If I Was Marussia's #SMDriver...

I could, like a lot of people, use this space to write you a lengthy essay on the importance of social media. But you probably already know that. You probably arrived here through my Twitter page or the #SMDriver hashtag. So instead, I'm going to show you a few of my ideas for what I would do as Marussia's social media driver at the British Grand Prix.

1. Driver Q&As - #Ask Timo & #AskCharles

Every F1 fan dreams of the opportunity to interact with their heroes: the best drivers in the world. To achieve this used to mean attending a Grand Prix, waiting impatiently on the wrong side of a fence for hours, in the vague hope that you might get a hastily-scrawled autograph if your favourite driver happened to pass by.


But social media provides easy interaction between the sport and its fans from all over the world. You can find the majority of Formula 1 personalities on Twitter, where they are within reach like never before. And so, to build on this connection, I propose a question-and-answer session between the Marussia drivers and their fans on Twitter, using dedicated hashtags #AskTimo and #AskCharles.

Fans on Twitter will have twelve hours on the Wednesday before the British Grand Prix to tweet questions for Timo and Charles, using their respective hashtag. The most asked and most interesting questions (they don't all have to be F1 related!) will then be compiled to put to the drivers themselves. Timo and Charles will be filmed answering the fans' questions (as many as possible!) and the video can be shared on Marussia's official Twitter and Facebook pages. Depending on the quantity of submissions, there would also be opportunity for some fan questions to be answered in the driver's native language. This is a great way to use social media to bring together fans from all corners of the globe - F1 is an international sport, after all.


2. Driver Diaries - Access All Areas

Although it's the Formula 1 drivers that get all the coverage come race day, F1 wouldn't be the sport it is today without some behind-the-scenes magic. For this reason, I suggest offering three unique perspectives from inside the Marussia F1 team during the Silverstone race weekend.

Firstly, the F1 driver diary: an insight into what Timo, Charles and Maria get up to from Thursday until Sunday at a Grand Prix. From what they've had for breakfast, to analysing the telemetry from Friday practice, these diary extracts will give readers a glimpse of the hectic life of a Formula 1 driver.


Secondly, the truck driver diary: a look at what it takes to run an F1 team from behind the scenes. These diaries, kept by some of Marussia's beloved #MF1truckies, will explain the logistics involved in transporting an entire F1 team around the world. A rarely seen but hugely important part of the glamorous sport of F1.


And thirdly, the social media driver diary. Given the enormous response to Marussia's search for an #SMDriver at the British Grand Prix, there will be plenty of people fascinated to hear what the lucky winner gets up to working with Marussia throughout the race weekend. Although of course I hope it's me (!), if not, I'd be really interested to be updated on the exciting social media activities going on in the MF1 garage.


These Driver Diaries can combine all sorts of media, whether it is a written blog post, photographs with captions, or a video diary. They can then be displayed on the Marussia website and shared via Facebook and Twitter, bringing fans right into the F1 action at Silverstone.


3. #MF1 Twitter Competition - RT & Follow

Social media is an amazing way to expand your fan base, whether you're a musician, a comedian, or an F1 team! And there's a classic technique on Twitter to increase awareness and gain followers: an RT-and-follow competition.

On Twitter, a chain of retweets (RTs) can spread an image, an idea or a competition like wild fire. So with this in mind, I propose that Marussia harness the power of social media with a simple competition like the one above, in order to gain numerous new fans on their official Twitter account. Additionally, this will help create an online buzz around Marussia in the lead up to the British Grand Prix.

So those are just a few of my ideas for what I'd do if I was lucky enough to work with Marussia as their social media driver. It's an incredible opportunity and it really goes to show the immense power and influence that social media has, particularly in Formula 1.

Feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions below, check out the Monster #SMDriver page, explore the rest of my blog, or tweet me @F1_Obsessive. Finally, just a few more reasons why I should be Marussia's #SMDriver at the British Grand Prix...

Hopefully see you at Silverstone! :D