Watching a Blacked-Out Football Game... and Social Media Marketing.

The Tampa Bay Bucs have a big game today.  Atlanta.  Division rivalry.  The Bucs have lost to the Falcons five straight games and the feeling is that it is time to turn that streak around.

But like so many of the Buccaneer home games lately, it is not a sell-out so it is blacked out locally.  Why is it not sold out?  Florida has one of the worst economies in the nation.  Tampa Bay has one of the worst economies in Florida.  Enough said about that.

I want to watch the game but I can't go.  What to do?

I was checking my Twitter page this morning when I received a tweet from a local radio sports talk show.  It was a little cryptic: "If you are hoping to see the Bucs game, but cannot find tickets. I maybe able to help..." It gave an email address and told me to contact them.  I did.  They responded with a link to a website that will be streaming the game live.

I'm not really sure where all of this falls in the shadow of the law.  I know the NFL doesn't want me to be able to watch the game.  For some reason the station felt it had to dance around the fact that they would provide us with this link and not come right out and say it.  Regardless I am going to watch it today on the internet thanks to this radio show.  It's against the rules but it doesn't seem like a big risk.

Football and league rules aside, let's look at what this radio show has accomplished here.

Many people hear the phrase "Social Media Marketing" and they assume it is something complicated.  It can be.

But it can also be something as simple as this.  The show's producer woke up on a Sunday morning knowing that he had some information that his show's fans would want.  Using social media, he reached out to us... personally.  We even got to share a conspiratorial "wink, wink, nod, nod" through his cryptic tweet and our vague understanding of the rules.  I get the feeling (rightfully or not) that he took a chance to share this information with me.  I get to watch the game.  And the show has earned my gratitude and a bit more loyalty. Our relationship is growing stronger.  

They accomplished all this from one tweet and answering some emails on a Sunday morning.

That's what it's all about.