Episode 87 of the DSMSports Podcast w/ Katlyn Gambill of the Minnesota Wild

Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast Recap

Episode 87: Katlyn GambillDigital and Social Media Coordinator, Minnesota

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Episode 87 featured Minnesota Wild Digital and Social Media Coordinator, Katlyn Gambill.

Listen to the full episode at DSMSports.net or on iTunes. What follows are snippets and quotes from the podcast. Enjoy and thanks again to Katlyn!

@njh287; DSMSports.net



WildKatlyn's career path

Started writing about hockey in high school and wanted to work in that field

Attended Northeastern, where they have a co-op program (school for six months, internship for six months) and Katlyn worked for the New Jersey Devils (during their Stanley Cup run) and developed social media marketing scales

Katlyn did additional internships remotely for the Devils, while still in school




Wild“My biggest piece of advice is to definitely do internships, if you're

in college, because I would not be in this job right now...if I had not had that opportunity to work for the Devils.”

Katlyn worked for the Devils briefly after college → Ended up applying for the Wild and worked seasonally before being brought on full-time to her current role

“There's so much more to it than the journalistic part of it – with graphic design, working with sales teams...and it's so much more interesting to me than just straight reporting.”




WildOn her time with the Devils

“I learned a lot from Will Carafello when I was there...the way that he had developed this core group of people that bought into social media at the Devils, with Mission Control – it was all focused on social media. It was back in 2012, when people were still splitting...social media (between PR and others)...and they really just set aside certain people for it and put the time and effort into it, and to work with their sponsorship department, so that they could sell it, and bring in revenue from it with tickets...It wasn't just another empty push with 'We're just trying to interact with fans.'

“But they were fantastic with their an interaction – it was all about the fan. It was not 'We're trying to sell stuff to you. We want to make your experience with the Devils so much better, and we're going to use social media to do that.'”




WildThe status of the Wild's social media when Katlyn started

“Early on, there was definitely buy-in that social media was important...They wanted to grow it, it just wasn't one person's job until I started...When I came in, I was lucky enough to work with Ryan Stanzel and a couple other people in our department to build that up and work with our corporate team to realize that we could bring in revenue with this. Beyond just it being a secondary thing to whatever was on the website. And then our hockey ops department bought in quickly to really show 'This may seem silly to you, but this is why it's successful on social media and why it's bringing fans to our channels.'”




WildHow her position evolved with the Wild

“Ryan Stanzel was in charge of digital and social media when I came in...He was a real leader in pushing to where it is now. I came in and was able to bring in some past experiences from the Devils of 'We need to make things more visual, we need to give fans more of a reason to come to our channels, so we can sell them tickets (and) push corporate sponsorship ideas on them.' It was a mixture of looking at best practices and giving the why...and then showing those results after.”




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On working with the corporate partnership team → “It was a lot of (them coming) to us and say 'We need this out on social media. Figure it out.' That was nice in the fact that they were giving us leeway to do it in the way that we thought would be the best success on our channels and (for the sponsor or for tickets)...It was very much up to us to decide, which was very helpful.”




WildDefining the brand, voice, look, and feel for the Wild on digital and

social

“I had a lot of conversations with our brand marketing people at the very beginning. I wasn't coming and trying to reinvent the wheel...We have a brand that has been set up since 2000...We're all about building a better State of Hockey...It was interesting that I was able to come in as a fresh mind and...(help tell this story) and still be relevant and fun on social, without it coming across as dry, and still be respectful of the brand.




Wild“For my first year, it was a lot of figuring out what we could and

couldn't do. It was really different for me at the Wild than it was at the Devils. We didn't have player access at the Devils, we didn't cover practice. And we had to be very careful about how we went about covering the team. Coming to the Wild, it was very different. We had access to the players. We were able to cover practice, take photos...it was almost easier, because the buy-in was there...I think the first year...it was getting to know the landscape, getting to know the brand...”




