FYI … a new CMS version of the NHL’s team Web sites caused DetroitRedWings.com to go haywire for awhile this week. All better now. Thanks for your patience!

That explains why I was landing on NHL.com when I was clicking links on DetroitRedWings.com earlier in the week.  I’m happy to report that the FAQ section is once again working properly.  But, this upgrade made me curious to see if any changes had come to other areas of the Red Wings’ web presence.

It didn’t take long to see that the Hockeytown Blog had been renovated in a very positive way.  More than anything it looks much more official than the previous version, with a clean two column design and a front page that has less clutter.  At the same time, there is a ton of open space for social media integration… but none can be found.  The front page features links to the official Facebook page, Twitter account, and LinkedIn group, but there are no options (read:  share buttons) for readers to easily pass along the content.

The Hockeytown Blog should have some kind of Twitter account.  Or, at the very least, the contributors should be branding “Around the Rink” (via social media) as a daily must visit for a collection of the very best Red Wings stories on the Internet.  I’ve written before that there is value in being the hub of information, and it’s clear that the Red Wings have people searching for outside content.  Yet, they aren’t engaging the community and making fans aware of absolutely everything that’s out there.  The only content that’s truly being promoted is the “official” variety from their official website.

But what about the huge segment of fans that rarely visit the official website, and get their information from reading Red Wings blogs?  Wouldn’t the organization want to find a way to connect with those fans as well?  Take the Hockeytown Blog as an example (since it’s an official Red Wings entity).  If you can draw people to the Hockeytown Blog – branding it as a hub for Red Wings content from across the web – couldn’t the organization also use it as a platform for upcoming promotions, community service projects, official watch parties, etc.?

It’s all about bringing the official and unofficial crowds together.  Social media is the key.

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I hope there isn’t a perception that fewer posts on my blog this week is a sign of fatigue or frustration.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  The interaction here, on Twitter, and on Facebook has dipped a little this week.   This being only my second post of the week, it’s understandable.  I’ve also spent a fair amount of time chasing down other potential opportunities this week, which has taken me away from social media a little more than I’d like.   I hope those of you following along aren’t becoming indifferent to the situation.  I know – for certain – that some of you aren’t.

There were a couple of breakthroughs this week on Twitter.  Craig Kanally, the Traffic and Trends Editor for the Huffington Post, sent me a couple of nice tweets, wishing me luck on my journey.  Similarly, I exchanged a few tweets and e-mails with George Malik, writer of the Snapshots blog on MLive.  George got in touch after my last entry and gave me a glimpse into some of his experiences covering the Red Wings, which was extremely beneficial for me.  I just want to publicly thank both of them for offering their support.  Hopefully you’ll offer your support to them by clicking the links above.

While the position of Social Networking Coordinator with the Red Wings is the job I’m most aggressively seeking, there are lots of other openings I’m pursuing… but in a much less public fashion.  If this process doesn’t play out as I’m hoping with the Red Wings, some of the other positions I’m seeking will rise to the surface and become the focus of this blog.  I just have to wait and see what happens.  By my count, this opening with the Red Wings will have been posted for more than 30 days after this weekend passes, so next week could provide the first answers.

Tomorrow (Friday) will mark a month being “on the beach” as it’s known in media circles.  I’ll reflect on that over the weekend.

Just a few of the many credentials I collected in 2010, but they're also some of my favorites.

Today I’m using bullet points as the format du jour in honor of a my first paintball experience this past weekend.  Despite several welts of varied grossness (photos available if you ask nicely via Twitter or Facebook), it was great time!  Chicago was the location, and a friend’s impending nuptials were the reason for celebration.  One recommendation for everyone:  Habana Libre at Chicago Ave. and Noble (near Ashland).  Order anything on the menu, just make sure you start with a couple of their spinach or guava and cheese empanadas.

That’s more meta than you probably wanted, so let’s get back to business.  You know, this job I’m seeking with the Detroit Red Wings.

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• Due to my unfamiliarity with the policies of the Red Wings organization, I’ve been trying to figure out whether or not they grant credentials to bloggers who write exclusively (or almost exclusively) about the team.  If you’re a Red Wings blogger and know the answer to this question, please let me know.  I didn’t go as far as contacting the organization (since I’m applying for a job, I don’t want to stick my nose somewhere it doesn’t belong), but I did try to find some answers on the Red Wings official website.  Unfortunately, when I clicked links for both a “Frequently Asked Questions” section and a “Public Relations” section, I was taken to the front page of the NHL’s website.  That was a little surprising… and disappointing.

