How to apply TikTok sports trends to local news

Jada Glass is a 2024 RJI Student Innovation Fellow partnered with Houston Defender Network. The RJI Student Fellows will be sharing their innovative work throughout the summer in Innovation in Focus.

The Houston Defender Network wanted to leverage TikTok’s dynamic platform to not only increase visibility for high school sports but also foster a sense of community and school spirit. 

Here’s how we planned a TikTok campaign to achieve this goal:

Understanding the TikTok landscape

Before diving into content creation, it’s essential to understand TikTok’s ecosystem. The platform thrives on short, engaging videos that are often set to music, incorporate trending hashtags, emojis, images and use creative effects. The key to success on TikTok is authenticity and creativity; elements that resonate well with the high school audience.

What works in sports? 

First, we looked at TikTok campaigns of professional sports organizations such as the NFL and NBA. A campaign that stood out was the NFL’s #WeReady Challenge. 

They created a trend that allowed fans to participate while showing support for their favorite teams, which was effective in building a stronger connection between the teams, the NFL and their fanbase.

The NFL launched the #WeReady challenge by encouraging fans to post videos showing how they prepare for game day. The campaign included clips from players and influencers to inspire participation. 

Watch example 1: NFL #WeReady Challenge

Watch example 2: NFL #WeReady Challenge

We found the key elements of successful TikTok campaigns were: 

• Relatable and entertaining content: Content should be fun, relatable, and in line with TikTok’s casual and playful tone. Showcasing players in a lighthearted manner can build a stronger connection with fans. 

• Participation in trends and challenges: Engaging with current trends and creating branded challenges encourages fan participation and increases the chances of the content going viral. 

• Behind-the-Scenes access: Giving fans a glimpse behind the curtain with exclusive footage and player interactions helps to build a more intimate connection with the team. 

• Fan interaction: Engaging directly with fans by responding to comments, sharing fan-generated content, and acknowledging their participation fosters a sense of community. 

• Collaborations with influencers: Partnering with TikTok influencers or well known community members/businesses can amplify the reach of the campaigns and introduce the team to new audiences. 

Creating our game plan

Now that we knew what might work, it was time to design a campaign for the Houston Defender to share local high school sports across TikTok. 

For this campaign, we storyboarded three different types of videos focusing on pre-game day preparation. One for the players, one for the coaches, and one for the fans. These videos will be a combination of interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at pre-game preparation. Here’s our plan: 

Player’s edition

• One minute, One Player, Practice Session
  • Start with a 15-second clip of practice procedures with player voiceovers introducing themselves (name, age, team, sport, position, etc.)
  • Next clip: The player talks directly to camera, including their favorite thing to do in preparation for a game.
  • Camera switches to activity mentioned by player in second clip
  • Next clip: The game starts and players get in position, running onto court/field, etc. 
  • Last clip is back on the player, including final words on how they work with their teammates in order to have a successful game

Coach’s edition

• One minute, One Coach, Practice Session
  • Start with a 15-second (rough) clip of the coach talking to players before the game.
  • Next clip: The camera is directly on the coach with an introduction, talking about how they prepare themselves and team for a game.
  • Voiceover continues, and the camera switches to the coach encouraging players on the sideline, pre-game procedures, etc. 
  • Final clip camera directly on coach, final words before a game begins

Fans / family edition

• Start with fans in crowd cheering for team
• Next clip: Show families supporting players, holding signs, etc. 
• Switch to 20 second interview with a parent
• Next clip: Voiceover continues, including kids playing and cheerleaders on the sideline

First draft of a TikTok Example – Player’s Edition

• Note: The final product will include the voice over element detailed above.

We will be starting by focusing on high school football as it is a strong category for the Houston Defender’s coverage. The TikToks will be posted two to three times weekly with each week focusing on one sport. The player’s edition will be posted first, with the coach’s edition following, and the fans and family edition will conclude the series. 

With the use of TikTok’s analytics tracker, we will look at metrics such as video views, likes, comments, shares, and average watch time for individual posts. Additionally, it provides demographic data on followers, including their gender, location, and activity times, helping users like the Houston Defender to better understand and engage their audience. 

This data will allow us to successfully determine whether we are reaching our target audience and how effectively we are doing so. 

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Cite this article

Glass, Jada (2024, July 16). Developing a TikTok campaign to boost high school sports coverage. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/developing-a-tiktok-campaign-to-boost-high-school-sports-coverage/