If you look at it through the right lens, conferences are like All-Star Games, bringing out the best in the biz for a multi-day crash course on the latest innovations, insights, and performance.

This May, Gondola Sports Summit, hosted in Denver, Colorado, brought together 500+ sports media professionals from the biggest teams, leagues, broadcasting companies, social platforms, and universities to discuss what drives fans wild. Featuring speakers from Meta, Reddit, TikTok, MLB, NHL, NFL, and more, as well as agency leaders, content strategists, and popular athlete-turned-creators, Gondola’s second-annual event offered attendees a unique lens into the world of sports media.

The Suite team joined organizers Fresh Tape Media at Gondola Sports Summit this year to learn first-hand from some of the savviest sports media professionals about how to own your brand narrative, effectively tap into agency work, create content designed to be discoverable, discover new tactics on popular platforms—and even how to respond when your team ends up the worst in the league.

With four “special guests” in attendance—the F1 Vegas trophy, the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and the NCAA Championship trophy—it was clear that every attendee shared a common goal: to learn from the best about creating winning content off the field.

Here are six of the biggest takeaways from Suite’s recent trip to Gondola Sports Summit:

Human stories reign supreme. Even the most die-hard fans have a wide range of interests. Tapping into the human side of a team or brand by showing everyday moments can add depth to the image your team builds on its social & digital platforms. From pregame interviews to scare pranks on Halloween, content that humanizes athletes and brand leaders is often a successful way to spark engagement and build community. Which stories you choose to tell—and how you distribute them—will vary, so let a deep understanding of your audience inform those decisions.‍

There’s no script to success. Social media trends change on a near-daily basis. Chasing the latest viral idea may bring a short-term boost to your channel, but it’s essential to adopt a bigger content strategy. Let your efforts be guided by the overall goals of your team or organization, using audience analytics and a keen understanding of brand voice & tone to create content that feels authentic. Constant experimentation will help uncover what resonates best with followers, but be sure to align even the craziest ideas with your team's bigger picture so it can help move the needle.‍

“Discoverable” content shines brightest. Millions of people share social media posts with their friends, family members, etc. on a daily basis. Creating content designed to be discoverable can be one key to success. Striking balance between general interest trends while staying true to your team or brand’s vision adds the challenge, but offers a chance to reach wider audiences. While using hashtags or participating in viral trends can affect how many people see your posts, the crux remains: You still have to make content that’s worth a share in the first place.

Audiences are intolerant of mediocrity. Audiences on social media are picky and uncompromising. One dull moment and—swipe—onto the next video, photo, or post. Social audiences want it all and they want it the best it can be. Polished, branded content shot on professional cameras can only do so much and needs to be complemented by RAW footage—like iPhone footage or TikTok style selfies—that bring the viewer a little closer to the action. Outcomes can outweigh volume on social platforms, so setting the bar high will help result in an audience that stops its scroll.‍

Win the game by hitting singles. Social media can offer its share of thrills and letdowns; like when a post goes viral… or it falls completely flat. Focus content creation around the smaller wins and achievable goals while you’re simultaneously swinging for the fences. You don’t have to hit a home run with every piece of content—consistently hitting the mark, however you define it, builds a strong foundation for your channels to hum along toward success. Posting with focus and regularity will often get you further than hitting infrequent home runs that fizzle in popularity over time.

Stay true to your brand. Whatever tactics & insights you choose to implement, it’s vital that you adapt every idea to align with your team or brand’s focus. There’s no plug-and-play template for success across digital media; with so many channels and nuanced ways to target to specific audiences it can almost be paralyzing to think about what to do first. As you experiment, scope the data, and come to those conclusions, always consider the image, voice, and tone of your brand.

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Photography courtesy of Fresh Tape Media / Gondola Sports Summit

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