Everyone loves the Olympics right? It is a sporting event like no other, so obviously it dominates our social media feeds for weeks. During this period, businesses should use the games as a tool to promote themselves and interact with their followers and potential customers. However, this self promotion isn’t just for businesses, it also applies to individuals who want to boost their following. Let’s use Leslie Jones as an example.

In case you aren’t familiar with her, here’s a little bit about Leslie:

  • Saturday Night Live (SNL) writer and cast member
  • Starred in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot
  • Team USA super fan

It is that last bullet we will elaborate on. Now, if SNL is on too late for you or you didn’t have any interest in seeing the Ghostbusters reboot, you may not have known who Leslie was before the games. Right before the Olympics started, Leslie became Team USA’s BIGGEST fan. She shared her support so fiercely from Twitter and Snapchat that NBC invited her to come to Rio to see everything live. You read that right. Leslie Jones promoted herself and Team USA so effectively on social media that top media executives sent her a plane ticket to Rio.

During her travels, Leslie documented everything on Twitter and Snapchat for her followers. From hanging out with the USA swimmers to meeting Simone and Aly to losing her mind watching Track and Field, Leslie saw it all and shared it all (ending her tweets with #slayallday). The USA Women’s Basketball team personally asked her to come watch them play. She also started a Twitter hashtag campaign for Gabby Douglas, #LOVE4GABBYUSA, to combat the bullies trying to bring down the 2-time Olympian.

So now you’re asking “how can I improve my business or personal brand with this strategy?” Read our Red Dog Tips below to find out!

Red Dog Tips

  1. Show your love for hometown heroes
    Did a professional athlete come out of your hometown? Support them! Whether it be before their season starts, during a big game or when they return home, send them shout outs and support from your social media pages. If you are a local business, invite that athlete to do a meet and greet with local fans at your location.
  2. Self Promotion
    Are you an aspiring actor? Musician? Nanny? You can promote yourself by promoting major events! Send out a tweet reminding people to vote. Post a Snapchat of you at an NFL game. Promote anything and everything and get your name and face in front of your followers!
  3. Keep it positive
    While you can certainly disagree with athletes, politicians and the like, there is never a reason to share negative or bullying content. Like the old saying goes “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Even though these Olympic Games have ended, it’s never too early to put content together to share during the next outing (2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang). Also, do research on your area and see what is happening in your part of the country.

Don’t be afraid to promote something fiercely. After all, if we learned one thing during these Olympic Games, it’s that few people will ever love anything as much as Leslie Jones loves Team USA. #slayallday