<\/p>\n
This story is the third in a series about how marketers for sports teams and leagues around the world approach social media strategy.<\/em><\/p>\n The WNBA is in the midst of arguably its biggest season ever, having opened with its most-watched games in history and recently signing a new media rights deal that will reportedly bring the league $2.2 billion over 11 years.<\/p>\n The league isn\u2019t just gaining momentum on TV. Its views on social platforms are also on the rise\u2014the first week of the season had 157 million video views\u2014and some team social media managers are looking to capitalize.<\/p>\n At the New York Liberty, which made it all the way to the league finals last year before falling to back-to-back champs the Las Vegas Aces and already clinched a spot in this year\u2019s playoffs, Social Media Coordinator Charlie DeSadier\u2019s approach to creating content for a growing fanbase hinges on relatability and versatility\u2014posting on multiple platforms every day with everything from off-court antics to game-day coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very intentional about connecting with our audience, making sure that I know who I’m engaging with, what their interests are\u2026and making sure that I\u2019m able to execute and give them what they\u2019re looking for,\u201d DeSadier told Marketing Brew. \u201c[I\u2019m] following trends, being immersed within culture, and making sure that I\u2019m staying sharp on what\u2019s going on in the world so that I\u2019m able to tailor our content to our audience and our players.\u201d<\/p>\n The Liberty tends to generate the most engagement on TikTok and Instagram, DeSadier said, and she likes that they\u2019re primarily visual. She said that the Liberty\u2019s TikTok views grew by 446% last season, although the team declined to share more specific figures.<\/p>\n DeSadier kept the team\u2019s socials active during the Olympic break, during which the USA women\u2019s basketball team won its eighth consecutive gold medal. The most engaged-with post from that period, with over 614,000 impressions, according to DeSadier, is a photo of Sabrina Ionescu with University of South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley.<\/p>\n In terms of typical game-day content, the Liberty\u2019s social strategy isn\u2019t just about what\u2019s going down on the court, but \u201cthe entire game-day experience,\u201d DeSadier said. This includes player fit checks, fan features, and posts starring boisterous Liberty mascot Ellie, an elephant known for her style, dance moves, and overall main character energy.<\/p>\n Naturally, the Liberty\u2019s players are the stars of the show on social media every day of the year, but it\u2019s not solely about how good they are on the court; DeSadier also posts plenty of what she called \u201cpersonality content,\u201d like players showing off their handshakes, which tends to perform well among Liberty followers.<\/p>\n Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n One video of the team naming the most famous people in their phones clocked more than 4 million views, while another about the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef got more than 2.5 million views. A post about the team playing \u201cguess the tweet\u201d saw more than a million views, all in about a month, according to the Liberty.<\/p>\n Another recent TikTok video, in which DeSadier asked the players if they prefer Chicago or New York pizza, racked up more than 700,000 views within the month it was posted, according to the team. Forward Kayla Thornton opted for Papa Johns over either of those iconic options, which resulted in another TikTok video that saw more than 48,000 views in a few weeks, per the team (plus a free stack of pizzas from the chain).<\/p>\n \u201cIt really brought in everybody,\u201d DeSadier said. \u201cIt brought in that Chicago fan base, it brought in pizza lovers, it brought in our Liberty fan base, and it was just really fun to showcase player personalities.\u201d<\/p>\n DeSadier works with a team that includes two videographers and a photographer who travel with the Liberty and keep the cameras rolling. They typically try to post the content they capture immediately \u201cto give our audience a glimpse of what our players are up to in real time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But with athletes\u2019 busy schedules, opportunities for social media managers to capture off-court player content can sometimes be few and far between. DeSadier said she\u2019s able to do it in part because she\u2019s built close relationships with the players. She added that she attends every practice, and \u201cif it\u2019s an intense practice, if vibes were low\u2026I read the room\u201d and won\u2019t necessarily break out the camera that day.<\/p>\n \u201cI think part of Charlie\u2019s success is her relatability to the players,\u201d Liberty Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson said. \u201cThey\u2019re around the same age, and she\u2019s just able to vibe with them in a way that is very natural and unforced.\u201d<\/p>\n Liberty followers will even occasionally hear DeSadier\u2019s voice in the social content, which Stephenson said fans have picked up on and tend to appreciate. Even in the offseason, when some teams struggle to keep social engagement up, DeSadier said Liberty fans are still loyal.<\/p>\n \u201cThey ride with us.\u201d she said. \u201cWhatever we\u2019re putting out, they\u2019re eating it up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHere, there, everywhere<\/h2>\n
Personality test<\/h2>\n
Get marketing news you’ll actually want to read<\/h5>\n
Secret sauce<\/h2>\n