How to Actively Engage With Your Followers
by Alyssa McCluskey
Ryan Lochte, 11-time Olympic medalist and current world record holder in the 200 and 400 individual medley, is one athlete that knows how to utilize his social media channels. However, his bread and butter is Twitter.
As a Twitter user with 1,002,524 followers and counting, Lochte has gained a lot of popularity after the 2012 Olympics in London. He is also making himself known in other forms of media, making guest appearances on popular TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210 and 30 Rock, and making the cut for People Magazine’s 2012 “Sexiest Man Alive” list. He’s even getting his own reality TV show on E! called “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” which will chronicle his life as he trains for the 2016 Olympics.
What impresses me the most about Ryan Lochte is that he’s also become quite the Twitter guru, coining the trending phrase “#jeah” and hosting Ask Lochte sessions, during which he takes questions from followers who use the phrase “#asklochte.” He retweets and replies to all of them, including questions like “@ryanlochte will you go to prom with me? #asklochte” and “@ryanlochte #asklochte if you could have any superpower what would it be?”
Starting and continuing conversations on Twitter is the way to success on the social media channel, and that’s one thing that Ryan Lochte gets about it. Yes, he tweets and retweets about the famous people he meets, his television appearances, and even when he’s watching a football game or enjoying a nice family dinner, but he also keeps a close eye on his interactions and encourages his followers to talk to him. I should also add that he takes care of his own Twitter account; every tweet sent out is from Lochte himself. According to a recent tweet, his web team focuses on monitoring his Twitter account for threats and unwanted tweets. All content comes right from the Olympian.
As an athlete who clearly has a lot on his plate, it’s impressive that Ryan Lochte maintains such a positive and active connection with his fans. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work once his reality series airs in April!
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