Today’s guest post is by Trevor Turnbull of Sport-Fan Connect and his upcoming northeast tour (video below).

Without a doubt, social media is changing the way that sports teams, executives and players are interacting with their fans. You only have to reference the recent rules implemented by the NFL and NBA to understand that many of the professional sports leagues and teams are still fearful and trying to figure out how to respond to social media.

The truth is though, the glass is half full. There are a number of great examples where leagues, teams and players are embracing social media and using it as a means to connect with their fans, building real relationships online. And, those that are embracing social media are seeing real returns in the form of brand exposure, ticket and merchandise sales, fan loyalty and best of all—word of mouth marketing [which is an inexpensive and effective form of marketing]. Some of my favorite examples of leagues, teams, players and fans engaging in social media include the NHL Tweetup (http://www.nhltweetup.com – started by @dani3boys), the Phoenix Suns – Planet Orange Social Network (http://www.planetorange.com”) and Shaquille O’Neil on Twitter (www.twitter.com/the_real_shaq).
Social media is dramatically changing the landscape of how sports teams communicate with their fans. What used to be a one-way conversation has turned into a collective conversation; now there are a number of like-minded thought leaders in the sports industry that are generating awareness around this new opportunity. Currently, some of my favourite contributors include: www.sportsnetworker.com, www.thebusinessofsports.com, www.ryanstephensmarketing.com, www.jasonfpeck.com, www.directcontact.ca and, of course, www.thesportsbusinessexchange.com.

At Sport-Fan Connect (www.sportfanconnect.com) our mission is to share a 360-degree view of the sport experience—from the perspective of sport executives—to the media—to the fans. The Sport-Fan Connection Tour is a multi-city sports tour–a sports fan dream vacation, transformed into a research opportunity.

This week, Mike and I will be touring the North-Eastern United States: attending games, interviewing fans, players and sports executives. In order to establish the current reality or state of the sports industry, the information we gather will help us surmise the connection between sports and their fans and how social media is impacting this connection.

Even though our mission has just begun, the success of this project is a directly impacted by feedback and collaboration from those who want to see social media impact sports in a positive way. Our mission is not to preach, sell, or influence—but to listen to all the varying and relevant perspectives; from old-school stalwarts to new media dreamers. This is a listening tour. We want to ask the right questions; to record, analyze and share. And, of course, this concept is nothing without the feedback from all of the online contributors and thought leaders that are presently impacting the connection between sports and their fans.

We look forward to connecting with everyone on this tour. If you know or are someone we should talk to, please connect with us at http://www.twitter.com/sportfanconnect.