Ferris State Athletics To Launch #BeatGVx3 Social Countdown!

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University Athletics, which won a GOLD award for the nation's best social media and interactive campaign this week at the 2014 national convention, will launch yet another major social media initiative beginning on Thursday (June 12) with the debut of the #BeatGVx3 Social Countdown.

The interactive social media blitz highlighting one of the top Division II rivalries in the country will count down the days until September when the Bulldogs square off against archrival Grand Valley State in three different sports over a three-day span. 

Thursday's launch begins exactly 100 days prior to kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 20, when FSU hosts GVSU in both women's soccer and football action in Big Rapids. Three days later, the Bulldog volleyball team ventures to Allendale for their first meeting against the Lakers on Sept. 23.

The social media initiative will help fans tick down the days to Sept. 20 when the Bulldog women's soccer team will host the defending national champion Lakers at the FSU Soccer Field starting at 5 p.m. (ET) with the football squad seeking its third-straight win in the Anchor-Bone Classic later that night at Top Taggart Field. It will mark FSU's home gridiron opener with opening kickoff set for 7 p.m. (ET).

While fans are eagerly waiting for the Bulldogs to square off against the Lakers in one of Division II's most fierce rivalries, the #BeatGVx3 Social Countdown will allow them to talk about highlights from past games in multiple sports online with other fans, share their Bulldog pride, win prizes and have fun while keeping up with the Bulldogs socially.

Aptly named the #BeatGVx3 Social Countdown, the plan will feature different interactive components for each day (Monday-Sunday) via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and FerrisStateBulldogs.com, as well as other special features as the days count down to Sept. 20. Fans are encouraged to use the #BeatGVx3 tag on all tweets related to the social media effort.

"So many Bulldog fans and former student-athletes have stories to tell about games against Grand Valley State from years past and this initiative will only help build momentum for the upcoming contests this fall against the Lakers ," said Associate Athletics Director Jon Coles.  "Our social media efforts the past couple of years have achieved great results and we believe this one will do the same while also helping build momentum for another athletics season."

The special summer social media project comes on the heels of back-to-back award-winning efforts by Ferris State Athletics. The previously-used Bulldog Social Summer campaign that was ran in 2012 was tabbed among the nation's three best social media marketing efforts as part of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) "Best of Award Winners" while last summer's Michigan's "Best Sports Logo" effort received GOLD recognition as the nation's best just this week.

The #BeatGVx3 Social Countdown continues the Bulldogs' efforts to engage fans and increase followers in recent years on multiple social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Intstagram while also establishing an email database that continues to grow. FSU's current athletics "likes" on facebook are more than many of the other in-state Division I schools while the official athletics twitter account (@FerrisAthletics) ranks among the top 25 of more than 300 NCAA Division II member institutions. In addition, the Bulldogs' hockey twitter account (@FerrisHockey) is tops of all the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) schools.

The unique project will also feature various interactive elements and social media posts on the school's official athletics website at FerrisStateBulldogs.com where more than 5,000 people visit on a daily basis during the season, making the site among the best of its kind in intercollegiate athletics. Since its launch in August of 2009, FerrisStateBulldogs.com has served nearly five million visitors from all 50 states and nearly every country around the world. Those visitors have combined for more than 250 million hits.

The daily themes for the #BeatGVx3 Social Countdown include:

Mini-Dawg Monday
Send us your favorite photos of your little Dawgs on social media platforms. Upload photos of your children, young relatives or friends to the Ferris Athletics Facebook page, tweet them online or post on instagram. Help us expand our reach and include the youngest members of your family! 

Trivia Tuesday
Join us on Twitter and Facebook for questions pertaining to the Anchor-Bone Rivalry. We'll cover nearly every sport, recapping some of the memorable moments from years gone by in this historic showdown. Better study up on your FSU-GVSU history! 

Winning Wednesday
We're scouring the archives for memorable photos from big wins over the Lakers from years past. Be it football, basketball, volleyball or others, find them on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. You'll be surprised at how awesome some of our uniforms and athletes looked back in the day!

Three-Straight Thursday
As we approach the weekend, we'll bring you cool facts, milestones, notes and more from back-to-back wins the last two seasons over GVSU as the Bulldog football team aims for its third-straight win over the Lakers. Catch video highlights or check out records set with posts on a variety of social media platforms. 

Football Friday
Gear up for fall with all the latest football news, videos and more! Read or watch an interview, hear a quote, catch the links or find out a fun Bulldog football fact as the Dawgs prepare for the 2014 campaign!

Alumni Share Saturday
What's your favorite memory from the Ferris State vs. Grand Valley State rivalry? Do you remember a big win over the Lakers or were you in attendance when the 'Dawgs pulled out a victory. Share your favorite story with us from the rivalry and we'll post on the official Ferris State Athletics accounts.

Sign Sunday
Send us photos of yourself, family or friends using the #BeatGVx3 hashtag for a chance to win! Make your own sign and post on our facebook page or tag us on twitter. Whether you're in Big Rapids, across the country or anywhere in the world, be sure to show your Bulldog Nation pride and help root on the 'Dawgs to victory!  

If you haven't joined the social media revolution yet, now is the time! Create your accounts and get social with the Bulldogs!

Here are direct links to FSU's official social media pages:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ferrisathletics
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ferrisathletics
Instagram: www.instagram.com/FerrisAthletics
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ferrisathletics
Website: www.FerrisStateBulldogs.com