Social media

Social media is a collective term used to describe the tools that encourage web users to post their own content, such as text, photos and video.

• Facebook is the most used social media tool by sporting clubs, allowing for exchanges of messages, photos, video and other actions.

• Other social media tools:

  • • Twitter: is also quite popular with sporting clubs. This 'microblogging' tool allows for posting of shorter messages ('tweets' - up to 140 characters in length), photos, videos and other actions.

• • Instagram and Flickr: are mainly designed for the upload of photos and video, but also allow messages and other actions.

    • Strava (athletics): mostly for for athletics and cycling, this provides a number of features, based around the recording of personal achievements by devices such as smartphones and dedicated fitness technology.

  • Other social media services include Whats App and Team App.

Each link above leads to a discussion of how the particular social media tool is being used within clubs, the problems that they face in its use and how its success is evaluated. However, there are some generic benefits of all social media tools that entice clubs to use them, as well as concerns that clubs have about their use. Some of these are listed here:

Benefits of Social Media

Social media is ideal for disseminating news and details of social events,as well as posting brief match or event results or reports. Facebook is also used by clubs for a number of other purposes, which are listed on that page of this guide.

Concerns about social media or reasons for not using it

There are a number of concerns within clubs regarding the use of social media:

• The main concern is the potential for inappropriate behaviour. Many clubs have policies in place to manage this concern. Other clubs simply choose not to use it for this reason.

• Another concern is choosing which social media platforms to adopt as it is doubtful that any one social media tool will be used by all players, supporters and sponsors.

• Some clubs have 'unofficial' social media pages that have been created by members or supporters, in some instances without the knowledge of the committee. It is difficult to manage something if you do not know that it exists!

• Some clubs do not use social media because they do not know much about it or feel that there is little demand for it.

Measuring the success of social media

Most clubs use social media in two ways - either to post news and details of social events and/or as a true social networking tool where comments from players, supporters and sponsors are encouraged. The tools used to measure the success of these sites might differ depending upon these aims, but here are some ways that clubs judge the success of their social media presence:

• Number of comments, photos and/or videos posted

• Number of 'likes' (which shows that club postings are being read)

• Number of 'followers'

• The use of measurement tools such as Facebook Analytics for Apps (a social media alternative to Google Analytics).