The Evolution of Sports Social Media

Book excerpt: Today social media is king, influencing everything from art to reality TV to national news and politics. It's hard to imagine a world without social media. But it wasn't always like this. In this fascinating book, sports social media expert Aaron Eisman chronicles the sports social media evolution since 2009. The book discusses sports social media history, taking a deep dive into the journey from a casual responsibility for major sports companies to the multi-million dollar industry it is today. Included are interesting stories about major moments in sports social media, such as the birth of ESPN social media, the disruption of Bleacher Report in the industry and the story of Omar Raja and House of Highlights. While athletes didn't give it too much importance early on, they have come to understand the necessity of building a strong social media platform and brand. The book includes interviews with major thought leaders who are influencing the industry. The book breaks down key components of social media like strategy, content, voice, and analytics. In addition, it discusses trends that people will see in the future. Eisman's writing is playful yet impactful, his tone is positive even as it breaks down the negative sides of the phenomenon. The reader will learn a lot about sports social media and how it has touched many lives, and in the end, will understand sports social media even if they had no prior clue about the subject. Sports social media is here to stay.