Social Media Invades the 2012 Olympics
You’ve probably heard phrases like “Social Media Games,” “socialympics,” or “the first social media Olympics” referring to the 2012 Olympics phenomenon. However, you’re probably like the rest of us who are sick of hearing about it but still soaking up every minute of this exciting new experience with social TV and the Olympics. As we revealed in our recent blog on social TV and the “second screen,” the term came about due to overwhelming statistics showing that most TV viewers are using their cell phones and social media outlets at the same time as watching television. While we explained what this means to advertisers, we are now watching it in serious action during the 2012 Olympics.
You may be wondering why these Olympic Games are any different from those in years past. Four years ago, there were only about 3 million Twitter users and about 100 million Facebook users. Although those numbers sound pretty large, Twitter now has around 500 million users and Facebook has about 900 million—and that’s not including other social networks like Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. According to an article recently released by CNN, there were more Olympic-related tweets during the London opening ceremony than during the entire 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Given the fact that the Olympics are taking place in a different time zone, many feared social media outlets and news websites would take away from the Olympics by divulging winners before viewers had the opportunity to watch. However, the London Game had more opening weekend viewers than any other Olympics in history. In fact, more viewers are watching events on a second screen than ever before.
Since many athletes are on social media themselves tweeting and posting in real time, social media has enhanced the connection between fans and athletes. Not to mention the number of fans an athlete has can leverage their sponsorship deals—the more fans, the more money they can negotiate, though sporting success is most important. However, just like businesses have to use caution with the information they release online and monitor information posted about them as a part of reputation management, so do professional athletes. In fact, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has disqualified athletes over distasteful tweets, photos, and posts online.
McCauley Marketing Services knows the influence social media can have and has enjoyed watching it evolve during the Olympics. If you’re interested in social media marketing help, contact us today. Be sure to also check out the other marketing services we offer as well as our portfolio to see a sample of what we do. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest is you haven’t already.