We inch closer to the NBA Draft this week, so we thought it would be good to take a look at the social footprint of those who may fall into the limelight at the Barclays Center this week.
In short, there is Zion and everyone else.
The projected number one pick has spent years cultivating and engaging with a wide range of followers on social in both his high school and his one and done year at Duke, dominating the field on both Instagram (over 3.3 million followers) and Twitter (325,000).
Zion’s Insta followers best RJ Barrett (910,000), Ja Morant (774,000) and Bol Bol (680,000), and then the engagement drops to Cam Redish at 461,000 and a social sleeper, Jalen Lecque who is foregoing college to enter the draft out of Brewster Academy as is projected as a potential late second round pick, at 355,000.
Overall the shift of rising stars being more engaged in Instagram as their medium of choice continues to rise, with six projected draft picks eclipsing 300,000 followers.
On Twitter, the conversation is much smaller thus far, with only Williamson and Morant (159,000) even eclipsing the 150k mark despite the slew of verified accounts.
So what does this mean for brands, teams and the league in general? Huge upshot in growth as players settle in and build followers as the summer progresses. Zion Williamson is the poster person for what can be done with authentic social growth, but then again, it has to be authentic, so those looking to use the space to capitalize on their walk out Thursday night have to do it naturally and in sync with all their other activity. While the share of voice for engaged athletes continues to be strong, it remains a choice, and following those who make that engagement choice can up their value to all involved, giving fans that look inside the world of the Draft and beyond.
So long as it doesn’t distract, the build will be both fun and interesting to see who, and when these rising stars win in the social space heading into the fall.
