Athletes and Social Media

This is an idea that came from a very good friend of mine, who is a journalist himself. He asked me for my opinion on athletes and the use of social networks.

I am a frequent user of Facebook and Twitter and they have become a part of my daily life. Everyday I wake up, get ready, then check Twitter for the latest news. At first, Twitter wasn't very appealing to me, because I thought it was just Facebook status updates, so i was unsure of the use. But once I started to spend more time on it, and began following the right people, an addiction had set in. A lot of the people I follow are sports news sources, both locally and nationally, and the athletes in those sports.

Now, I don't know how well athletes interact with their fans on Facebook, but I do know it is very easy to develop somewhat of a relationship with the athletes. On Facebook, there are fan pages, but anybody can make those and one wouldn't know how legitimate it really is. Twitter, on the other hand, has a setting to where you can verify whether or not you are a celebrity or not. This little blue check mark will tell you if the person you are following is really him or her or not. This is what puts Twitter a step ahead of Facebook and it is something that i find really cool.

There are hundreds of athletes on Twitter and it is a special platform where they can interact and get to know their fans. On the other side of the spectrum, the fans can get to know the real people behind the athletes they see on tv. Some of the few that I follow are Misty May-Treanor (@MistyMayTreanor), Chad Ochocinco (@ochocinco), Landon Donovan (@landondonovan), Kei Kamara (@keikamara), and Brandon Phillips (@DatDudeBP), among others. A lot of these athletes do giveaways on Twitter. They use trivia or ask opinion questions in order to give away prizes to fans. Kevin Durant (@KDthunderup), has done scavenger hunts using fan submitted photos and given away signature headphones and shoes. This is an excellent way to get to know fans and interact with them.

Chad Ochocinco is one of my favorite people to follow. Many people see him as an arrogant and cocky jerk, but those that follow him on Twitter have learned that he is a genuine person. He often asks for opinions on things and will reply to fans with good answers. He earned a tryout with Sporting KC (@SportingKC) by talking with Kei Kamara through this forum. He also had the opportunity to ride a bull by communicating with a PBR rider through Twitter. It is the perfect way for fans to see the real people.

I have fallen victim to this addiction and am proud of it. I love using Twitter and communicating through it. I have been contacted by professional and amateur athletes alike because I communicate with them. It is truly an awesome way for both parties to build their character.