Want to score a Grand Final win on social media? Here’s how

Have you got Grand Final fever? Plenty of Aussies have, and it’s created a moment business owners can use to jump on the hashtag bandwagon.

Literally millions of people will tune in this weekend to see whether the Tigers can maul the Crows and whether the Cowboys can tame the Storm.

It seems year after year the contests draw the attention of more and more people – and where there’s attention there’s an opportunity for a savvy business owner to take advantage.

Create specific offers

There’s nothing quite like a well-timed promotion or offer, but one tied to a sporting contest can create a bit of buzz for your company.

Could you offer 10 percent off your product if Dustin Martin wins the Norm Smith Medal or Billy Slater scores a double?

What about applying a discount to the outcome? If the Crows win, then customers get a percentage off their next purchase, and if the Tigers win, you’ll throw in an added service at no extra charge.

It’s just like a regular offer, but its buzz is tied to the big game.

Look at the ads

While it’s not quite on the same level as the Superbowl, a lot of Australian advertisers use the big game to showcase their latest work.

In fact, half-time is usually a Grand Final of advertising in itself.

How are advertisers selling their products?

Do the ads have a cheeky tone? Are they tied to a particular offer? Are they encouraging social media advertising? Are they going after competitor products?

Keep in mind that the ads are being tailored to a particular audience, but it’s still worth checking out.

Try applying their thinking to your own brand. Could the same tactics work for you?

Join the conversation

A lot of brands try to newsjack the conversation on social media to draw attention.

For example, if there’s a dashing piece of play which astonishes everybody during the game, meme-generators around the world with run hot with witty jokes to share via social media.

It’s part of the fun of watching sport in the age of social media.

The best brands have figured this out and are simply joining the conversation. If you can join a brand message with a moment everybody is talking about, you can jump on the bandwagon and cash in on the cachet.

Oreo did this during SuperBowl in 2013 when the lights went out and won the internet.

I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is MORE TRIES

Actual fans of the Melbourne Storm or North Queensland Cowboys could show their pride by decking out their store or business in team colours.

Imagine customers walking into your workplace and taking photos of your outlandish decorations to share on social media?

Get creative, show your pride and your customers may end up doing the marketing for you.

Want to craft a Grand Final message? Target AFL or NRL fans

To avoid crafting an advertising or social media message which is irrelevant to the majority of the people who see it, use keywords and hashtags like #AFLGF or #NRLGF to make sure your message is included in that stream.

Digitally savvy marketers could target people on Facebook who say they are fans of the AFL, the Richmond or the Crows.

This sort of targeting gives you the best shot of reaching the people who’ll be most receptive to your sports-related messaging.