WildGetting to know and working with players

“It was very weird. My first year, I guarantee there was not a single player that knew my name...I was lucky enough to sit down with our captains at one point, and talk it through with them, and explain what my goals were with social media. And explain that 'To you, it seems like I'm just taking a photo. But, by doing that, I'm telling our fans what you guys are doing. I'm giving them a visual of you guys getting ready. Me taking photos of you guys playing soccer may seem super-weird to you. But our fans don't see that...' They understood and bought in to the fact, they don't have to participate in social media for the team to be successful, they just need to let me be around...




Wild“It was that and then we got all the young guys that do like social

media...The new guys that are coming up in the league are starting to really love social media, and it;'s starting to change the entire landscape, I think. And then you add in all the guys that are now starting to realize, 'Oh, I can make money off of this,' that it's changing how everyone is viewing it.”

“It's pretty cool when they get so excited and (ask to be tagged in photos or have a photo sent to them, so they can post it themselves, too)...”




WildAdjusting to new platforms and types of content for the Wild

“I think it goes back to the brand awareness...For example, Snapchat – I was the one that started our Snapchat account, and it was very new for brands and teams to be on it. Taco Bell was the case study I showed to my bosses (to show them why it'd be good). We might not be able to bring in revenue right away, but that doesn't mean down the line that we can't...[But] Just because we can't necessarily bring in a ton of revenue on Snapchat, doesn't mean it's not useful. Because we can't have every single post on every single platform just promoting a corporate sponsor, otherwise people just aren't going to pay attention to us.




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“And reaching that younger demographic on Snapchat is great, because eventually those are the people that are going to have money to spend with us. Snapchat was kind of a tougher sell, in the aspect that it was so new and so young...[Katlyn also mentions Instagram stories as an interesting development with fleeting content]

...”Shelf life is not 24 hours on most social media posts, as it is...I think that was the biggest selling point...”




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“And reaching that younger demographic on Snapchat is great, because eventually those are the people that are going to have money to spend with us. Snapchat was kind of a tougher sell, in the aspect that it was so new and so young...[Katlyn also mentions Instagram stories as an interesting development with fleeting content]

...”Shelf life is not 24 hours on most social media posts, as it is...I think that was the biggest selling point...”




WildSkills needed for Katlyn's position

“I have a little bit of everything. I think social media is such a utility position now – if you don';t how to edit, if you don't know how to take a good photo on a DSLR, or do a basic editing of a video, then you're not going to be successful...(Social media) is not just straight copy...you have to be able to do everything. I've been lucky that we have a lot of good people in our organization that are very talented, and they're willing to teach...Our creative department is great (too) at creating templates that I can (simply) edit in Photoshop...”




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Helpful Tool: Invision App (and website); used for comments and sharing design, built for apps, also useful for pinpointing comments on graphics and website mocks




WildUtilizing Snapchat Spectacles before most sports teams did and what it was like

[Katlyn describes that a local agency in Minnesota had Spectacles and wanted to partner with the Wild]

“They came down on a game day, and we just started using them. I obviously let our PR department know, so that hey knew there are people with me, and my glasses are going to be recording people, and going to look weird, but let's just go with it. I laid out some different ideas of what I wanted to film, and I knew what we couldn't do (such as filming in the locker room)...But there were other areas that I could push the bounds a little bit...




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“With the Spectacles, I think most of the really good content, unfortunately, was ruined by my hair...just barely a couple strands would cover the lens...If you're a girl out there, and you're wearing Spectacles, pull your hair back...”

“It was really difficult (getting the hang of Spectacles)...I think the biggest failure on the Spectacles part is you can't see it on your phone as it's happening. So you don't actually know if you're getting the shot at just the right angle with the glasses...




Wild“Our players thought it was hilarious because I was wearing

sunglasses inside. They didn't quite realize what was happening. A couple times I was standing there and I was recording, and a player would walk by and (ask): 'Wait, are you filming this?' And I didn't want to talk, because I didn't want my voice in it, so I would nod...Once they realized what was happening, and I explained 'This is going on Snapchat [to give] a first-person view. [Team captain] Ryan Suter was very nice to let me actually throw the football back and forth with him a couple times...And then the guys let me play in the soccer circle, which was probably a horrible idea in heels, but they let me do it, and it was really funny content.”




