Inside @ESPNNFL Super Bowl XLVII social media plans #ESPNSBPicks

NEW ORLEANS — Four members of ESPN’s newly-formed social media integration unit are here to help engage fans through Twitter, Facebook and other platforms in unique ways.

Front Row spoke with Steve Braband and Jason Romano of the social media group to discuss their plans for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII.

What is your team’s ultimate goal for Super Bowl week?
JR: Our goal is to engage fans through social media and give them a place to voice their opinion on topics that will be discussed on our ESPN shows.

Where can fans go to interact with ESPN during Super Bowl week?
JR: Fans should follow @ESPNNFL, the Twitter feed that encompasses all of ESPN’s NFL studio coverage. This will be one-stop shopping for all things NFL in New Orleans this week.

[box color=red size=small align=right] ESPN SOCIAL FAST FACT: ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown debuted live Twitter voting on Jan. 6 during the NFL playoffs. Within minutes, more than 20,000 fans answered this question: “Who will have a bigger game today, Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson?” RGIII captured 52 percent of the vote.[/box]

How can fans be a part of ESPN shows in New Orleans?
SB: There are two primary ways fans can interact with us: by submitting SportsNation postcards and by voting in our live Twitter polls. Fans at home can take photos of their faces and tweet them using the hashtag #SBPostcard for a chance to get to New Orleans without leaving their couch. We will be selecting photos on our shows and on our social Jumbotron in front of our live audience and sending fans their own personalized postcard back to them on Twitter. This is the first time we’ve tried to do something like this on site at a large event like the Super Bowl.

JR: Fans can also follow @ESPNNFL and tweet their answers to our daily ESPN twitter poll questions using the hashtag #ESPNSBPicks. The questions we have planned for the remainder of the week are:

Wednesday: Which quarterback do you trust more?
Thursday: Which defense is more intimidating?
Friday: Who wins, 49ers or Ravens?

For more on ESPN’s 120-plus hours of Super Bowl programming in New Orleans, here’s the show schedule.