Samford University has partnered with photo management platform Libris and social media company Socialie to streamline the delivery of digital assets to student-athletes’ personal accounts.
The Samford-Libris-Socialie integration launched on Aug. 16 for a soccer game but extends to all sports. Images captured by photographers at an event are uploaded to Photoshelter’s Libris platform and can be instantly texted to athletes via Socialie. By the time a game ends, the students will see the photos on their phones and can post them to social media accounts such as Twitter and Instagram.
“Samford University is using Libris and Socialie to take real-time visual storytelling to the next level,” Andrew Fingerman, CEO of PhotoShelter, said in a statement. “They’re empowering student athletes to share content instantly, and as a result, they’re creating a wave of energy and excitement for the school and its followers.”
The athletics communications team at Samford is enabling student-athletes to benefit through publication of these images on personal accounts. The private, Christian university in suburban Birmingham, Ala., has seen a recent 68-percent increase in its followers’ engagement on Twitter.
“We’ve made a real investment in technology that can help boost ROI by leveraging the social media networks of students,” said Kevin Young, the associate AD for marketing and strategic communications for Samford athletics, in a statement. “Today, we’re the only school sending gameday images directly from the camera to athletes to share within minutes. By using smart technology combined with grassroots marketing, we’re seeing an enormous bump in engagement across the board.”
SportTechie Takeaway
NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from financial benefits beyond their scholarships, but building a social media brand can be a way to leverage their athletic success into an impact that lasts beyond graduation. Companies like Opendorse are making inroads in that space, and this Libris-Socialie partnership at Samford is a creative way of facilitating a similar path. The university also benefits because more of its student-athletes are sharing its images and messaging on their own accounts. Samford estimated that its reach has been extended by roughly 470,000 followers as a result.