Announcing the draft picks for any NFL or NBA franchise is a special time of the year when social media once again takes center stage. The fans are waiting in anticipation of who would be the next big thing taking their hopes and dreams forward. And that is why social media graphics are in the limelight once again. With fans instantly engaging and distributing the content posted by the sports franchises, the most creative of announcements come to the fore.
We have made a list of these draft picks announcements on social platforms which have made more than an impact on the digital realm to get you ready.
Share Stats in an eye-catching graphic of the drafted player
One of the simplest and the most effective ways to announce a draft pick is by sharing a cool-looking graphic with some statistics. This is exactly what the Milwaukee Bucks did on this occasion. The player picture on the right alongside his points average and other key numbers on the left leaves a clean and crisp look with loads of information for the fans to use. The timely posting of such graphics ensures a great reach for the content on social platforms.
Share a highlights reel of the draft pick announced
Nothing gets the fans going like watching the best of what their team’s drafted player has to offer. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL did so when they picked Joe Tryon and shared footage of some of his best plays from college football. The fans commented, shared, and loved consuming that content. It built anticipation and expectations for the fans for the upcoming season.
Draft picks signing their contracts
Talk about ensuring the connecting of the fans to the newly drafted player. This announcement technique just keeps everything organic and natural. Nothing seals the deal like signing a contract for your new team and those exact images were the ones shared by the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA to announce their draft pick to the fans once again.
Make the call to the drafted player and record their reaction
The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL went for a brilliant, out-of-the-box announcement strategy with their draft pick. Not only did they surprise the fans, but they had the drafted athlete experience the goosebumps as well. So here is what they did; they called the person they were about to draft on the phone, recorded the audio, and told him that they were signing him. Fantastic and priceless reactions were captured and shared on social media for the fans to revel in.
Share the reaction of the family of the drafted players with your fans
Caution: this might get you teary-eyed or jumping for joy. Or both. The Los Angeles Rams of the NFL encapsulated the moment of the draft pick like never before. By sharing the reactions of the families of their drafted players, they got the fans to experience something visceral. The sheer joy and excitement of the moment. The sheer emotion of it. Captured and shared on social platforms for the fans to enjoy and become a part of.
An inspiring animated video
The Tenessee Titans have a beautiful visual idea of announcing their draft pick to their fans online. They went about changing the player’s kit from the college team to their team’s design and color as the announcement of the draft pick was being played on the audio. Content like this one here is a great example of what fans like to see and share online. Everyone wants to be inspired and this content does the trick.
Announce new jerseys alongside the draft picks
Why not show your drafted picks in the team colors to your fans? And then also let them know what the new jersey numbers of the new players will be. As the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL demonstrate, not only does it make the announcement more personal for the fans. But it also gives the franchise a chance to let the followers know about the new merchandise that is up for sale and how they can become proud owners of it. It’s a win-win situation.
Video Message from the player
When it comes to covering all ends of making draft-pick announcements on social media, this campaign is a must. Whether the NBA or the NFL, video messages from newly-acquired players are a great way to get your fans excited and make them feel connected. The Green Bay Packers of the NFL shared one such message from their newly-arrived player and tagged him. He shared his excitement about joining the franchise and the fans got a chance to share their hopes and dreams with him.
Jersey change for the players
The Cincinnati Bengals had another innovative idea to make their draft pick announcement a sensation on the social media realm. With the graphic welcoming the latest recruit with his name and image, they decided to change his jersey to their team’s through some quick and catchy animations. All the information that a user would want to know was given plus a great way of branding was used by the franchise for the reveal.
Share the announcement video from the Draft
Another spectacular way of announcing the draft pick is to simply share the original footage of the announcer making the call during the draft. The Philadelphia 76ers shared their announcement directly with their fans on social platforms. This helps sports clubs to also quickly share the announcement as soon as it takes place, which helps get coverage at a boosted rate online. The sooner the right content is available for people to share, the more coverage it can be expected to have.
ROOKIE Photoshoot
The Utah Jazz of the NBA shared one of the great ways of connecting your fans to your draft pick announcement; that is through a photoshoot. With the player adorning the jersey of the sporting organization, the fans don’t have to leave much to the imagination. Sharing pictures generally of a team’s players is highly shareable content. So, one can only imagine how well such a campaign can do online with the latest incoming players.
Here is how you can organize your draft picks on social media in 7 engaging campaigns
As you can see from the list above, the NFL and NBA are filled with a variety of creative ideas on how the franchises announce their new arrivals. From animated videos and draft footage to the reactions of the families being captured, social media draft picks content can truly gather a storm.
Having said that, why not utilize the whole draft pick event rather than just sharing the announcements? After all, the social numbers can be stacked up higher and that’s part of the goal, right? So here is a list of the essential campaigns you need to maximize your utilization of the draft picks and get even better results.
1. Build up to the draft picks on social media
Building up to the draft day is a must-have on your to-do list. Alongside building anticipation for the fans, this campaign highlights the importance of the upcoming event and gets the fans excited. The Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL shared the story of one of their players from the past and made him talk about the journey of his career after being drafted.
2. Get the fans involved
There is no denying that social media is a two-way street of communication. And the night of the draft picks is a fantastic opportunity to get the fans involved and have their say. Moreover, it gets the fans to feel a part of the process. Hence building up for the draft, the Denver Nuggets of the NBA asked their fans to list their favorite memories from the years gone by. Invites like these make the fans engage with the content and encourage more interactions, bolstering the reach.
3. Announcing the Draft Picks day on Social Media
Another essential component of campaigns covering the draft picks on social media is the announcement of the draft day itself. The Miami Heat of the NBA did exactly that on this occasion to inform their fans that the special day is here. Making a collage of the players from the year gone by, the fans were prepared to expect announcements and share the content online.
4. Share the pick order through a cool graphic
The draft pick order is an indispensable idea for the social media platforms to cover the event. That is why the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL let their fans know what the pick order for the draft is going to be. Such a graphic lets the fans know how their franchise is participating in the event. Which makes such a graphic highly shareable and makes it a vital part of the overall strategy.
5. Announce each pick as it happens
This is what it all comes down to in the end. Your fans want to be updated instantly on social media as the draft picks happen in real-time. The Green Bay Packers of the NFL did this impeccably in the 2021 campaign. Their graphics were timely which included the name, and position alongside other details about the players for higher distribution of the content.
6. Get players to record a video message for their fans
As soon as the fans know who is coming to their team, they want to know more about them. A video message hits right home in this regard. The Denver Nuggets of the NBA shared a video of the recruit with the excitement of the imminent prospect being shared by the latter. This campaign is nothing less than gold. It gets the personality of the players across to the fans as well and gives them an opportunity to connect quickly with the player.
7. Announce the whole draft picks on social media through a graphic
Once the dust is settled. The draft is over. A recap of the entire picks is pivotal. The Arizona Cardinals did this brilliantly through the graphic being shared by them. The fans get all the information in one place and find out who was picked when by their franchise.
Create draft pick graphics in a couple of minutes
The draft brings about a fantastic opportunity for the sports franchises to connect with their fans. Using the power of social media by utilizing creative campaigns for the draft picks, there is much mileage to be gained. And that is where Kickly comes in for the rescue.
Kickly provides you with all the tools to create draft pick graphics in a couple of minutes. You have ready-made templates at your disposal to announce your picks on social media and share the excitement with the fans. And with the recently released mobile version at your disposal as well to help you on the go, getting the best out of the event is easier than ever before.
