additions. Much like that weirdo young lady that collected badges for the Hunger Games, there are people out there that accumulate the most badges so that they are able to puff their chest over their lowly peers. There are some parents that have dared to cross over into the world of Snapchat (God bless them), but a majority of its users are millennials.
In terms of the Warriors, only super fans tend to invest the time and wherewithal to follow their Snapchat account. It is difficult to convince a casual observer for a follow, as watching what goes in practice, at press conferences, etc, will not amuse them and perhaps even infuriate them.
Vine:
Basic features:
- Six second video that is sorted in a list view
- Playback is automatic – users can cycle through content for hours without realizing
- Like and revine posts to share with your friends and followers
- Search for accounts and browse the “popular now” tab
- App will recommend videos for you to watch based off of your activity
Look/Design/Navigation:
Sporting a smooth interface, the Vine mobile app has increased in quality since I was first introduced to the platform a few years ago. The home page greets user with their “feed,” showcasing the latest vines from followed accounts. Once you view a video, a quick swipe right will take a user to a “people also watched” section, which can lead to all kinds of rabbit holes.
An explore tab is combined with the search bar, allowing a novice user to navigate their way through videos that are separated by categories under labels as simple as “NBA Playoffs” and “Comedy.” Creating your own vine is made easy by way of the not so subtle green camera button at the bottom of the app. Overall, there a lot of moving parts within the interface, but the concise nature of the design will allow first-time users to adapt rather quickly.
It was interesting that Golden State did not stick with the “blackout” theme for their profile picture and cover photo a la their Facebook page. Instead, they swapped out black for a rendition of their secondary blue color, creating a light-hearted feel for their account.
Best/Worst aspect(s) of platform:
Best: Unlike Snapchat where the video content consists of press conferences, practices and other behind the scenes action, Golden State’s Vine account tries to primarily post in-game highlights in real time. I loved that they went in this direction in order to separate the personality of each app. I know exactly what content I will receive if I follow the Warriors on Snapchat in comparison to Vine. Other sport organization’s accounts struggle with this separation of church and state per say, and I marvel at the structure of the Warriors’ social media staff.
Worst: Despite my admiration with the content structure, in-game highlights are not as universally appealing to the casual observer; thus contributing to the account claiming a miniscule 213k followers. (For comparison, the Instagram account has a whopping 3.9 million followers.) But again, this goes back to the organization and brand of the different social media platforms. Every post has a purpose and it speaking to a specific audience.
Target Audience:
Based on the content, the Vine account is appealing to basketball junkies such as myself that are looking to relive a play/highlight that just occurred minutes before. Fans are not whisking their way to the Warriors’ Vine page to laugh or cry. No, fans go to the page to bask in the reflective glory of witnessing Steph Curry take reign on the league by raining threes at the mercy of any opponent willing to stand in his way.
Bringing it all together:
If there is a social media platform in existence, chances are that the Golden State Warriors are going to be associated with it in some way, shape or form:
Kudos to them for tying the knot with Weibo — a service that we even neglected to spotlight during our platform analysis presentations (and that is saying something). Some platforms are given more attention than others based on their following and perceived value of each post. Even so, the not-so popular accounts still post content from time to time – there are no yearlong droughts of neglect.
In a general sense, the Warriors are largely speaking to their fans through social media in order to enhance their branding and give followers the allusion that they are a part of the journey with them. The overall goals are to: paint their players in a positive light, associate their brand with entertaining traits, be genuinely funny, interact with fans, and generate traffic and buzz for their website while simultaneously pushing revenue for merchandise and ticket sales. There are no scandalous tweets or posts – every social interaction is given proper credence and makes a user want to know more about the team. At the end of the day, that is all a team can ask from their social media department.
Due to their proximity to Silicon Valley, Golden State has an obvious advantage in knowledge of how to utilize social media to its fullest. There is a unique focus on video compared to other sport organization’s social media accounts, and I believe that is the correct path of pursuit to scale their social footprint to the masses. Video, along with memes, are the most likely pieces of social currency to go viral and the Warriors have positioned themselves as a powerful provider of a variety of playback options.
Consumer interaction is high within the Twitter and Facebook-sphere, but could be improved on the other platforms. I understand that it is more difficult on Vine and Snapchat, but perhaps player integration is the next phase of Warriors social media. Players/coaches could give specific fans (or the fan base in general) special six-second shout outs that will have an everlasting effect on said fan. Digital autographs are becoming more and more noteworthy to drooling followers.
Since their inception to the social media landscape, the Warriors have ascended to the forefront of utilization. As I have mentioned consistently throughout this report, videos are heavily pushed as the main content source, but that has been a narrative that has played out over time in parallel to technological advances. Back in the early days of Twitter (2009), Golden State would not incorporate video highlights because there was no technology present to do so. The written word was a bigger contributor to both the website and the rest of the platforms before eventually being phased out for more engaging endeavors.
Honestly, there are few things I would change about how the Warriors go about things from a social media perspective. They are extremely cognizant of what kind of content goes on each platform and are experts in creating an engaging brand that speaks to their publics. The only gripe I would have is that the players are not involved enough with fan engagement. There are plenty of instances where their talents are showcased, but to take things to the next level, we need to be exposed to their personalities. Now, suggesting such a thing is much easier said than done, as a player’s privacy needs to be held intact. However, maybe we will get to a point in the near future where a happy medium is eclipsed. If there were any team that can achieve such a standard, I would bet my money Golden State.
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