Social Media Audit: NHL Isaiah Summerlin
Section 1:
NHL Excel Sheet.
Social Media Audit Template (2) complete .xlsx
Section 2:
For this part of my audit, I had to find out how the fans and viewers who support the NHL respond to the media that they create. Looking at comments to figure out how the NHL could do better as a media staff. First, I checked some of their Instagram page comments. Right now, there are obviously a lot of Canada fans in the comments because of what happened in the Four Nations Final. A lot of positive on the Canada side but USA comes in with a lot of negative comments. A lot of Canadian verified accounts are in these comments as well supporting for example you have the Toronto Blue Jays, Tim Hortons, etc. It's just a lot of bickering in the comments between U.S.A. and Canada. For X or Twitter, I checked it is just a lot of NHL teams shouting out their players who play on Canada and the NHL retweeting them. The comments are just a lot of fans saying they need more hockey. The NHL posted a tweet that JJ Watt put out hyping up the final. I think having such a star in the sporting world like JJ Watt give a shoutout to hockey really makes fans feel like hockey is getting bigger and better because many different kinds of people are watching it now. Next, I checked the NHL’s YouTube. I felt like this would be shorter because YouTube is all videos, so I know they won’t have as much to post as X and Instagram. I was wrong, surprisingly because they uploaded a lot of videos over the night. Again, a lot of Canada and USA bickering going on. I also seen a lot of comments that this was people’s first hockey game that they sat down and fully watched. To me that tells you a lot about how much this sport is growing.
Section 3:
For this section of my audit, the professor asked us to use AI to figure out different ways that the NHL could improve as a social media department. I used this prompt as my question: "You are advising a social media strategist for the NHL. The goal is to uncover consumer-generated content ideas for social media. Please look at the NHL accounts on 6 large social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn). What ideas do you have for new content based on user comments and opinions?"
I asked Chat GPT, and it gave me some good feedback. Based on fan feedback from several platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, the NHL can implement a few ways to improve its social media engagement by utilizing consumer-generated content (CGC). To begin with, using social media sites like Facebook, Instagram Stories, and X to conduct interactive fan polls and surveys would include followers by soliciting their opinions on "Play of the Game," "Player of the Game," or game predictions. Fans are given a voice in the material and are encouraged to feel involved at this level of participation. Additionally, fans may connect with players and staff on a more personal level by posting behind-the-scenes content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, such as player warm-ups, locker room preparations, or travel moments. Fans might ask questions and engage with the players in real time via live Q&A sessions with players on YouTube Live or Instagram Live, which would strengthen the bond between the team and its followers. Additionally, by providing a variety of viewpoints and fostering greater fan interaction, sharing game highlights and analysis on YouTube and X along with integrated user comments and commentary will improve the viewing experience. Fans would feel closer to the athletes if they were given a behind-the-scenes look at their lives through player takeovers on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. Lastly, establishing fan-focused content series on YouTube and Instagram, such "Top Fan Moments" or "Fan of the Month," would honor the fan base and promote more interaction.
Section 4:
The main takeaway I gathered from the NHL and this assignment is that connecting with your fanbase and consumers is a key part into having a successful social media account. If your fans aren’t invested in the content as much as you are then you won’t be as successful as you can be. The NHL does a great job with making their profiles always up to date with good content quality that users will relate to. The Four Nations tournament was a great example of that. Users from across the world can connect with the NHL through social media, and I think that is a great way to grow the sport as a whole. The NHL also does a good job with keeping their teams in the mix with the actual NHL account on all social media platforms. I realized going through the NHL’s media accounts that they have similarities to the NFL’s. Both leagues partner with influencers, celebrities, and brands just to reach a wider audience. Both leagues did a great job with working their accounts around the new formatting in each all-star event they had, NFL being the new Pro Bowl format and NHL being the Four Nations Faceoff. The NHL is doing great with their social media accounts as you can see but they can take it even further and could maybe be in the talk of one of the best sports in not only America but the world.