WildHow the Wild execute great social media sponsorship integrations

“Our main focus is 'What do the fans want, and are they going to enjoy it?' Our corporate department is fantastic on selling, and going back to a partner and saying 'We want both sides to be successful in this. So, while this may be the idea, here's this tweak that'll fit our fans better and our brand. And it'll produce better results for you. Are you cool with this?' With that, too, we're very focused on integrating everything – in-arena, print advertisements, online advertisements – they're all the same...[Katlyn gives example of intermission updates having same sponsor on all platforms].




Wild“...So we try to tie things in, so it doesn't feel weird or out of place.

I'm also not a fan of just plopping a logo on something; I don't think that does anything on social media. If the company doesn't have social media presence, (then) it's really difficult for me to buy into it, because what are they getting out of it, then? Are they looking for just leads? Are they trying to build their social media presence to allow fans to follow them and, in time, buy their product or whatever they're trying to do.




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“So we work really closely with them on trying to tie something in that we're either already doing on social and digital media, and how we attach it to a partner. Or – what does the partner, what are they looking for, and how can we build something that will fit both our side and theirs?...So it's a lot of going back and forth, and trying to make sure both sides are really happy.”




WildA sponsored social media campaign that is particularly memorable

“I think Hockey Hugs is my favorite. It's sponsored by Gillette Children's specialty health care, which is just such a natural tie-in of children, trying to make sure that the children are healthy, and then hockey hugs; which is something so pure and just happy and genuine. And the nice thing is that it's only posted after a win, when fans are actually happy. So, it's a good fit for both sides, and for what their mission is, and for something that our fans actually interact with...”




WildTying in community relations/fan development and the state of hockey into the Wild's main social media efforts

“Our community relations department is really good at coming up with new ideas and new things that we can do in our community to create the greater state of hockey. We just recently did some youth spotlight games, where we brought the entire Wild in-game experience to a youth hockey game and re-created (all aspects)...Our job on social was – 'Ok, this is going to happen. How can we provide good coverage of this and what can we do to show how unique this is?' So our job is really to act as the media company part of it...How can we highlight this and showcase what is happening.”



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta HawksTransitioning to a new coaching staff this past offseason and

season

“For me, it was really weird to have a new coach. I was a little fearful of how he was going to feel about social media...I was a little afraid that maybe he wouldn't want so much practice coverage, or was I not going to be able to put up quotes from his scrums. All of my fears were erased within the first or second practice, when I actually talking with him, and he was just giving those hilarious quotes...It made my job so much easier. And there's been a couple times after a scrum will end...and he'd be, like, 'Oh, are you tweeting what I just said?...' He gets it. He understands why I'm there...”



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta Hawks

How the Wild reacted to their long win streak earlier this season, from a digital, social, marketing et al. perspective

“I think everything was so much more successful. We have so many things that are sponsored this year after a win...Those promotions did so much better during that win streak. So it was kind of just an added benefit, almost. I think the big thing for social during that win streak, was it was so much easier to be fun on the accounts. Because people weren't complaining (about losses)...It was much easier to actually use social media correctly...




“During that win streak was the first time I really used a Snapchat filter on a player...And I wasn't afraid to post it, because 'Everybody's happy right now, this is just fun. It doesn't need to be serious all the time. We're a hockey team. We can have fun. It's sports...' It was so much more fun to just kind of let loose a little bit.”




Share-able Stat: +30% –> The growth in views/tweet from Super Bowl 50 to Super Bowl XLI (tweets grew from 27M to 27.6M, but tweet views from 4.3B to 5.6B)



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta HawksAbout Katlyn's blog “Freeze The Puck” (she wrote in high school)

“I was a junior in high school when I decided I wanted to be a writer, and my English teacher (told me) 'You should start a blog. Write about hockey because that's what you're into.' I took that advice and [said] I don't care if anybody reads it, I just want to practice my writing skills...I just wanted to talk about hockey and write about it...I was lucky enough to get a little experience...I started putting my articles out there (on Twitter)...and people started looking at it. And that feeling of 'Oh, people are actually reading this' made me feel really and made me continue to want to do it.”




