Professional sports teams have all the ingredients for outstanding social media: interesting characters, dramatic events, a constant stream of new stories to tell, and huge audiences who are hungry for content. It’s no wonder these teams produce some of the best social media in the game.
But who are the best pro sports teams to follow on social media? Who’s using innovative formats and catching fans’ attention with creative storytelling? Who’s producing the smartest, most thumb-stopping content?
We want to get to the bottom of this, and we need your help. Let’s kick it off with the NFL. Scroll to see our top picks in the league, and vote in the polls to determine who will rank our list of the best pro sports teams on social media!
Who’s your top pick in the NFL?
Which team has the best social media in the NFL? #smsports #sportsbiz
— Libris (@getlibris) October 19, 2017
Which team has the best social media in the NFL? #smsports #sportsbiz
— Libris (@getlibris) October 19, 2017
Did we leave out your favorite team? Vote for a wildcard by tweeting @psforbrands!
The Best NFL Teams on Social Media
New England Patriots
The reigning NFL champions have more Instagram followers than any other team in the league, and it’s not just because they’ve won five Super Bowls. The Patriots know how to keep their following engaged on social media.
Leading up to the 2017 season opener, the team celebrated #BannerWeek, a countdown to the rollout of the team’s fifth Super Bowl Banner. The team shared a mix of countdown graphics, behind the scenes time lapse videos and throwback footage to get fans excited. Check out the number of likes, views and comments on these posts!
Follow the Patriots on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Minnesota Vikings
Oh, the Minnesota Vikings – where to start? I don’t even know how to narrow down all the reasons you should follow the Vikings on social media. From off-beat videos like the #VikingsQuest series (seemingly a derivative of the popular team’s popular Vinekings videos), to fun cartoons, to photos and videos that show you what it’s really like to catch a game at the team’s new M&T Bank Stadium, this team knows what they’re doing.
Don’t miss the posts by the Vikings Instagram Group – photos of a Vikings helmet taken by photographers who live in the city where the Vikings will play their next away game.
Follow the Vikings on Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have one of the most fun, clever social media personalities in the league.
Check out how the team poked fun at the Jaguars on Earth Day:
.@Jaguars Not always though pic.twitter.com/ybpycrYXGO
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 22, 2016
And earlier this year, the team hid the lyrics of the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song in their tweets for days (it took a lot of discipline!). When they revealed their secret, Twitter and the media went crazy. Here are a few of the tweets:
A look at the #Panthers running backs in action
: https://t.co/TY2ozeyef5 pic.twitter.com/G6TWGxbgj2
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 5, 2017
Town Pride! Help Charlottean Mark Reynolds reach the All Star Game, #Panthers fans! #BeLikeMark https://t.co/MKl0LTFgTP
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 5, 2017
Called upon to fill the void left by A.J. Klein, David Mayo is ready to step up
Read More » https://t.co/XF4796aRZT pic.twitter.com/91SQRDDjaM
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 5, 2017
Random Giveaway!
RT for a chance to win a #Panthers mini helmet! We’ll pick a random winner by 3PM today. pic.twitter.com/WOiPFsLSiC
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 5, 2017
Air Stew #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/nQk6B8E0CG
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 5, 2017
Follow the Panthers on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have traded in traditional advertising in favor of telling their own story on social media. They invest heavily in photo and video content that helps create new fans and engage existing fans.
The Dolphins have created a wide range of sponsored content franchises, ranging from Dolphins Daily, a daily news show about the team, to FinStory, a series of profiles on Dolphins fans. The result is binge-worthy content that keeps fans coming back for more.
Follow the Dolphins on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons rank our list for getting creative with motion graphics. During games, they tweet GIFs that combine video clips of players with eye-catching text and illustrations. It’s a great way to share evergreen content in a timely way.
On Instagram, they share on-brand animations and videos with cutting-edge visual effects.
We move the ball to our 40 as we hit the 2-minute warning. pic.twitter.com/b4HW0ocaRT
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 15, 2017
Follow the Falcons on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens digital media team knows how to catch their fans’ attention on social media while their team dominates on the field. They use a lightning-fast photo workflow to share photos of big moments in the game right after they happen.
This also helps them create score updates that not only have the current score, but also have a fresh, relevant photo from the current game.
We’re heading to the 4th. pic.twitter.com/mk67j2HP9c
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 8, 2017
Follow the Ravens on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Ready to vote for the top NFL team on social media?
Which team has the best social media in the NFL? #smsports #sportsbiz
— Libris (@getlibris) October 19, 2017
Which team has the best social media in the NFL? #smsports #sportsbiz
— Libris (@getlibris) October 19, 2017
Cover photo by Shawn Hubbard, Baltimore Ravens.
