#SSIPLWatch The splendidly candid Rajasthan Royals social media strategy

With a fiery pink approach to visuals, the social media strategy of Rajasthan Royals encompasses an intriguing mix of candid and regal, we take a closer look.

Rajasthan Royals have been an IPL team since the beginning and have, over time, build themselves a loyal fanbase online with the help of a robust social media strategy. In the 13th year of IPL, they are using varied platforms to stay in touch with fans in candid ways. Their presence includes a good chunk of partner and branded content. Players remain at the heart of all they do and put up on social media.

And of course, they got Rahul Tewatia!

Social Media Footprint

Much of the content put up by Rajasthan Royals on different social media is essentially the same, optimised according to the platforms for amplification. There is, however, a key structural difference. On Facebook and Twitter, they use hashtags and profile tags in a set manner with vertical bars being used as separators. This pattern cannot be seen on Instagram.

Facebook: 4.15 Million followers
Twitter: 1.3 Million followers
Instagram: 1.3 Million followers
Key Hashtags: #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily #IPL2020

In sync with their jersey shades and overall branding, a combination of pink and blue hues make the most of their social media presence. While the team puts up a lot of candid content with no edits, a significant number of posts do include a template where elements of fire and sparks are used to create a fiery look.

GIFs & Conversations

Twitter is an interesting platform for sporting teams for it gives them the chance to be truly candid with their fans. Here, they have conversations where they can act as fans themselves. Using GIFs are an important part of the process, as can be seen in the way Rajasthan Royals tweet, especially on days when they have a match going on.

Wicket. Needed. Now. 🙏#RRvSRH | #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/iiBHIo6Ms1

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 22, 2020

😍 J O F R A 😍

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 22, 2020

End of powerplay. SRH - 58/2.

Who are you backing to break this partnership? 🤔#RRvSRH | #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #IPL2020

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 22, 2020

What a late flourish by Riyan and Jofra! We have a good feeling about this. 👊#RRvSRH | #HallaBol | #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/yzPC9o2xSm

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 22, 2020

Ohhhh we're loving this now! 🕺

Four. Six. Four and we get 16 runs off that over!

RR - 134/4 in 18 overs.#RRvSRH | #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #IPL2020

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 22, 2020

Tewatia Fever

A phenomenal performance by Rahul Tewatia that helped Rajasthan Royals win a crucial match was leveraged to the hilt by the team on social media. They participated in brand conversations as well as gave him the space to shine online. On his part, Tewatia expressed his gratitude towards Virat Kohli and featured in several standalone content pieces.

Dethroned! ⚔️

Kings of the south ✅
Kings of the north ✅#RRvKXIP | #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | @rahultewatia02 pic.twitter.com/RDw2Ztg31O

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 27, 2020

View this post on Instagram

??? ??????. #RRvKXIP #HallaBol #IPL2020 #Tewatiya

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Sep 28, 2020 at 12:29am PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

View this post on Instagram

"It's a special feeling." ? A special gesture by @virat.kohli, a moment to remember for @rahultewatia20. ? #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 3, 2020 at 11:47pm PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

Going Candid

Though plenty of safety measures are in place, it is only fair for gloom to creep in from time to time as players stay away from their families and social isolation as per the guidelines. On social media, the team was able to show the humane side of playing during the pandemic and the emotions that come with it. They put up several pieces detailing the life of players in quarantine during parts of the league.

View this post on Instagram

Stoked. ?✈️ #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily @stokesy

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 3, 2020 at 12:47am PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

View this post on Instagram

Hey Ben, what're you upto in your room? ??‍♂️ #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily @stokesy

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 8, 2020 at 7:20am PDT

Partner & Branded Content

There are facets of the Rajasthan Royals journey on social media that are similar to an influencer. They talk about their sponsors and partner brands, helping them reach the target audiences in interesting ways. The narratives created by the team focussed on depicting the way players interacted with these products and services, spinning relevant tales for fans to consume.

View this post on Instagram

Extra effort on the field calls for extra effort in recovery. ?‍♂️ P.S. We wish we had #Cryo at home! ? #HallaBol @cryouae #Cryotherapy #CryoUAE

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 2, 2020 at 2:18am PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

View this post on Instagram

Get your game face on, with the Man Company! ? #HallaBol #Dream11IPL @themancompany @jd_unadkat

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 1, 2020 at 6:40am PDT

Also Read: #SSIPLWatch How Chennai Super Kings makes fans whistle on social media

View this post on Instagram

Glimpses of the team's home away from home this season. ?? A Royal experience every step of the way. #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily #OORoyalMirage @ooroyalmirage

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 5, 2020 at 12:21am PDT

View this post on Instagram

End the hush. Period. #RoyalsFamily #LetsTalkPeriods @niineindia

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 12, 2020 at 7:13am PDT

Royal Podcast

A key part of the content created by the players and people associated with Rajasthan Royals is their video podcasts. These are posted, in full, on the YouTube channel, while snippets are used on social media platforms for promotional purposes. The content of these podcast episodes helps add a candid touch to their social media communication.

View this post on Instagram

What went wrong & what can be done right. ? The Royals review - #RCBvRR ?️ #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 5, 2020 at 2:27am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Spoiler Alert ? Smudge & Jos are hilarious! ? #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily @steve_smith49 @josbuttler

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 13, 2020 at 12:17am PDT

Leveraging Interface

May it be a simple slider or a more interesting two-part 3D effect to a post on Instagram, Rajasthan Royals has been leveraging the interface to create eye-catching posts that are likely to make even non-fans stop in their scroll to have a look.

View this post on Instagram

Keep 'em coming ?? Royals colours for #IPL2020, on point. Get yours now by clicking the link in our bio. #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Sep 10, 2020 at 4:27am PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

View this post on Instagram

Cheer from home ✅ Shop from home ✅ ✅ Welcome to the #RoyalsFamily, @bigbasketcom! ? #HallaBol #Dream11IPL

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Sep 18, 2020 at 12:03am PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

View this post on Instagram

Ready to send them flying, come Saturday. ? #HallaBol #RoyalsFamily #Dream11IPL @steve_smith49

A post shared by Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) on Oct 1, 2020 at 5:58am PDT

data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">

Takeaways

• In the case of Rajasthan Royals, the content they create with partner brands is one of the most interesting aspects of their social media strategy. It helps them tell stories like an influencer, helping build the brand value of the team as well as individual players.
• Their communication on Twitter is very conversations, helping them drive conversations in real-time, especially on match days.