CoSIDA's Chair of the New Media/Technology Committee
Chris Syme discusses which Pinterest sites in college athletics are catching people's attention. See her post on this topic at her website
HERE.
You also can follow her on
Twitter and on
Pinterest.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but to a college sports fan, a picture can deepen an emotional connection to their team. Pinterest is helping college athletics departments engage fans by making athletes, coaches, and events accessible to more fans without taking up valuable website real estate. It’s also a way to take some of those storytelling corners of the website (“Our Alumni in the Pros”) and showcase them. Here are the five best college athletics Pinterest sites I found out there in no particular order.
The University of Oregon http:/pinterest.com/uoregonducks/
The Ducks have 20 boards on Pinterest that range from interesting fan gear to big Duck moments to famous Duck supporters and alumni. I rate their engagement factor high because their boards are not a rehash of their website.
My favorite board is “Just Ducky” which is a collection of all things green and yellow that includes fashion, food, and fun. How about a pair of high heels in Duck colors?
Texas Tech (http://pinterest.com/techathletics/)
The Red Raiders have 22 boards and pin everything from campus landmarks to sweet treats to a kids’ board, action shots, For Men Only, and many more. A great variety here, and lots of insider pins that their fans will appreciate.
How about a tailgate recipe for Crockpot Dr. Pepper Brisket Tacos from the Tech Tailgating board?
University of Washington (http://pinterest.com/UWAthletics/)
A cool element on this site is that all the board covers are branded. They have 23 boards as of this writing. One board showcases pictures of their live mascot, Dubs, with various coaches, athletes, kids, and others. I like their creative board titles: The Best Four Years of Your Life, Seatown Swag, Husky Bling, and Party Like a Husky to name a few.
UW has their share of alum celebrities, as illustrated on the board Huskies in Hollywood.
Georgia Tech (http://pinterest.com/gtathletics/)
The Ramblin’ Wreck has 17 boards, many of them sport-specific. They also have a separate board for their cheer squad.
One great idea here: a board with all the schedule/team posters.
University of Louisville Cardinals (http://pinterest.com/uoflsports/)
There are several boards of the 36 Flying Cardinals’ boards that caught my eye. U of L has a student-athlete community project (#CardsCare) that is highlighted here - an excellent way to showcase the athletic department’s commitment to the community. Another creative idea is the cross promotion of hashtag campaigns across all their channels. They have several: #ThrowbackThursday and #FrameItFridays (spelling out “CARDS” in creative ways) are two.
One of the more interactive hashtag promotions also featured on Pinterest is #WordyWednesdays where fans can suggest captions to pictures.
Honorable mention for great Pinterest sites goes to:
Baylor University: http://pinterest.com/baylorproud/
Virginia Tech: http://pinterest.com/hokiesports/
University of Tennessee: http://pinterest.com/utsports/
East Tennessee State: http://pinterest.com/etsubucs/
Kansas State: http://pinterest.com/kstatesports/
University of Texas: http://pinterest.com/texassports/
South Carolina: http://pinterest.com/gamecocksonline/
Franciscan University of Steubenville: http://pinterest.com/fusathletics/
Trine University: http://pinterest.com/trineuniversity/thunder-athletics/