• The reason I’m curious is because it would seem like the Red Wings could have a hand in rewarding these people in some way for their efforts, and it could be done via social media.  Two weeks ago when this campaign began, I wrote that a major key to success for the Red Wings next Social Networking Coordinator will be an ability to engage the people behind the dozens of Red Wings blogs currently in operation.  A “blog of the day” or “blog of the month” promotion might encourage some bloggers to go a little further with their writing if they knew there was potentially something more waiting for them.  What about those golden tickets we call credentials?  If it were earned, would Red Wings bloggers be interested in having the same access as the mainstream media, even if that access was for a limited time only?  Some would not, but some would absolutely jump at the chance to ask some questions after games.  It doesn’t matter if the blogger is based in the Detroit area or not, because credential requests could always be made for road games too.

• If you have someone inside the Red Wings organization – such as the Social Networking Coordinator – constantly monitoring all the Detroit Red Wings blogs, it becomes easier to differentiate bad blogs from good ones while also being objective rather than subjective.  Linkarounds are already being used on the Hockeytown Blog, but those links aren’t being pushed to social media sites and are often outdated because the site appears to only be updated once per week.  That still baffles me a little bit, because many times with social media and blogs there’s true value in being the hub of all activity – regardless of who created the content.  A great example of that idea is Paul Kukla from Kukla’s Korner, my guest last week on this site’s first-ever podcast.

• Obviously, there would have to be rules in place to be eligible for the hypothetical “blog of the day” or “blog of the month” promotion I’m describing, but it could be done fairly easily.  When it comes down to it, blogs focused on the Red Wings are only bringing more attention to the Red Wings, and that’s a good thing.  So, shouldn’t these people’s hard work be rewarded in some way?  At it’s core, this type of promotion is built for social media consumption.  It promotes the organization, encourages discussion about the organization, and gives those working the hardest a potential opportunity to be rewarded for their efforts.

It’s just something else to consider, and one of many thoughts I’ve had swimming around in my head since beginning this process a couple weeks ago.  Like I said at the beginning, I really don’t know what the current policies are for the Red Wings and whether or not they credential bloggers.  As I’ve told you before, I spent a lot of time the past few years at college basketball games, and I saw more and more bloggers receiving access each year.  Hockey, and specifically the Red Wings, could benefit from reaching out to some blogs.  Sometimes, they do a better job covering a team than those in the mainstream media.

I’ll write more later in the week about the “hub” idea I touched on above.  It’s important to remember that there are lots of Red Wings fans who are just as interested in what’s happening with every team in the NHL, as they are with what’s happening with only the Red Wings.  Capitalizing on another team’s news isn’t something that the Red Wings should shy away from, as it’s all part of being the “hub.”

I’ll definitely explain later in the week, and hope to provide an example with another edition of the podcast, since it was so well-received last week.  I’m thinking it’s time to track down someone who’s been around Mike Modano and the Dallas Stars, to get their opinion on his situation.  Sound good?

Joey Gladstone and Michelle Tanner sporting the winged wheel. After this photo was taken, Michelle ate a bowl of ouce cream, using her hockey stick as a spoon. And everyone laughed.

Dave – freaking – Coulier!

Yes, that Dave Coulier checked in with @HireMeRedWings on Twitter yesterday, saying that he liked my style and asked if the Red Wings had any job openings.  Indeed they do, Dave (I can call you Dave, right?).  And the job that’s open is the one I’m after.  Thanks to your simple tweet, you’re helping me spread the word, and adding to my campaign to become the next Social Media Coordinator for the Detroit Red Wings.  You know, that almost sounds like it could be the title of a televis…wait, nevermind.  Thanks a lot, Food Network.

