Nationals display players Twitter handles during At-Bats

In the ever changing new media world, sports teams, and their marketing departments, are always looking for a new hook — that thing that not only keeps their current fans engaged, but that attracts new fans. Many athletes and teams have turned to Twitter, as its fast, easy to use, full of fans and allows direct access to the people in question. Nowadays, you may see a twitter handle referenced on ESPN, or mentioned by an athlete after a radio spot, or even on a team’s website or press release. All good avenues for getting your information in front of the public eye, increasing your exposure, and hopefully your engagement.

The Washington Nationals are already utilizing those social media marketing strategies, when applicable, but they’ve also gone one step further.

The Nats have started to put players’ Twitter handles on the center field score board while they’re batting during the games, according to Nationals reporter (via )

Awesome idea. If the whole point of these new media marketing strategies is to increase engagement between fan and player, or even the illusion of such engagement, then you’d be hard-pressed to find a service better than Twitter to serve that purpose. That being said, putting the Twitter handle on the scoreboard is probably the easiest, most effective way to relay the information to the fans, and encourage engagement. According to a Nationals spokeswoman, using the scoreboard to display twitter handles is a part of their larger new media strategy.

It’s just one more way companies are adapting to changing technology. Don’t be surprised to see other teams follow suit in the very near future, lest they be left behind.

(image via DC Sports Bog and The Washington Nationals)