If Online Ad Platforms Were Baseball Players—DOM’s Starting Lineup – Part 2
Welcome to part two of If Online Ad Platforms Were Baseball Players—DOM’s Starting Lineup, in which will compare MLB players to online advertising platforms. In this part, we will cover Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Tumblr. If you missed out on part one, check it out here.
With the MLB season getting underway on April 5th, millions of baseball fans are beginning to draft in their fantasy baseball leagues. Baseball is the second most popular fantasy sport behind football and has a huge following. Unlike football, baseball has a much longer season which gives fantasy owners more time to make adjustments and build a winning team.
In the sections of the below, you will see comments from Leland Reed (LR) and Stephen Hoops (SH), who happens to be the newest member of the Direct Online Marketing team writing his first post for us! All of the following opinions belong to us and none reflect the feelings of Direct Online Marketing as a whole.
We decided that it would be a fun idea to write a blog comparing 9 of the biggest online advertising platforms to 9 players that you should pay attention to when drafting your fantasy team. You’ll have a few of the fantasy superstars and maybe a few surprises, too.
Instagram is the young and flashy entry in online advertising. It has exploded in popularity and brands are finding value in both paid ads and organic posting. It has already cemented itself as one of the most popular social networks and is sure to do the same when it comes to advertising.
LR: I knew I had to pick someone who was young and flashy to go here so the easy and obvious choice is Mike Trout. Trout took Major League Baseball by storm in 2012 putting up numbers that had never been seen before.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2012, finished 2nd in MVP voting in 2012 and 2013, and finally won the AL MVP in 2014. Like Instagram, Trout exploded onto the scene and shows no signs of slowing down.
SH: With some indications that Instagram is on the verge of becoming the next big platform to watch in social media, pitcher Noah Snydergaard just might be one of the top breakout pitchers to watch from the National League.
Although currently in the Minors, the 22-year-old Texas native’s numbers at the end of 2014 show signs that he is destined for greater things. His record from last year may not be perfect, but with 145 strikeouts, it is hard to ignore what he could do in the Majors. The Mets may call him up sooner than later, so look out for him on the waiver wire.
Pinterest was a tough platform for us to find a comparable player because of how new everything is. The only thing we could think of was the larger female user base and decided to make Pinterest our heartthrob category.
LR: My pick is Buster Posey. Other than being a pretty good looking guy, he can flat out play baseball. He is probably the best catcher in the league and has been the leader of three World Series winning teams. He also just got voted the Face of Major League Baseball. Not a bad start for someone who has only been in the league for five years.
SH: While the demographic using the platform is still more skewed towards a largely female audience, Pinterest is definitely a platform you should at least be familiar with. To round out your draft, you’ll need a shortstop.
Washington Nationals’ Ian Desmond should be your guy. Ranked #3 among shortstops, it’s also hard to deny that…he’s a beautiful man.
Snapchat
Snapchat seems to have taken the world by storm in both a positive and negative way. It is a great way for brands to connect with audiences in a way that was not possible in the past, but it has also opened the door up for misuse from underage kids and the inclusion of SnapCash was looked at as a questionable decision. Even with the negative aspects, there is no denying how popular the social network has become and now that brands are discovering ways to advertise with it, it will only continue to grow.
LR: In baseball, there are a lot of polarizing figures, but none have split fans the way Yasiel Puig has. I’ve found that most fans either love or hate him. I actually think he is great for the game. He plays so hard and brings young energy to the game.
This article from Tomas Rios is a great example of why Puig is loved by some and hated by others, when they should just be enjoying what he has to offer the game, which is extraordinary talent and athleticism, along with charisma that most baseball players do not have.
SH: The ever controversial Snapchat is seeing phenomenal growth among younger demographics and may soon rival the other players.
At 21-years-old, the Texas Rangers’ have got a real potential weapon at 2nd base. Having only played one year of pro baseball, Rougned Odor is showing he can hang with the big boys.
Right now, he is more of a defensive force, but his offense did show signs of promise last season. Just like Snapchat, if Odor’s improvement continues at this rocket ship pace he will be a true force to contend with.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a bit of a wild card when it comes to online advertising. The audience is definitely there, but the fashion industry seems to be the only people that are taking advantage of the benefits. When someone figures out how to take Tumblr to the mainstream, it will explode in popularity with regards to advertising.
LR: Like the Heyward pick in part one, I’m a little biased, but I think that a real wild card for this season could be Jose Peraza of the Atlanta Braves. Peraza may not start the 2015 season in the Majors, but it is hard to believe he will not end up there.
After two minor league promotions and the Braves’ Minor League Player of the Year award in 2014, the only thing Peraza is lacking is big league experience. It will be feast or famine with him. It is so hard to predict what a player with no major league experience will do, but if I was in the last few fantasy draft rounds and I saw Peraza sitting there, I would take a chance.
SH: Yahoo’s acquisition has yet to figure out how to scale appropriately and grow its user base, Tumblr’s current audience has a high percentage of heavy users. It’s hard to say where Tumblr will go from here but if approached the right way could be an absolute gold mine.
For this pick you’ll have to be willing to take a risk if you want to have an edge over your competition. While splitting his time between the minors and the Washington Nationals, Steven Souza Jr. of the Tampa Bay Rays is projected to do some big things. He’ll kill you with his batting average, hitting only .130 in limited appearances in 2014, but he has above average power and by the end of the season, he could be a valuable filler pickup that could end up winning you your league. Without playing enough games in the majors it’s really a gigantic crapshoot. Listen to your gut.
So there you have it, our final 4 position picks for the 2015 fantasy baseball season. We hope you enjoyed reading both parts of the blog and hopefully this is helpful not only with your fantasy teams, but with online advertising as well. Have suggestions or changes to either of our teams? Be sure to let us know about them in the comments!
