Established: June 30, 1965Team Colors: Black, Red, Silver, WhiteOwner: Arthur BlankHead Coach: Dan QuinnNickname: The Dirty Birds

Plays in: Georgia DomeHeadquartered: Flowery Branch, GA

League Championships: 0Conference Champions:

NFC : 1998Division Champions:

NFC West: 1980, 1998NFC South: 2004, 2010, 2012

Seattle Seahawks

Established: June 4, 1974Team Colors: College Navy, Action Green, Wolf GrayOwner: Paul AllenHead Coach: Pete CarrollNickname: The Legion of Boom

Plays in: CenturyLink Field Headquartered: Renton, Washington

League Champions: 2013Conference Champions:

NFC: 2005, 2013, 2014Division Champions:

AFC West: 1988, 1999NFC West: 2004, 2005,

2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014

Falcons SeahawksBefore we look more in depth at each social media channel, we will look at the overall social analytics of both teams. When looking at this data, you can see that both teams are comparable to each other, however the Atlanta Falcons edges out the Seattle Seahawks in the strength, sentiment, and passion category. These statistics means that the Falcons are doing a better job than the Seahawks at promoting their brand, increasing the likelihood the brand will be talked about, and generating positive feedback from their fans. While the Falcons do have a slight edge in these three categories, they have the exact same reach as the Seahawks, meaning both teams are performing the same in terms of reaching their fans. By comparing these two brands this way, we see that both teams are performing in general about the same, so we will need to look further into each social media platform to see how the teams are performing.

Likes: 1,810,316

People talking about the Falcons: 38,213

The Falcons’ cover photo stays very much on brand, not only highlighting the team colors but also a player in particular. The Atlanta Falcons interact and keep their fans informed by posting roughly two times a day. A lot of their most recent posts are based around the draft, just like many other teams. What is different about the Falcons’ Facebook page is the fact that they post a good amount of fan generated photos. While most teams want to interact and engage with fans, the Falcons are actively doing this by taking photos of babies in Falcons gear and promoting them. Another aspect that the Falcons excel at is always being sure to promote their hashtag, riseup. Almost every single one of their posts has this hashtag, which is increasing their brand strength.

Likes: 3,913, 816

People talking about the Seahawks: 50,588

The Seahawks’ cover photo embodies their lovability as a team. When promoting themselves, the Seahawks typically use the personalities of their players, as showcased in this cover photo. The Seahawks effectively use Facebook to keep their fans informed and interested without being overwhelmed by posting about three or four times a day. In addition to posting items meant to get fans more interested, they also post upcoming opportunities to meet the players. Also, they highlight instances in which present or past players have helped the community, such as the article that was written about Ricardo Lockette and his work with the Seattle homeless. By promoting this relationship between fans and the players, the Seahawks are getting fans to become more emotionally involved in the team, thus increasing their loyalty.

While both teams perform strongly on Facebook, I believe the Seahawks are performing slightly better because of the amount of fan interaction they have on their page. In addition to posting general information like the Falcons, they go above and beyond to highlight their players and to broadcast opportunities for fans to meet the players. I believe strong interaction is crucial in the sport field because without your fans, your team can’t exist so building that relationship is crucial. I also believe this strong fan interaction is why we see more people not only following the Seahawks, but also talking about them. However, even though the Seahawks won this round, I believe their strategies are very similar and that the Falcons are not far off.

Followers: 664.3kFollowing: 567# of Tweets: 42.5k

The Falcons are very active on twitter, they post about four to five times a week. They are able to stay on brand in all of their tweets by using the hashtag #RiseUp so that fans will associate that post with them. I believe the Falcons are very strong on this platform because they are very engaging. A lot of their posts ask questions which generates a lot of fan engagement and excitement. Not only do they start the conversation, the falcons also reply back and respond to their fans. Responding to fans is very important, especially on social media, because a fan will feel much more positive about your brand if they know you care enough about your fans to respond. Another way the Falcons really engage their fans is by shouting out fans and also wishing them happy birthday. For example, when a service man tweeted that he was still supporting the Falcons from far away, they tweeted back at him to stay safe and that they support the troop. In this case, I think the Falcons were completely spot on in their strategy because they always want to male sure that they are appreciate of all of their fans.

Followers: 1.2 millionFollowing: 746# of Tweets: 55.5 k

When you first arrive on the Seahawks twitter page you see that they have listed other twitter accounts and their Instagram account for you to follow. This is a very strategic move since this will drive even more fans to their other pages. The Falcons are very active on their main twitter page, posting about five to six times a day. A lot of their posts are promoting events they either have coming up or have passed. Most recently, they are promoting the Q & A they will be hosting with Bobby Wagner. One aspect I believe they can improve upon would to have more fan engagement posts. There are very few posts on their twitter that actually ask fans for opinions or responses and a platform that allows you to directly interact with fans should be used for that purpose.

The winner of the Twitter battle is the Falcons! Their effective use of Twitter to promote fan engagement was very impressive and effective. They are very aware of including posts each day that allow for fan interaction, which is crucial when building and maintaining brand loyalty. Another aspect that was very impressive of the Falcons’ Twitter is the fact that they stayed on brand with all of their posts. Almost every single post had the hashtag #RiseUp which will allow a fan to quickly and easily find every post made about the Falcons if they wish to do so.

Followers: 450KFollowing: 120Posts: 2785Average likes: 4000-5000

The majority of the Falcon’s Instagram posts are the same as their Facebook posts. Most recently, they have focused on the draft and are counting down the days. In general, the Falcons typically post one to two times a day, enough to keep fans interested and happy without overwhelming them. Also, the Falcons tend to wish a lot of Happy Birthdays, Happy Holidays, and other celebratory days.