On a similar, but less Coulier note, I’m starting to see my efforts show up in more and more places each day.  Octopus Thrower surprised me yesterday morning by writing up this quick little blurb about my quest.  Just for clarity’s sake, (Brian, I’m speaking to you) Last.fm was simply an option attached to my site’s original theme.  I like music.  You like music.  We all like music.  But maybe – just maybe – hearing Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus on my Last.fm channel will be the hidden gem that puts me over the top.  Or someone will simply think I have bad taste in music.  Either way, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Also, late last night I came across an incredible entry on the blog Beards of War.  When typically referring to Beards of War, “incredible” would mean something hilarious, side-splitting, or lol-worthy.  But not this time.  Josh got serious for a moment, and told the story of why the Red Wings mean so much to him.  I’m not overstating this at all when I tell you the entry is highly moving.  He brings to the surface several of his memories of Red Wings’ playoff runs from the late 90s and early 2000s, but that isn’t the hook.  Instead, it’s the retelling of personal hardships he endured in 2002, cheering on the Red Wings from the belly of the beast in Denver, Colorado.  He discusses Game 7… so I shouldn’t have to say much more than that.  But the story caught my eye for another, separate reason.  Turns out that Josh spent a brief period of time living (his family moved a few times while he was growing up) in Battle Creek, Michigan – about 10 minutes from where I grew up in Athens, Michigan.  It’s a small world folks, and always will be.

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On Monday when I began this whole process, I stopped short of detailing every little thought I had about the position I’m pursuing with the Red Wings.  I’m not here to bore you with all of those thoughts and parts-of-thoughts, but there are a couple of other topics that are worthy of discussion.  Maybe some rhetorical questions… and maybe some real questions for those of you who continue to ride along with me on  this journey.

Mixing social media with sports franchises is obviously about more than a small group of people sitting on HootSuite or TweetDeck all day long chatting with followers, and sending out links to news articles.  Don’t get me wrong, that’s certainly part of it, but what about when your fans and followers are already in the arena?  Buying a ticket is good, but how can they be ensured to have a good time?  Better yet, how can they be enticed to buy something?  The action on the ice at Joe Louis Arena often times takes care of the first part, but social media can definitely help assist in answering my second question.

At my last job, our summer schedule basically consisted of working on the video crew at Victory Field for the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  We had plenty to take care of, but as many of you know, minor league baseball is as much about the in-game promotions as it is the baseball.  The Indians’ staff certainly know what they’re doing, as the franchise consistently ranks near the top of the International League in attendance figures, despite some meager win-loss records.  Combine that with the fact that the franchise has turned a profit for 37-consecutive years under Max Schumacher’s tenure as President… and yeah, you get the picture.  The Indians promote their web presence at every possible opportunity.  Between innings, the promote their Facebook page, Twitter account, blogs, and even a “Gift Shop Item of the Day.”  One of their more adventurous promotions however, is called “Tweet Your Seat” in which fans in attendance are encouraged to get on their phone and tweet their location in the ballpark.  Prizes are typically attached to some type of corporate sponsor coupon, but this kind of promotion could really be used for anything – ticket discounts to future games, discounts on apparel, and so on.  A quick Google search even reveals that the New Jersey Devils have used a promotion like this, but to upgrade fans’ seats.  It’s certainly easy to find winners using Twitter.  You could either send them a Direct Message with instructions detailing where to claim their prize, or simply have someone locate the winners in their seats, verify their ticket stub, and you’re done.

For all I know, the Red Wings are already running a promotion like this (if they are, and you know this, gimme a shout) and I’m going to look a little foolish.  However, let’s throw out another possibility that could significantly increase the “visibility, community awareness, and engagement” of the Red Wings’ social media efforts – like having a scavenger hunt.  Young or old, we all love ‘em.  How easy would it be to have virtual scavenger hunts with your followers on Twitter?  Get some corporate sponsors to participate (since they could see the residual effects and add Twitter followers of their own) by handing a few tickets (just an example) over to them every so often.  Send your followers on a series of virtual “hunts” by giving out clues until someone finally claims the tickets by putting the pieces of the puzzle together and literally showing up at the location where the prize is being held.  What if that location was a local Buffalo Wild Wings, and 50 people came looking for the tickets, but they were already claimed?  Do you think any of those people might stick around and grab some food or a beverage?  I do.

That’s just another angle to think about with this whole position, an angle that I definitely haven’t forgotten even though it’s not necessarily a strong point on my résumé.

For those of you out their who have your own blogs – Red Wings-centric or not – I leave you today with a question.

Would you welcome an additional Twitter feed(s) from the Red Wings that focused more on what you are writing, and then dispersing it to a larger group of followers?

I hope to hear your thoughts, because it’s something I’ve thought about many times since the beginning of the week, and something I want to write more about here on my site.  Many of you already have significant followings, but it just seems that there is a role the Red Wings could play in helping create a larger community for all fans.  The best way to go about that, however, remains to be seen.

Be sure to visit the Facebook and Twitter pages!