Interesting case study: Terrence Cody Jr. Facebook fan page

How do you rack up 50,000 fans quickly on Facebook?

If you’re from Alabama, it doesn’t hurt to be a football legend in the making.

Enter Terrence Cody Jr., a senior defensive tackle with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He stands out for a few reasons …

1. He’s 6-foot-5 and weighs 365 pounds, earning him the nickname “Mount Cody.” His size alone makes him easy to spot on the field or even on television.
2. Cody is a star player on a nationally ranked team. Cody gets good playing time, and therefore, good camera time.
3. He makes big plays. His legend was cemented in October during the Tennessee game two weeks ago with not one but two blocked field goal attempts. The second came within the final seconds, saving the game, Alabama’s unbeaten streak and shot at a national championship.

I wish I had a chart showing the growth of the page. I do know it shot up to about 40,000 fans after the Tennessee game, and has been growing steadily since.

Compare that with Coach Nick Saban’s fan page, with a mere 16,000 fans.

Given that it’s likely fans, and not Cody himself, who set up the page, what if anything should be done with it? Keep it pure for the fans? Monetize it with unauthorized Mount Cody T-shirts? Let it grow with Cody (so to speak) as he progresses to the NFL?

Whatever happens, it shows that sometimes Fan Pages attract big numbers for one reason: simple popularity. Mount Cody, truly the Big Man on Campus and even the Bigger Man on Facebook.