Here in the Boston area, we’re still licking our wounds over our beloved Celtics’ Conference Finals loss to the Miami Heat. We are even more sour that the Heat recently dispatched of the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

While I disagree with the outcome of the finals, I appreciate the social media strategy put forth by the NBA during the entertaining playoff run. That got us to thinking around the office, what are some lessons that work for both basketball and social media? We came up with five.

1. Preparation Before Perspiration

Before you can get out on the floor, or before you start pushing out your content, you need to have an idea of what your plan is. Like with basketball, your social media efforts will not be successful if they lack coherence and thematic consistency. Understand what your organization’s image is and create platforms that reflect that. Ray Allen doesn’t play in the paint for a reason. Come up with a game plan and give it time to work.

2. Speed Kills

There is no replacement for speed. In basketball, superior athletes are very difficult to defend. In social media, rapid responses to your network are tough to ignore. Humanize your brand, connect with those who took the time to follow you. Quickly replying to their queries and comments is a great way to do that.

3. Utilize Your Depth

In basketball, it’s always great to have a star player. But even Jordan had Pippen. So when you are putting time into building your social networks, don’t put all of your effort into one network to let the others suffer. If you launch a Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, don’t spend all of your time Tweeting and doing nothing else. Even if one site is your all-star, don’t forget about your role players. Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Pinterest and a slew of other sites can all be effective in directing traffic back to your website. If one of your sites is the equivalent of an off the bench jump shooter, don’t forget to show it some love.

4. Look For Quality Shots

Great content, as we have said many times, is always going to reign supreme. Always pick sources that offer the best material. In basketball, you are told not to settle for bad shots. In social media, don’t settle for shoddy articles or iffy statistics. Find reputable, engaging and readable content that your followers will be excited to consume.

5. Understand The Fundamentals

We are always told to learn the basics, whether it be in basketball, social media, or anything in life. Learn the best practices of social media posting.  Study your audience. Once you understand the type of posting that generates the most engagement, you can apply that to any of your networks.

Follow Grow Socially on Twitter!

And while you’re there, follow me too!

Photo Credit

Tags: b2b, basketball, five lessons, grow socially, Marketing, nba, smm, Social Media, social media marketing, wilmington ma