↵↵Happy tweet-up day at the Trop! Not sure what a tweet-up is, but sounds fun. (@SamFuld5)
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For such a forward-thinking front office, the Tampa Bay Rays have been slow to get on board the social media train. Up until this year, the Rays have had a very minimal presence on Twitter. Considering the team's poor attendance and small market size, the Rays have a fairly large following of fans on Twitter; the #Rays hashtag is almost always active, and -- if I don't say so myself -- the Rays have one of the strongest contingent of bloggers of any major league team. And yet, the Rays didn't used to do much to engage with those fans.
↵How the times have changed. The Rays now have one of the most engaging team Twitter accounts -- @RaysRepublic, follow them! -- and they are holding their first ever "Tweet Up" at today's game between the Rays and Blue Jays. There are all sorts of cool deals and special events going on for people following @RaysRepublic during today's game, so check out the full list:
↵↵↵TWITTER TRIVIA: At the start of every inning, @RaysBaseball/@RaysRepublic will post a Twitter Trivia question. The first person to respond with the correct answer will win a baseball signed by a Rays player! Nine innings means you’ll have nine chances to win!
↵PREGAME: If you purchased the Rays Tweet-Up ticket package, make your way to the Papa John’s Bullpen area to get your personalized Tweet-Up T-shirt and meet your fellow Citizens! Light food and drinks available.
↵As an exclusive discount for all followers of @RaysBaseball/@RaysRepublic, you can get 25% off your check (no alcohol) at the Everglades BBQ Smokehouse before the game. Just head to the Gate 1 Rotunda in center field and a Fan Host will direct you to the restaurant.
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This is just a small smattering of the full plans for today, so it sounds like it should be a very cool day for all involved. Here's hoping it's a success and that the Rays decide to many more of these going forward. For a team that's always looking for the Extra 2%, engaging fans through social media is simply another way to help drive local interest and ticket sales.
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