Study Design: The Usage of Twitter Amongst Professional Athletes

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There are multiple platforms of social media available for everyone to use; but has anyone wondered which platforms professional athletes use? Or has anyone ever wondered how he or she uses social media? I am studying professional athletes' use of Twitter, because I want to discover why and how they use the social network, and how they benefit and promote themselves through the process. I want to help my reader understand why it is significant for professional athletes to continue their use of social media. A content analysis will be used to evaluate three specific professional athletes and their use of Twitter. Each of the selected players has a unique story behind them and their use of social media. The three professional athletes whom I am going to analyze over a three-month period include: 1) NFL quarterback, Mike Vick of the New York Jets, because he uses Twitter almost daily to tweet about every day activities; 2) NHL right wing and enforcer, Paul Bissonnette of the Phoenix Coyotes, because he uses Twitter to agitate followers similarly to how he does to his opponents on the ice; and 3) MLB relief pitcher, Jason Grilli of the Pittsburgh Pirates, because he has his own marketing firm and an interest in the social media work.

History of professional athletes' use of Twitter

Before the idea of Twitter was introduced in the sports world, athletes could only be reached for conversation in a couple different ways, sometimes difficult. Athletes could be reached for interviews in the locker room, allowing the public to hear interviews on the radio, television, or the team's website. Meet and greet autograph signings organized by the team's personnel are another way athletes could be reached for communication. A third way for pro...

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... Lon. "Say Hello to Social Networking." In The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success. Third ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. 39- 44.

Sanderson, Jimmy. "Laying the Groundwork." In It's a Whole New Ballgame: How Social Media is Changing Sports. New York, NY: Hampton Press, 2011. 8-14.

Sanderson, Jimmy. "Closer to the Action: Connecting Athletes and Fans." In It's a Whole New Ballgame: How Social Media is Changing Sports. New York, NY: Hampton Press, 2011. 69-70.

Shockley, Justin. 2010. Unfiltered?: A Content Analysis of Pro Athletes' "Twitter" Use. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1729.

Vick, Mike. (MikeVick). "Want to let my fans know that I love y'all and I would not be in this position without you guys. Thanks for helping me turn my life around." January 7, 2014, 5:35PM. Tweet. http://bit.ly/1j3LBbV.

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