The explosion in use of social media platforms offer sports clubs and people the opportunity to reach a vast audience for little or zero cost. These channels have become an intrinsic part of marketing plans, enabling a global reach that would previously have been impossible to achieve. If we look at how many daily active users there are across three of the most popular platforms, the numbers are staggering.
| Social Media Platform | Global Daily Active Users | UK Daily Active Users | Ireland Daily Active Users |
| 1.88 billion | 38 million | 3 million | |
| 500 million | 28 million | 2 million | |
| 200 million | 16 million | 600,000 |
However, whilst there are clearly many upsides to using these platforms, it is also evident there can be significant downsides as well. Whilst giving users the opportunity to communicate with a wide-ranging audience, social media also enable other users to reply and share quickly. If a post has negative aspects to it, it is just as likely to be shared and commented upon as a positive message.
Paraskevi Papachristou
Greek athlete, Paraskevi Papachristou, who just before the 2012 Olympics tweeted a racist message, certainly knows how a backlash can affect a person. She was dropped from her country’s athletics team, and subsequently banned from competing for four years. As is often the case, trying to justify or dismiss as a joke, after the fact, is an exercise in futility.
Of course, this doesn’t just hold true for international sports people, local sports teams also need to think and consider what they are posting on social media. An end of season party may appear the perfect message to send to followers, however some images may not be wholly appropriate for either your sponsors or the public.
Things to Consider
To ensure your social media channels do not suffer from these pitfalls, consider the following steps:
- Have one person within your team responsible for social media posts
- After writing a message or selecting an image, consider having it checked by another person before posting
- Avoid using images and hashtags that may be inappropriate
Sponsor Connect is designed to help individuals, teams, clubs and associations navigate such pitfalls. With a professional look and a unique profile link that you can share with prospective partners, it allows you to give a complete overview of the opportunities you have on offer. We give you the tools to optimise your sponsorship potential, all of which is geared to you increasing sponsorship revenue.
