How Social Media Builds Community Engagement for Streaming Events

Schools that broadcast their events have the opportunity to foster community engagement with the power of social media. By using social media to promote streamed events, you can grow your fanbase and increase revenue to reinvest in your programs.

Strategic social media efforts can result in more subscribers, more viewers logging in to watch events, and ultimately more enthusiasm for your programs when viewers are delighted by your performances on the field and in the gym! In this guide, you’ll discover the five key benefits of social media for building your streaming audience and best practices for promoting your events.

Tip: We understand that establishing a presence on social media takes time and dedication. Did you know that the NFHS Network actually promotes your events for you to increase viewership and connect with your community? Our team automates event promotion with personalized social media posts, emails, and search ads to your loyal fans and potential viewers near your school. 

5 Reasons Why Schools Should Use Social Media to Promote Streaming Events

Social media is an increasingly important tool for schools to use when promoting events, especially for live and on-demand broadcasts. Schools that align social media with streaming can accomplish these initiatives: 

1. Grow your fanbase. 
   
   Social media platforms have millions of users. Your student body and other fans in your community spend significant amounts of time on social media. You can reach a much wider audience by promoting your events on social media. These efforts are particularly impactful for broadcasted events, as you can connect with fans who may not have the opportunity to watch the games live.
   
   
2. Engage with your audience. 
   
   Social media allows schools to interact with their audience in real-time. Beyond sharing information, schools can use social media to answer questions and engage in conversations with fans. This two-way communication can help build a sense of community and increase engagement with school events.
   
   When you’re promoting streaming events, the most popular types of social posts are announcements about upcoming events to let people know that the events are available and how to access them. Other popular posts include sharing results and highlights of past events. These posts can encourage reactions from fans and build enthusiasm and awareness.
   
   
3. Increase streaming subscriptions. 
   
   By promoting events on social media, schools can increase awareness of the event and encourage more people to log on to watch. For events that typically have lower attendance in person, streaming can help reach new fans and increase engagement.
   
   Streaming can also be a great option to offer your fans when events sell out. Even if your fans can’t get tickets to attend in person, they won’t miss out on the big game.
   
   
4. Minimize expenses and drive revenue. 
   
   Social media is typically much more cost-effective than other forms of marketing and communications. This makes it an attractive option for schools that may have limited budgets for event promotion.
   
   You're always welcome and encouraged to promote your own events with the best practices we’ve outlined in the next section. Additionally, NFHS Network member schools automatically get their events promoted through social media, email, and search ads at no cost. Our targeted campaigns can help reach more fans who may not see your original content.
   
   
5. Track results easily. 
   
   Social media platforms offer detailed analytics that enables schools to track the success of their promotional efforts. You can use this data to see how many people are viewing your posts, clicking on links, and subscribing to watch. This information can help you understand what’s working well, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your strategy as needed.
   
   

Overall, social media is a powerful tool that can help schools promote events more effectively and reach a wider audience. By using social media to promote events, schools can increase viewership, build a sense of community, and track the success of their promotional strategy.

8 Steps to Increase Streaming Viewership and Engagement with Social Media

You can use this quick checklist each week when planning your social media posts to promote your streaming events. We know how complex this can get when you have multiple events throughout the week. Our team is here to help elevate your brand presence on social media with our marketing automation and best practices.

1. Determine your target audience. 
   
   Identify the people or groups who are most likely to be interested in your streaming events. This might include students, parents, alumni, and members of the local community. When juggling multiple sports, consider how to showcase all weekly events in one post. This will save time, versus publishing information about every event.
   
   
2. Set specific goals. 
   
   Determine what you hope to achieve through your promotional efforts. This might include increasing attendance, generating more social media engagement, or building excitement about the games. Is the goal to simply publish the announcement? Or, are you trying to measure new subscribers this week? Decide what metrics you will try to move.
   
   
3. Create a content calendar. 
   
   Plan out the types of content you will create and share each week to promote your streaming events. This might include teaser trailers, behind-the-scenes videos, or other types of multimedia content. It may not be feasible to create this content for every event, and that’s okay. However, consider how you may be able to accomplish some special promotional content on a seasonal basis. Students can help too!
   
   
4. Choose the right social media platforms. 
   
   Select the social media platforms that are most likely to reach your target audience. These might include platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat. Generally, a school’s parent community is on Facebook and Twitter. Students spend a lot of time on Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok. If you have a strong following on one, we recommend that you stick to it and show up consistently to build trust with your followers.
   
   
5. Use hashtags and keywords.
   
   Use relevant hashtags and keywords to make your content more discoverable on social media. This will help users who are interested in your games find your content more easily, and it may also help you reach a wider audience. You can find popular hashtags well in advance of your publishing date. Consider working with student leadership to help establish this as well.
   
   
6. Promote your games in advance. 
   
   Start promoting your games well in advance of the actual streaming date. This will help build anticipation and give people time to plan to attend.
   
   
7. Communicate with your fans. 
   
   Respond to comments and messages from your fans and encourage them to share their own content related to the games. This can help build a sense of community and increase engagement with your streaming events.
   
   
8. Monitor your progress.
   
   Track the success of your promotional efforts with key metrics like attendance, social media engagement, and website traffic. Use this data to adjust your promotional strategy as needed.
   
   

By following these steps consistently, you can effectively promote all of your school's streaming events and build excitement and engagement for your school's sports and activities. Remember, our team is here to help promote your events for you to expand your reach even further. 

To learn more about how your school can benefit from broadcasting your events with the NFHS Network, contact us for a quick overview.