SimonSEZ

Marcn 31, 2002

The New Orleans Pelicans has an impressive social media presence. Between Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the NBA brand has more than 5.3 million followers. The Pels organization is active on all three platforms and does a good job using a variety of content (short video reels, longer content videos, live press conferences, and photos) to connect with its fans. 

The social media team posts frequently, which makes sense considering we are in the heart of the NBA season. Instagram posts focus on in-game photos as well as POV-type video reels. Players such as Jose Alborado and CJ McCollum speak directly to the audience in the reels, helping people feel connected to the team on a personal level. Facebook’s content is very similar to Instagram, probably because the two platforms are easily managed in one place, through Meta (old Facebook). One difference is that the Facebook page hosts “The Squad,” a monthly video segment in the Events section. This is a longer form video (less than ten minutes in length) that is a behind-the-scenes look at the franchise, its players and coaches. (https://www.facebook.com/events/283798757112225/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A%5B%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%7D%5D%7D)

The Pelicans organization is most active on Twitter, where there are multiple posts on game days, including pre-game coverage, in-game updates and post-game press conferences. It is also the platform where the team showcases its personality by posting more fan-oriented tweets. Posts can be sarcastic and include “smack talk” that you don’t necessarily see on Facebook or Instagram. A perfect example is the tweet it sent following the comeback win over the Lakers Sunday night when the Pels photoshopped the ESPN News headline to highlight the Pelicans win rather than the Lakers loss. The tweet said, “Fixed a few typos for ya @ESPN. This one is free, next edit will cost ya.”

One recommendation I would have is to integrate the short-length POV videos that are Instagram with Twitter. Twitter followers who are not on Instagram are missing out on getting to see individual player’s personalities. This would help connect fans to the team as a whole, but also to the players who make up the team. If fans are connected to a particular player, they may be more likely to purchase higher priced gear such as customized player jerseys.