Why Sportsbooks and Social Media
Make for A Perfect Partnership
If you’d floated the idea even a couple of decades ago that the world would soon be connected by social media, you would have been confronted by puzzled looks. Not only was social media an unknown concept at the time, the tech that has made it possible also didn’t exist.
Similarly, if you’d suggested even in 2017 that sportsbooks would soon be legal in the United States it would have been met with considerable skepticism. But this all changed on the historic occasion in May 2018 when the Supreme Court pronounced that any State willing to allow sports betting would from then on be able to introduce the necessary legislation.
Now, over three years since this pronouncement was made, the worlds of social media and sportsbooks have formed a very successful symbiotic relationship. And it’s not just the sportsbooks that are crucial in this coming together, it’s the nature of sport and sports fans too.
The Influence on Betting
Naturally, the closest links between the two come from the ways in which social media can influence its users to interact with sportsbooks.
Along with virtually every other sector in the business world, the betting industry has been keen to adopt social media for marketing purposes. It’s a quick, relatively cheap, and easy way for any brand to reach out to customers. It’s also one that allows two-way communication.
This has made it the perfect way to publicize bonuses and other offers to followers, not to mention supporting big events.
For example, any sportsbook wanting to publicize something like betting on important games in the NBA, they can get relevant information out straight away to fans. So, say there’s an injury to a key player at the LA Lakers, they can break the news and announce how it changes the odds. The sportsbook can let followers know, sometimes even before other media are able to.
The other big benefit that social media has is that it is able to build a friendly and informal relationship between sportsbook and followers, encouraging loyalty and really expressing the essence of a brand.
Fan Zones
The viral nature of social media also means that messages are easily shared and forwarded so the net thrown out by the sportsbooks spreads ever wider. This is especially true when the content is genuinely, new, engaging and of real relevance to followers of a particular sport or athlete.
So, it can only take a matter of minutes for it to make its way out into the world, connecting more and more fans to its original source – if that’s what they want to do.
In Touch with The Stars
Of course, sports of all kinds would be nothing without their star performers. Just like for musicians, actors and celebrities, social media gives them the chance to connect more directly than ever before with their fans. You only have to look at the huge numbers of followers that the biggest names attract on social media like Instagram to see how powerful this link can be.
While it doesn’t directly benefit the sportsbooks themselves, the more that fans feel connected with their heroes and heroines, the more likely they may be to place a bet on them or their teams.
A Closer Look at Specific Social Media
Different platforms serve different purposes when it comes to sport, but most have something to offer.
YouTube is where fans can usually find footage virtually any sporting event that you could name. So if they want to see how two teams fared against each other in the past, this would be one of the first places to look.
We’ve already mentioned at Instagram. But there is more to it than just being a platform for the sports stars to reach out to their followers. Often, it’s a good place to find betting tips and other advice – although it often comes with very little context to back up people’s recommendations.
Facebook is somewhere that you’re far more likely to come across paid-for promotions for sportsbooks rather than analysis – although it is very good for fan groups of particular sports and sports teams. So, in terms of rooting out great bonus deals and putting you in touch with other like-minded fans, it certainly has its place.
But the one platform that is generally considered to lead the way is Twitter. Look around and you’ll find insight, entertainment, and unique content. The character limits also mean that this is likely to be succinct and to the point.
Looking to the future, with the phenomenal explosion in the number of sportsbooks coming into existence in the US, we’re set to see even more use of social media.
What’s more, the sportsbooks are likely to become even more inventive and creative in the way that they handle it – so get ready for some real game-changing moves.
