I came across an interview by The Drum with LA Lakers new media director Nick Kioski about the fan engagement strategy that the club has put in place after the retirement of their legend Kobe Bryant.
Due to the immense fame of Bryant, the club was able to reach new fans. But they were in danger of losing their leverage without him, coupled with their poor recent form that has seen them miss the NBA playoffs.
Kioski said his digital team has worked on their different social media platforms in order to keep the fans engaged during this period.
Instagram (with 3.5m followers) has been their best platform for engagement but he does not rule out the fact that each platform has a unique offering for the fans and their needs. The Lakers have 6.1m followers on Twitter and 21.8m on Facebook.
They also hired a Spanish writer to create content for their local and international Spanish speaking fans. The Lakers also set up a Weibo account to reach their Chinese fans, a demographic that grew really big due to the Bryant marketing efforts.
According to Kioski, fan engagement includes every avenue that the fan uses to relate with the club. So they are highly interested in maintaining those relationships.
You can read The Drum‘s full interview here.
Lolade Adewuyi 