Publication Date

4-2024

School

School of Business

Major

Business: Marketing

Keywords

social media, social media strategy, amateur sports social media, sports marketing

Disciplines

Marketing | Sports Management

Abstract

In this thesis, an examination is conducted on the design, development, process, and execution of a social media strategy for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights, a junior hockey team composed of 16-20 year old players based in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The strategy takes into consideration not only the extraordinary role that social media can play in the success of a team’s overall development and marketing plan, but also the team’s specific mission and objectives as well as the intricacies that come with media within the sports industry. An in-depth literature review discusses the importance of a social media strategy and how an effective strategy can impact an organization, and explores various engagement theories that are heavily utilized within sports communication for social media strategies. The following sections detail the development of a strategic social media plan encompassing audience analysis and segmentation, content themes and types, the content creation process, analytics measurement, and a crisis management plan for the Knights. Methods of analyzing the plan’s impact and content effectiveness through key performance indicators, which assist in evaluating various aspects of the plan’s impact. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to contribute to a field of sports communication that lacks robust research, as the implementation of social media strategies within amateur sports has not been thoroughly explored. The goal of this research is to provide practical recommendations for sports organizations seeking to optimize their digital presence and deepen fan loyalty and audience relationships with the team.

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