The BC Lions may not have come out winners when it came to getting the players they coveted on day one of CFL free agency, but they certainly came out the winners when it came to engaging their fans on Twitter and Facebook. Free agency had barely begun when the @BCLions tweeted this:
#BCLions have made offers to: OL Josh Bourke S Craig Butler OL Wayne Smith LB Shea Emry WR Nick Moore #CFLFA14 @CFL
— BC Lions (@BCLions) February 11, 2014
That’s the first time I’ve seen a professional sports team let their followers know what the they were working on during what is traditionally a top-secret operation for teams. It also has the interesting dynamic of letting the other teams know who they were after right off the bat. Fans and traditional media both got a kick out of the tweet:
How refreshing ,I like it RT@BCLions #BCLions have made offers to: OL Josh Bourke S Craig Butler OL Wayne Smith LB Shea Emry WR Nick Moore
— Morley Scott (@Morley_Scott) February 11, 2014
@BCLions @CFL Congratulations on the transparency. Much appreciated by this #CFL fan.
— Paul Coughlan (@oi_not_again) February 11, 2014
Quickly though the players on that list started to disappear, one by one. The Lions further teased their fans by tweeting a picture of their own free agent, Keron Williams working out at the team’s facility in Surrey:
Meanwhile… at the @BCLions training facility. #CFLFA14 @CFL @KeronDWilliams pic.twitter.com/qpk0W33cEe
— BC Lions (@BCLions) February 11, 2014
That caused speculation an announcement was pending on Williams re-signing with the Lions. It of course never came…TEASES!
And when they lost Nick Moore to Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Lions broke up the disappointment for their fans with this little gem to remind Moore to buy some protection with his fat new contract:
Wishing @NickMoore_1 all the best in Winnipeg 😉 #CFLFA14 @CFL pic.twitter.com/NCx0NonBBI
— BC Lions (@BCLions) February 11, 2014
And for good measure retweeted a Manitoba weather report:
WIND CHILL WARNING issued for most of northern MB. Wind chill b/n -45 & -48 tonight into Wed. http://t.co/8582OewX9D pic.twitter.com/9QOBNKtMBu
— Colleen Bready (@ColleenCTV) February 11, 2014
Ahh, those Lions social media peeps are gold Jerry, GOLD!
And when the day was done there an interview with the big man, Wally Buono, who explained the club’s use of Social Media and how the day unfolded for BC.
I’ve been on Twitter as long as the Lions have. In fact before the league or the team ever had an account. From day one the Lions have always been the most engaging team on Twitter and continually come up with ways to engage their fans.
They may not signed any of the players they had on their list this morning, but when it came to social, they were clearly the winners of the day.
Now go be social, and share this blog would ya?
