Episode 26 of the DSMSports Podcast w/ Will Carafello of the New York Mets: Snippets

Best Of... Will Carafello of the NY Mets
Episode 26 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast
On episode 26 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast,
Will Carafello, Director of Social Media for the New York Mets,
discussed how he ushered in fan engagement and social
media with the New Jersey Devils and the Mets. And why it's
more simple than it seems.
What follows are some snippets from the episode. Listen to
the full podcast on iTunes or DSMSports.net
@njh287; DSMSports.net

Will's career path:
Wanted to work in sports going back to college, attending
Seton Hall (after attending a junior college) and studied sport
management
→ Did an internship with Madison Square Garden in group
sales while attending school
→ Turned his one-semester internship into one lasting 16
months!
→ Then worked with the Newark Bears minor league baseball
team with a ticket sales job (did all the little jobs at games,
too!)

Will's career path:
“Looking back, it was a really good experience and gave me
the opportunity to see how everything was done. A quick
crash course on seeing how all the different departments
worked.”

Will's career path:
“It's not who you know, it's who knows you...” Madison
Square Garden called him about an opening for a marketing
coordinator position working on their non-team sports events
→ Took a position in marketing with the Harlem Globetrotters,
which took him all around the country
“Being able to travel with the Globetrotters, seeing how
different buildings do it...was a great experience.”

Will's career path:
→ Spent one season with Globetrotters and then moved to a
marketing role at The Meadowlands in New Jersey (leveraging
a connection with a former Madison Square Garden
colleague); did marketing for both arena and stadium
→ Shifted to marketing job at the newly opened Prudential
Center (in New Jersey), liking the idea of going into a venue
with n history, starting from scratch
→ After AEG was bought out by the New Jersey Devils, he
took the same position for the Devils NHL club and later
became Director of Marketing, where he also first started
getting into social media strategy (including the Devils
Generals and social media command center)

“At the time, I didn't even use social media...but I knew this
was an emerging technology that everyone was using...Not
only did I have to use it, but I had to be the best at it...It wasn't
two-way communication (at the outset), which is what the
Prudential Center's (social media) became.”

“It was kind of an evolve or die. I knew this was something
that was big...that was going to change everything. It's not
how I make a living...I knew that if we used this correctly, this
could be huge. It'll help us sell tickets, to put out information
(from a PR standpoint), it will help us help customers. We can
even eliminate the media, to some extent, putting out our own
stories.
“That's kind of where I made my name in the social media
world (discusses Mission Control and Devils Army Generals
social media projects)

“We changed the way social media was looked at; one from
within the organization and also from within the industry...”
“Mission Control was basically our digital command center
and the Devils Army Generals were a select group of 25 social
savvy Devils fans. That ranged from everyone to a mom with
three kids to high school kids to college kids...We had a nice
array of the Devils fan base as kind of sounding board for us
for different ideas.”

Will's transition from the Devils to the Mets –
An agency and internal connection led to him interviewing for
the job with the Mets
“At the time, I didn't realize how big a jump this would be...I
didn't fully understand how excited the (Mets) fan base is...”
“The nice part about it was they had a social media by-
committee...all different departments contributing to it...but the
negative was they all these different people doing their thing,
so it's hard to create a (consistent) brand...
They were already doing things well and had a lot of fans, they
just needed a quarterback to help (guide) the situation.”

Will describes how he has had great success already with the
Mets, citing their Klout score going from 16th in MLB to 2nd
(trailing only Dodgers)
“I always joke with people that 'I'm no expert, I just know a lot
about this' [social media].”

“First and foremost (we wanted to) build a voice. We wanted
to be on with the fans...There (had been) a disconnect with the
fans. There wasn't one voice. The fans didn't feel that the
Mets, as an organization, wasn't in the same boat with them.
Now, we'll use 'we' and 'us...'”
(Will also cites importance of consistent content, especially
providing in-game updates)

“Coming from hockey, I didn't know the formula for (in-game
tweeting) for baseball. I appreciated the fan being patient with
me during spring training (as I learned).”

This episode's Helpful Tool: Square-Ready -
A free mobile app to easily and instantly frame or crop photos
to fit visibility needs for Instagram

Will on in-game tweeting:
“In hockey, we always had the big moments. We're keeping
you updated. I look at myself as the poor man's Howie
Rose...This may be the only source you have of keeping up
with the Mets...so the goal is to (provide information).”
Also notes he makes sure there is at least one update every
15-20 minutes, regardless
Will also notes during games, when engagement and attention
is highest, is to run partner activations scheduled ahead of
time

Will on in-game tweeting:
“The goal is to keep (fans) informed...I want to paint the
picture. I'm also just as excited as the fans. It's a lot of work,
but it's so much fun. I get pumped with a home run or a big
inning, so I want to enjoy it with the fans. I don't want to just
tell them, but be one with them (too).”