The non-Minnesota and non-NHL team that does the best job on social and why

“I think the Atlanta Hawks are the best. They are very funny and their wit on there is fantastic. But they're innovation is what sets them apart from everybody else...[Katlyn notes using the WWWWWWW on the Twitter bio for their account during their win streak this year, borrowing from the Hawks]”



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta HawksThe most memorable social media post in Katlyn's time with the Wild

Katlyn references game 3 of the 2014 playoffs at home against Colorado, 0-0 in overtime

“Granlund scored the overtime winner for us, and was kind of flying through the air when he scored, and the photos came out really cool from it. But, I had my camera right next to me in the press box and I just grabbed it and instantly started snapping a bunch of photos of the crowd going crazy; you could see Granlund and his teammates celebrating in the corner. And I just posted 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' And that was what we put out there right away...That emotion of experiencing it was incredible, but then, to actually share that online, and see the results from it made it so much cooler.”



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta HawksKatlyn's favorite hash tag in her time with the Wild and why

#StateofHockey - “Because it's not just a Wild hash tag. It's something that everybody in Minnesota will use, and it's fun just to monitor it. I have a stream set up that I look at all the time...It's just such a cool thing to see. I grew up in Arizona, not a lot of people are hockey fans. And to see the different culture and atmosphere in Minnesota, and to see that online, and to not necessarily have the Wild tagged in it and I can interact with it and make them feel 'Hey, this is the state of hockey and the Wild are paying attention to it.'”

“Hockey is just a way of life here. They love hockey, live it, breathe it, sleep it...It's incredible.”



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta HawksThe best player, personality, and/or quote in her time with the Wild

“I'd probably say Nino Niederreiter. He really gets social media and his online personal brand, but he's also just somebody that's really funny. I started his Nino's socks account last year with him; just showing off the crazy socks that he would wear every day. Because one day I saw on the plane that he wore really weird socks. So we brought it up to him (and said) 'Hey, this would just be funny. It doesn't need to be anything more than just a simple photo every day...' And the ease of (his) buy-in made it so much better to me.”




Katlyn's favorite article she wrote as a student reporter at Northeastern

“I got to write an article about food trucks during a snowstorm for the Boston Globe for their online website. That was a lot of fun. I'm really into food and cooking, so I was able to step outside of sports...And the food truck scene in Boston was so big back when I wrote that article and it was 'This is what's new and what's cool.' And then, to add in the snow...it was just so fascinating to me.”




The most important a digital/social media and sports pro needs and why

Photography → “Because I am a firm believer that social media has to be visual. You can be funny, you can be witty, you can be good at grammar (and) portraying your message...but if you don't have a visual attached to it, people are going to scroll right past it...”



Episode 39: Micah HartDirector of Interactive Marketing, Atlanta HawksThe best food to get in Minnesota

“In Minnesota, I would have to say tacos at Barrio. And I know that sounds weird to get tacos in Minnesota. But Mexican food is my favorite food and I am obsessed with the tacos at Barrio.”

In Boston: Flower Bakery → “It was a small chain in Boston that was started by Joanna Chang...she has an amazing bakery (where) everything is so decadent and so well-done. But then she has also has a ton of savory food, so it's pretty much the greatest spot ever.”




If the Wild win West, who will be their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final

Katlyn goes with the Washington Capitals




Katlyn's Social Media All-Star to Follow

Jessica Smith (@WarJessEagle) → “I think she does a great job of showing the different trends on social media and presenting it in a way that it's not boring to read. And actually makes you stop and think about 'How can I use this idea and make it fit my brand?' I really love reading her work...if you're into SMSports, you need to follow her.”




Where to find Katlyn on digital and social media

Katlyn is @katlyngambill on Twitter

Wild is @mnwild / Minnesota Wild across platforms




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Thanks again to Katlyn Gambill for sharing her time and knowledge on the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast!

For more, visit DSMSports.net and follow me on Twitter @njh287.
