Dodgers get their social media rewards program up and running

Are you socially aware? We don’t mean about gay rights or global warming or the protection of deer antlers.

We’re talking social media awareness. If you are into that, the Dodgers are into you. Anyway, they would really like to be.

As reported here last month, those cutting-edge Dodgers officially unveiled a rewards program Thursday that is designed to engage fans who support the club online and at Dodger Stadium.

The basic premise is the same for all you points freaks tied to a hotel chain or airline programs. Earn points and cash them in for Dodgers-themed prizes.

Signing up, naturally, is required. Their social media sites of choice at the moment are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also earn points for purchasing merchandise at the team site and checking into games using the MLB app.

They’re also going to have designated sweepstakes periods, the first starting today and ending March 15, and the rewards aren’t too bad: two tickets to opening day or a Sandy Koufax signed baseball.

Oh, come on, don’t tell me you don’t like that.

In a statement new/old team marketing guru Lon Rosen said: “We are creating an interactive rewards portal for all things Dodgers. Being a sports fan is about passion and competition, and we believe through this platform we are entering the next phase of fan loyalty with the ultimate goal of rewarding our fans for their support.�

The Dodgers said this is the first such rewards program in Major League Baseball. To get this puppy rolling, the Dodgers partnered with Lodestone Social Media, a Texas company that says it has launched similar programs with national universities and colleges, including USC and UC Riverside.

The Dodgers are getting ahead of the curve in MLB, but Rosen said teams in the NFL (including the Ravens, Dolphins, Texans) and NBA (Heat, Magic) are already utilizing similar programs.

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