“When you have social media perfect (and I don't know many
that do) is when you have 50% marketing and 50% PR. That's
a very simplistic way of looking at it because we have so
many departments (included in it) now...but that is the super
cliff-notes way of putting it.”
(Notes the mix of providing information and to keep them
updated on what's going in terms of games to attend)

“We want to make money by selling tickets off social media,
but it's not our number one goal. Social media makes up a
small part of our ticket sales, but it's a valuable tool for us to
get information out to fans...Our number one goal is to build
that community of Mets fans and engage with them.”
[Will notes that the Mets, in his short tenure there, have
already tripled the revenue driven from social media as
compared to last season]

“We're changing little things...It's just focusing on 'now we
know the fan base and can (message them) the right way...'
If we don't have a community of people engaged and
activating with us, it's going to be very hard to get them to
come out to the ballpark and be part of the group.”

On difference between MLB and NHL jobs
“162 games is a grind...I'm beat and I'm just tweeting...I can't
imagine playing every day. It's such a mental grind (too).”
“One of the other things is Major League Baseball Advanced
Media. That is a resource hockey doesn't have. To be able to
send an email anytime (requesting any content)...is a
phenomenal resource...
To be able to have people working around the clock and to be
able to ask for just about anything is a blessing.”

On local vs. non-local Mets fans:
“As a Mets fan my entire life, I don't think I realized how big
the Mets fan base is and how passionate they are...We focus a
lot of our information for the local fan...but we've got fans
internationally and in different markets, so (we have to serve
them, too).”

This episode's Shareable Stat: 581,000 unique users tweeting
during the 2014 MLB All-Star Game

The best part of being at a ball game:
“Obviously the fans...When a huge home run is hit and you
put out something fun, to see so many people excited and
people tweeting 'we love the Mets' social media, you're so
much fun,' it makes my day.”
(Also notes how great it is to sit in the press box, working
alongside PR Director Jay Horwitz and PR Assistant Ethan
Wilson)

The difference between a Mets fan and a Yankees fan is:
__________.
“I don't know enough Yankees fans, so I'll speak to Mets
fans...They are of high character. They're so passionate...I
won't speak to the other fans, but the Mets fans are great.”

In 60 seconds or less, how do you define engagement / ROI of
engagement?
“Engagement, very simply, is getting a response. Whether it's
a favorite, a like, a retweet, or a share. I'd put the highest
value on a share or a retweet. When a fan wants to share
something on their channels, that is the highest compliment
we can get...Any time we can get fans to interact with us is
fantastic.”

The tastiest food item at Citi Field:
“This is almost a no-contest. Out in the fan fest area, you got
Blue Smoke next to Shake Shack. You can't go wrong with a
Shake Shack burger...for this year, the Box Frites, the bacon
cheddar fries...if you only have one thing at Citi Field (have
those)...it's phenomenal.”

Besides 50-Cent, the most unusual ceremonial first pitch or game
promotion you've seen
“Fifty changed the game not only for the hip-hop industry, but for
the first pitch industry...It's almost too hard to go past that, but
definitely some credit to the people at our minor league affiliate in
Brooklyn as they (recently) did “Seinfeld Night...From Keith's
magic loogie to bobble heads to having the Soup Nazi throw out
the first pitch...they did so many things with that promotion and
got a ton of publicity...
“A close second has to go to the other affiliate down in Savannah
(GA). They did Forrest Gump Night...had an actor dressed as
(Gump) throw out the first pitch and had 5,000 fans take home
boxes of chocolate.”

If the Mets make the World Series, who would their American
League opponent be:
Will's pick → “Between the Angels and Oakland...those are
two teams that look ready to take the next step...If I had to
(pick), it's a 1973 rematch, with hopefully a different outcome,
so I'll go A's.”

Social Media All-Star To Follow:
Vic Black – @Vic_Black_2
Also @MrMet → “He just joined Twitter right before the
season started and he has a lot of fun content, as well...Mr.
Met is on Snapchat, too (@MrMet).”

Where to find Will and the Mets on social media:
Follow Will on Twitter @WillCarafello and the @Mets on
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus

Thanks very much to Will Carafello for sharing his experience,
knowledge, and personality with us on the Digital and Social
Media Sports Podcast!
For more, visit www.dsmsports.net and follow me, Neil Horowitz,
on Twitter @njh287

Episode 26 of the DSMSports Podcast w/ Will Carafello of the New York Mets: Snippets

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Episode 26 of the DSMSports Podcast w/ Will Carafello of the New York Mets: Snippets