#FlipboardChat: How Sports Teams Can Use Flipboard Magazines

Jenn de la Vega / August 11, 2015

Every Wednesday evening, members of the Flipboard Club—an unofficial group of passionate evangelists—hold a Twitter chat about a Flipboard-centric topic. We share the tips and ideas discussed there each week and the next topic is “Creative Magazine Ideas for New Parents”. Join in the chat at 7pm PT / 10pm ET via the #FlipboardChat hashtag on Twitter. If the time zone doesn’t work for you, join this Facebook group to stay in the loop.

Last week, participants chatted about “How Sports Teams Can Use Flipboard Magazines.” Here’s what they said:

What is your favorite sports team and how do you engage with them online?

• The Yankees!!! And, cuz I’m a Jersey girl, the NJ Devils. I like/RT their posts but don’t engage beyond that.
• I love love love USA Gymnastics and I watch a lot of their videos.
• Manchester United. Twitter, news, blogs, message boards, video highlights.
• Let’s not forget US Women’s Soccer Team!!
• My favorite sports team is the Houston Rockets.
• All things Dallas: Cowboys, Rangers, Stars, Mavs. I follow all and various players etc. on Twitter.
• My favorite team is the Giants football team.
• Too many favorite teams to name. Sacramento Kings, Cardinals, ASU Football, ColumbusCrew SC Soccer.

How can sports teams benefit from using Flipboard Magazines?

• A sports team could show their players, behind the scenes, road games — and engage with fans on a Flipboard mag.
• More ‘get to know your players’ info/interviews for every team member, not just big names.
• Sports teams can benefit from using the sharing features and promote their video streams.
• Fans like to talk about their teams and experience the game as if they’re there. Teams should give us that experience.
• Make a highlight reel on Hudl and share it through Flipboard.
• The latest compose tool and the comments can really help sports teams connect with their readers.
• Teams may benefit sharing more intimate stories about life outside of team so fans see they are people, too.
  

What are some creative ideas for Flipboard magazines by a sports team?

• The athlete diet mag could be really cool, nutritional advice from the coach to play your best.
• Instagram selfies, team news.
• Behind scenes as mentioned, All-22 films breakdown of plays (football). Different angles on plays. Lots of cool stuff.
• Video interviews with players or coaches. Hold contests!
• Teams could create mags about any community work or volunteering they do.
• Following a new player from his first day on the team.

How often should a sports magazine on Flipboard be updated?

• Depending on the sport of course, could be every day, could be every week. Up to the curator to decide.
• Everyday…you always need to have new information to keep readers coming back.
• As often as there are games! Definitely a lot during the season. And as often as there’s good content off-season.
• Only if there is enough content to do it daily.
• During NBA Free agency the past month, the news was fast and furious. No pun intended. Very frequently.
• Everyday esp during season. Nothing worse than finding a cool mag last updated in 2013.
• For the World Cup, some of those folks were flipping 20x a day.
• Usually with live action, in-between games and offseason content.
  

How can sports teams promote Flipboard magazines to build readership?

• Teams should leverage their social media networks on FB, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.
• Here’s one place sports teams have a real advantage because they can promote during games to huge audiences.
• QR codes in sports venues, using Blippar for Augmented Reality magazines.
• They should share their magazines on their social media networks on #FlipboardFriday!
• Or they could put the URL or a QR code to the mag on their scoreboards! So much opportunity to promote.
• Get the Flipboard icon displayed on website. Partner with team to curate.
• With Flipboard advertising or via fans, social, bloggers, reporters can share.
  

How can sports teams use Flipboard magazines to interact with fans during the season?

• With Compose, teams can ask questions and get feedback.
• Fandom things like fantasy football stats and league leaders…free tickets and contests.
• Share exclusive content we can’t find on Facebook or even Periscope. Also, ask us questions through Compose!
• There could be interactive activities through their scoreboards or student groups using Flipboard.
  

In what ways can sports teams use Flipboard during the off-season?

• These days there is no off-season. There are trades and training camp, injuries, summer leagues, scandals, etc.
• Share players at home, what do they do in off season, hobbies.
• Keep fans interested by showcasing team members during practice, share stories and family Instagram pics.
• Don’t forget about charity work done by teams during the off-season! Highlight the contributions to the community.
• Free tours of Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
• Probably the best time for behind the scenes content. Keeps fans connected to the team when media focus dies down.
• Keep team top of mind w changes in players,staff, announcers…Many have festivals. Follow the cup. Preview season etc
• Great way to market some new merchandise for the upcoming season. New jerseys or uni’s? Flip them out.
  

What is your best advice for choosing cover photos for a Flipboard magazine about a sport?

• Make sure the main action is focused and in the center of the photo. Account for different sized mobile screens or web!
• High def action photos like the old Sports Illustrated.
• Choose a high-quality, striking image. I prefer action shots. Test it on multiple devices.
• Fans submit their own pics and followers pick?
• I like a fan cover. It is more personal.
• Pick a quintessential moment from game/season. Sports offers so many great pics to choose from, hard to go wrong.
• If it’s about a specific team, make it current, high-quality, and fun! You want it to represent the team positively.

Don’t forget to join the #FlipboardChat this week for “Creative Magazine Ideas for New Parents.” Start chatting on Twitter on at 7pm PT / 10pm ET, or come back to this blog for an update.

~jdlv on behalf of the Flipboard Club