I believe the Falcons could improve upon their Instagram strategy and play more highlight videos. Especially in the off season, fans still want to be connected and excited about football, and hype videos are a great way to achieve these things. For example, when the Falcons traded for a new player, they posted a video of some of his impressive highlights. Not only did this video garner more than 26,000 views, it also generated more comments than any other post that week. Another recommendation I would give to the Falcons would be to have more engaging posts. The one post where they asked fans to give their prediction was a great success, garnering more than 285 comments, way more than their average picture.

Followers: 1.6 millionFollowing: 209Posts: 4138Average Likes: 20,000-30,000

One aspect of the Seahawks’ Instagram that I believe they are doing exceptionally well at is advertising not only their other Instagram accounts, but also their Twitter and Snapchat information in their biography. When I first went to their Instagram, that was the very first thing I noticed. Another aspect where I believe the Seahawks really shine is their videos of their players. These videos showcase the athletes just being themselves, something fans really identify with. Also, getting to see the person behind the player makes fans more invested in not only that player but also the team. For example, most of their promotional pictures typically have about 100 comments, but their video of two of their players “racing” and playing around garnered almost 300 comments. This demonstrates that fans would rather interact with a person rather than a player.

I believe the Seahawks, like the Falcons, should include more highlight videos of their players. During this off season, this is a very effective strategy to get fans excited about the upcoming season. Besides that, I believe the Seahawks do an amazing job at engaging fans through their Instagram.

While both teams effectively communicate with their fans, I believe the Seahawks excel on this platform. They are very focused on showcasing their players, whether it be their philanthropic events or just showcasing their personalities through fun videos. I believe the Seahawks really understand the importance of reaching their fans and interacting with them, which is showcased in their huge fan following on Instagram. In my opinion, fan engagement is the most important aspect of a team’s success because the more fans are engaged, the more they will come to events.

I believe that the Falcons being on Snapchat will only help them reach a larger audience, especially the millennial audience. Following the Falcons’ Snapchat for the past few months I have noticed what they do well at, and what they can improve upon. One aspect that do very well in is keeping fans engaged during large events. For example, during the Pro Bowl, they posted several times a day and kept interacting with the fans. On the other hand, since the Pro Bowl has ended, the Falcons have posted very little on their Snapchat. Even if it is technically not the season, I believe they should still keep fans interested and engaged, even if it means players just talking into the video. Next, I believe the Falcons should have had more interaction with the players, especially during the Pro Bowl. A lot of their posts came from the cheerleaders, but fans are here to watch football and want to be connected to those players. In the future, the Falcons should let their players control the Snapchat so that fans can get a better understanding of them as a person, especially before big events such as the Pro Bowl.

I believe the Seahawks effectively use Snapchat. During the Pro Bowl, the Seahawk players were the ones actually in charge of their Snapchat. I really liked this because it allowed me to get a better understanding of the players as a person, which makes me more interested in them as a team. I thought it was a very smart strategy to allow the players to control the Snapchat because fans are much more interested in what the players are doing, rather than just allowing a third party to handle it. After the Pro Bowl, the Seahawks did showcase when some of their players received awards which I thought was a good follow up. I would recommend that they do more on Snapchat even in the off season. Following their Snapchat, I have not seen a post in over a month and I believe they should post a lot more regularly, even if its just a small video.

While I believe both teams need to work on posting more, at this moment I would declare the Seahawks the winner. I think they used Snapchat much more effectively, especially during the Pro Bowl. Also, I believe most fans want to see a more personal view of the players, which is what the Seahawks provided through their use of Snapchat. If fans are provided with a more individualized look into the players, they will become much more invested in the team as a whole and will thus be much more likely to participate and attend games during the season. To keep fans more engaged throughout the year, I would recommend that both teams post much more frequently. Even if their posts are not specifically football related, keeping your brand and your team in fans’ minds will only help you.

Both the Falcons and the Seahawks use the same template for their website that the majority of the NFL uses. By using this information, they effectively communicate their top headlines, where to buy tickets and jerseys, information about the team, and many other great information. In addition to this, both teams have easy links to all of their other social media.

The one main difference between the Falcons and Seahawk websites is the fact that the Falcons distinctly broadcast their sponsors. For example, Ford is showcased on the home page on a banner that is always present. On the other hand, the Seahawk website is very streamlined.

Since both the Seahawks and the Falcons follow the same format when it comes to their website, I am declaring this matchup a tie. Both teams effectively use their websites to communicate with their fans, in addition to providing a place for all of their social media and shops to be connected. The one thing I would recommend to the Falcons would be to make their website more streamlined like the Seahawks. All of the ads can be a little distracting, but for the most part their website is very well done.

Atlanta Falcons Seattle Seahawks

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The overall winner of the social media comparison is the Seattle Seahawks! While I believe both teams are doing a great job when it comes to social media, I believe the Seahawks are doing even better mostly because of their content. The main content of their social media pages that is very effective is showcasing their players and their personalities. Showcasing who you are is a great strategy to implement using social media because you can easily connect with fans, which will make them more engaged not only on social media, but also during the season and at the games.

Another reason why I believe the Seahawks are doing a better job is the fact that they have many more followers on all social media channels, which increases their reach.

The Seahawks use all of their social media platforms effectively to increase fans’ perceptions of the team. Especially now that it is the off season, the Seahawks have done an amazing job of showcasing their individual players and the amazing things they are doing off the field, such as community service projects.

All of the Seahawks’ efforts have paid off. They have a tremendous amount of followers who are actively engaged and invested in the team.