Each season NFL teams are trying to get seen or heard in the noisy social world on many different social media platforms. And with the virality of photo content, Instagram is one of the biggest digital marketing focuses for teams. Brands have often taken the route of using Instagram to show behind-the-scenes images to populate their feed; and this tactic works very well for NFL teams when die-hard fans want to follow their team beyond Sundays.
With 200 million active users on Instagram and an average of 60 million photos being uploaded per day, these teams need to produce great images to stand out above the crowd. Let’s take a look at which NFL teams are ahead of the pack when it comes to sharing experiences via this visual social medium.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers- Instagram Followers: 333,771
The Steelers have a strong Instagram account. Their focus here is to clearly show a unique side to the team; they do this by using photographs that are more like art than just pictures of game play. This sets them apart from the other NFL teams, but, importantly, this content speaks volumes to Instagram users.
The Steelers not only use photography, but they also use custom graphics. These graphics can be used on all platforms, not just Instagram. Although they are good images to use, they aren’t solely created for Instagram usage. To achieve the next level of Instagram success, they could use their photography skills to create Instagram-only photos.
The Steelers have a clearly defined strategy for Instagram and have been executing it well. They have created an account that clearly shows a unique side of the team that cannot be seen anywhere else. This adds another dimension to the Steelers overall digital brand.
2. Chicago Bears- Instagram Followers: 167,099
The Chicago Bears Instagram feed is very active and full of custom graphics. Interestingly, it is the only team that uses memes often on their profile. All pictures and custom graphics are of good quality. Although there is a variety of pictures, the Bears often repeat similar types of images. For example, there would be a lot of custom graphics in a row. So it can be quite monotonous, especially as their profile is very active. It would definitely help to switch up their photo content to add some variety, but, overall, they are doing an excellent job on Instagram.
3. Indianapolis Colts- Instagram Followers: 167,870
The Colts have a very engaging Instagram feed. It is always fresh with new images and displays a good variety. The Colts are particularly good at using their photography skills. Therefore, they are showing a different side to the team that you might not see on their other social media platforms. The Colts also use the platform during game time, creating custom graphics to show the halftime and full-time scores.
An interesting piece on the Colts’ Instagram feed is that there are a number of sponsored pictures, such as in game photos by Verizon or a Taco Bell Pre-Game Press Pass image. The sponsorship logo does not take away from the photo itself, so it still generates a good amount of engagement. But one does wonder how much brand awareness the sponsors actually receive and what it’s truly worth?
4. Minnesota Vikings Instagram Followers: 126,896
The Vikings have a strong profile because they create content tailored for Instagram. There are visually appealing photos of the team from a photography sense, but they also use fans in the pictures. There are very little custom graphics of the team and not many in-game photos. But there are a wide range of behind-the-scenes pictures.
The overall feel of the profile is really refreshing, as each picture tells a different story and no images are the same. This is clearly a well-planned content strategy and a very good photographer being put to use. The Vikings certainly know how to speak to their fans through Instagram, even if there follower number is relatively low as a result of tough times on the field.
5. Houston Texans Instagram Followers 252,467
The Texans have a very busy Instagram account, with a great variety of images and videos. One thing that the Texans can be proud with their feed is good implementation of infographics. These infographics typically show stats about the game or a head-to-head with a Texans players versus the other team.
Another great addition to the Houston Texans are their custom graphics, which are in line with the Texans brand, but also of a high quality. The custom graphics are well-thought-out and have clearly been planned with the Texans brand in mind. They also have many pictures of fans, which is always good to see as this brings the fans closer to the team.
Overall, the profile has a mixture of all different types of images and a real Texan feel to it. For any Texans fan looking to get pumped about their team before game day (as if you need much help!), take a look through their Instagram profile.
Takeaways
What made these five profiles stand out from others around the league is that they all produce content that suits and speaks to their Instagram fans. When a team or sports brand creates content specifically for one particular social media platform, fans can tell. So, it’s important to take those extra steps to make the content speak for itself; and the digital marketers for these teams have certainly done so.
The teams included above are also very good at keeping their feeds fresh and up to date. Many clubs are very active on Instagram, but they post similar images and, therefore, become quite predictable and mundane.
Overall, these five teams should give themselves a pat on the back and take a bow for the hard work they are putting into these Instagram profiles. The next thing that would be great to see, is some more innovation, whether that’s a video series or having fans takeover the account for a game.