Detroit Lions Social
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Use of Multi-Platform
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The Detroit Lions social media platforms engage, entertain and inform their rapidly growing fanbase with a mix of content that is unique, insightful, humorous and culturally relevant to not only our fans but everyone who interacts with us!
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
By posting a wide range of content, the Lions’ social platforms reach beyond local audiences. People who aren’t interested in the NFL have multiple ways to engage with the brand: through the comedic, non-game content, or player personality-driven videos. This strategy to reach other dedicated audiences and expose them to the Lions has proven effective, because there is “something for everyone”.
The Lions’ social platforms stand out among others in the NFL, specifically their consistent series and unique level of outbound engagement. Fans who follow the various platforms enjoy an even higher level of interaction, through outbound engagement. The team regularly interacts with their audience in comments and fulfills fan requests which has led to a palpable rise of fan sentiment.
By leaning into content that showcases players’ personalities, fans on social media have gotten to know the team off the field. This in turn has given casual fans more of a reason to follow the Lions, as thus, their new favorite players, on gameday. This came full circle when the NFL released its final fan voting tallies for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games when 19 Lions finished in the top 10 in voting at their positions!
Objective
Fans of the Lions turn to their social media platforms to follow their favorite team through content that reflects their personalities on and off the field. Whether through collaborating with other relevant entities or letting players host their own “mini-mic” interviews around the locker room, the Lions’ platforms aim to drive storytelling about the team, players and the city of Detroit.
The Lions online brand presence looks to authentically represent the gritty reputation of Detroit, the organization, its coaches and players. Player personality-driven pieces, and content centered around the passion shared by the team’s players and coaches along with its loyal fanbase helped foster a close relationship between the team and fans – both online and IRL.
Strategy & Execution
The Lions’ social team has also leaned into the strategy of volume posting, using stat graphics, video carousels, relevant quote graphics, etc. to disseminate information and tell the story of the games and players. Additionally, the team experiments with things like witty captions and late-night posting to pique fans’ interest and reach different demographics. Last season, the Lions posted unique postgame win content like Dan Campbell’s locker room speeches, “brainrot” videos and helmet off short videos of players reacting instantly to their game highlights, many of which garnered record engagement.
Ideating content that showed off players’ personalities became a staple of the Lions’ channels. Players have come to trust and provide answers that are not only humorous but give insight into their lives away from the sport. As a result, fans look forward to this content which boosts engagement and gives them a reason to follow both online and in stadiums around the NFL.
Aligning the team’s social media voice and tone with the tough, gritty personality of the club and city has led to an organic two-way relationship between the team and its fans. Lions accounts lure with content celebrating wins, showing off personalities and sharing stories.
Organizations
- Detroit Lions
Links
Credits
Hugo Bolaños
Social Media Content Producer
Detroit Lions
Lauren Harper
Social Media Manager
Detroit Lions
Tyrik Hutchinson-Junior
Social Media Coordinator
Detroit Lions
Neil Larson
Production Manager
Detroit Lions
Stuart Zaas
Director, Digital Media
Detroit Lions
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
