Teams Using Twitter to Connect with Fans

Many teams are using Twitter and other social media to stay in touch with their fans. Twitter allows teams to advertise, promote and provide news to fans for no price -- an increasingly effective tool in sports marketing.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, for example, have made good use of Twitter. For a recent home game, they used Twitter for a special ticket giveaway. The Phoenix Suns are another team that has used Twitter to its advantage. Led by Director of Digital Media & Research, @PhoenixSunsGirl, the Suns have established quite the Twitter presence.

Shaquille O'Neal and Steve Nash both have Twitter accounts, which they use to update fans about their lives and have real one-on-one connections with them. While Nash may or may not be the one updating his Twitter account, Shaq is no doubt a Twitter fanatic who Tweets consistently throughout the day:

• "To all twitterers , if u c me n public come say hi, we r not the same we r from twitteronia, we connect"
  

• "I feel twitterers around me, r there any twitterers in 5 n diner wit me, say somethin"

This Tweet by Shaq prompted two lucky fans at the same 5 n diner to say hi to the Diesel. If anyone is skeptical whether it is The_Real_Shaq, rest assured it is. One skeptical fan became a believer when Shaq called him on the phone to prove his point.

While Twitter began as a simple tool to update friends on "what you are doing," it has evolved into something much greater and significant than that. It has become a legitimate news outlet and marketing tool. Twitter also allows for third-party applications, and there is no shortage of useful applications out there. One application which I find particularly useful is Twackle, an aggregator of sports news. Twackle allows you to choose your favorite team or league and receive all that has been said about it on Twitter, from ESPN and the local newspaper to your blog-obsessed friend Greg.

It is important for sports teams and companies in general to establish a presence on Twitter, as the technology will only continue gaining popularity. In addition to providing its fans with news updates and connecting with them on a more personal level (oh, the irony), Twitter allows teams to more easily receive feedback from fans. Using an aggregator like Twackle can help teams keep up with what fans are saying about them -- both good and bad.

You can find me on Twitter @JeromeHarrison. I just created my account recently but am appreciating its usefulness more and more every day. Sign up, it can only help!