From 0 to100,000+ Views
Hello hello! I’m really excited to report my first effort into this project of growing Play Underwater Hockey as a brand. I’m starting on this journey because I’m very curious about what it takes to effectively grow brands through digital media. I want to understand the analytic background of all the videos, break down what makes something effective for a brand, and maybe even make something go viral.
Why Play Underwater Hockey?
I’m starting this project for a few reasons. First, I feel a strong desire from the underwater hockey community to have a cornerstone for the sport, one that helps push it forward and grow it. Second, I believe there’s a lot of untapped media potential with underwater hockey. Finally, I want more people to know about this incredible sport, which has been so impactful for me. Hopefully, we can change the awareness around it, maybe even in a big way.
My Relationship with Underwater Hockey
I’ve played underwater hockey intensely for about six years. However, after competing in nationals two months ago, I haven’t played much at all. I’m figuring out the best way to grow this brand and page while finding ways to operationalize what I’ve learned and pass it on to players inspired by the page. I’m actively communicating with people who appreciate what I’m doing, have an interest in contributing, and are involved in weekly meetings to gather media and handle editing.
Growth Metrics & Platform-Specific Growth
In the first couple of weeks of putting the brand up on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, and Facebook, I’ve gathered some stats. However, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube shine the most due to their algorithms’ support for short-form content.
Instagram: I’ve surpassed 500 followers and received about 40,000 viewsand about 56 hours of watch time.
YouTube: While I only have 17 subscribers, I’ve gotten around 40,000 views and 147 hours of watch time.
TikTok: This platform has been frustrating, capping my views at about 700 for most videos. Still, I’ve accumulated 14,000 views and 81 followers over the past two weeks.
Across platforms, I’ve uploaded daily ammounting to 14 posts that I have reposted on every platform. On Instagram, my max view count was 4,000, while YouTube performed better with a 14,000-view video generating 50 hours of watch time.
Content Performance & Specific Content Uploaded
I’ve categorized my underwater hockey content into three categories:
Commentary: Digestible and entertaining commentary for viewers, focusing on hooks, plays, and how to document them efficiently.
Creative Content: Engaging videos for people from related sports like free diving, underwater rugby, swimming, or water polo.
Underwater Hockey Ads: Content packaged in an entertaining way to attract viewers to the sport.
So far, commentary performs best, though it mostly appeals to current players rather than new, uninformed viewers. I plan to tweak my approach to make it more inclusive and build out other content categories.
Platform-Specific Algorithm Perspectives
I don’t have much data on X, Threads, or Facebook, as those accounts are more dormant. I’m primarily focused on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, where I see the most value in advertising for brands.
Instagram: If the content is good and I post consistently, Instagram picks it up. But small accounts may struggle with reach.
TikTok: I find myself at a loss. Despite my best efforts, my views seem capped, and I’m not seeing the engagement I expected.
YouTube: I love YouTube’s creator-friendly analytics and algorithm. It picks up new media better than Instagram or TikTok, giving me a quicker path to reach new viewers.
Follower Demographics
Across all platforms, my followers are predominantly male (~65%), which aligns with the sport’s gender distribution.
Instagram: My audience is mostly 25-35 years old, with a significant following in Medellín, Colombia, due to content featuring Colombian players.
YouTube: The audience skews younger (18-24) and older (35-44), with a more balanced gender split (55% male, 45% female). My audience here is also more global, with significant viewership from the United States and the UK.
These insights help me tailor my content for specific regions and demographics.
Initial Assumptions vs. Reality
I thought TikTok would be more successful than it is, but it’s lagging behind Instagram and YouTube. My best TikTok video only has 2,000 views, and I need to figure out how to perform better on the platform.
Platform-Specific Strategies
YouTube: Viewers don’t like background music with commentary.
Instagram: Music over commentary performs well. I’m still curious to see what TikTok prefers.
Brand Integration
I’ve settled on three key brand values: quality, accessibility, and consistency. I’m trying to maintain high-quality standards, which takes time, but I believe it’s paying off in terms of views and community excitement. About 50% of people I follow back on Instagram, which is higher than the average I’ve seen on other pages (closer to 25-40%).
I plan to focus more on quality long-form content, especially on YouTube, as a way to funnel viewers to my other platforms.
Social Media Tools & Software
I tried Hootsuite for a day, but it didn’t meet my needs and was too expensive for anyone to play for ($120). Instead, I’m relying on the native analytics tools within TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Studio. For now, that’s sufficient for interpreting my data. In the near future, I think that an aggregating analytics software will be very useful.
Mental Shifts
I initially thought viral short-form content would be the key to growth. But my success on YouTube suggests long-form content may be more effective in building an audience, especially for funneling followers into other platforms.
Aha Moments
Social media is addictive—both for uploading and consuming content. I’ve had to create distance from my devices to stay productive. Scheduling content ahead of time has been helpful, allowing me to focus on new content rather than obsessing over metrics.
Best Ideas for Getting People Interested in the Brand
Voice Commentary: Commentary is crucial for making the sport engaging to viewers unfamiliar with underwater hockey.
Puck Tracking: I use software to track the puck frame-by-frame, making it clear for viewers where the action is happening.
Quality Content: Creating high-quality content has attracted a small but dedicated audience, particularly those interested in contributing to the page.
Stay tuned for my next update in a couple of weeks!