Year: 2022 / 23 | Client: Durham Roadrunners Junior "A" Hockey Club | Project: Social Media Content Creation & Management
The Need:
The Durham Roadrunners required a dedicated social media manager to oversee their digital presence throughout the hockey season. In the 2022/23 season—my first year working with the team—I delivered strong results that significantly enhanced their online engagement.
Prior to my involvement, the team’s social content was limited to basic game day and final score posts. The ownership, with their focus on operations, lacked the time to develop a more dynamic social media strategy. They needed a stronger digital presence that not only increased engagement but also provided fans with deeper insights into the team. My role was to elevate their social media approach—expanding beyond the essentials to create informative, engaging content that strengthened the connection between the team and its fanbase.
The Process:
My deep appreciation for the sport of hockey, combined with my extensive knowledge of professional teams' digital strategies, informed my approach to managing the Durham Roadrunners' social media presence. To enhance the team’s visibility, I studied the content strategies of top-tier professional teams, noting their effective use of social media to engage fans and provide comprehensive coverage.
I observed that leading teams frequently shared updates on trades, signings, and game highlights, as well as intermission scores, in-game updates such as goals and penalties, and off-ice content like community engagement. Recognizing a gap in these practices within our league, I aimed to elevate our Junior 'A' Club by implementing a similar strategy.
I began by creating custom templates for Instagram highlights, game-day posts, and final score updates. To distinguish our content, I incorporated player photography into the layouts, adding a visual dimension to the posts. I then designed templates for trade and signing announcements, followed by more engaging content such as “Leading Goal Scorer” and GMHL standings posts. Once these designs were approved, I also developed a streamlined process for creating content during live games, ensuring real-time engagement with our audience. The owners were highly satisfied with the new approach, which significantly boosted the team's social media presence throughout the season.
I brought my laptop with me during all of the games, and produced intermission score posts during intermissions on Adobe Illustrator, sent the final to my phone, and had it posted right away. During the action, I would be taking pictures of the players, and in most games, I would stand behind the net, and film our players when we got into the offensive zone, which resulted in incredible highlight reel videos for online content. I would then stay a bit later after the game to push out our final score post, along with a custom caption. If a player scored their first goal, or hit a milestone, I would also have a template for that, and I could design it right there, and have it posted.
The Outcome:
Our team’s social media strategy not only led us to be recognized as the top performer in online content by the GMHL commissioner, but it also garnered exceptional feedback from players, fans, families, and staff alike. Within the first month of the 2022/23 season, I successfully increased both engagement and our follower count, amplifying the team's online presence.
Through strategic content showcasing our current players, I was also able to generate interest from AA & AAA level athletes, encouraging them to consider trying out for our team. One of the most rewarding outcomes of my efforts was inspiring other teams within the league to elevate their own social media presence, ultimately contributing to an increase in the overall prestige of the league.