Mayweather leverages Shots investment to announce fight

Mayweather, uses Shots, which allows people to share their selfies, to reveal fight with Pacquiao

Ever since I started covering social media around three years ago, I've been fascinated with all the ways people can use new media and the ways that it has been altering the way we traditionally do things.

Now, instead of announcements being made on old-school channels, going through a publicist and all sorts of power brokers. they can be made on Twitter or Facebook, and reach a much larger audience much, much faster. Or that power can be leveraged in reverse, with someone using their name to get word out about a new network in order to drive up engagement.

That is exactly what Floyd Mayweather tried to do for Shots, a social network based around people sharing selfies.

On Friday, Mayweather sent out this tweet, urging people to download it.

Go to my @shots ASAP. If you don't have it then go get it https://t.co/GuSNm5aUOX.

— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 20, 2015

The app store also sent out its own tweet, teasing a "big announcement."

.@floydmayweather is making a big announcement today inside @shots #MayweatherPacquiao see it here first: https://t.co/Ne21G0Nhg1

— App Store (@AppStore) February 20, 2015

So what was all of this hype for? Mayweather finally revealed it on Shots later in the day: he sent a picture of his contract to fight Manny Pacquiao, a.k.a. the only other current boxer I can name.

So why would Mayweather announce this much anticipated new on Shots and not a more well known network. Well, it just happens that he is an investor in the company, having participated in its $2.7 million seed round in 2013.

Other investors in that round included WI Harper Group, Maven Ventures Growth Labs, NALA Investments and Justin Bieber.

It's kind of genius move on Mayweather's part; as I said earlier, he is probably one of the only boxers anyone who isn't involved with the sport could even name. And he used that position in order to increase awareness, and engagement, with a company that will make him money. 

The move worked on me, at least; I signed up for shots to get the screenshot of Mayweather's post. I reached out to Shots to find out how much engagement the announcement created, and how many new users signed up for Shots just to get the scoop on the big announcement.

The company  was not available for comment at this time, and we will update the story if we get any more information on those numbers.

As for the fight itself, it will be on May 2nd of this year.

(Image source: lavozweb.com)