creating, managing and growing online communities for sport fans

Social Media in Sport

Including Case Studies:- Australian National Football Team / Socceroos

- Australia’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Bid

Alana Fisher | @aussiegoldy

Creating, managing and growing online communities for sport fans

Buzz Words

• Social media• Social networking• New media• UGC (user-generated

content)• Content

• Community• Connecting• Communication• Conversation• Moderation

To help avoid confusion:

For the next 20 minutes, ‘football’ at the MCG = association football, the world game, the one that is played in the world’s largest sporting event.

Of the world’s top 100 companies…

Why build a community?

• Transparency– Break down barriers inside and outside the organisation

between company/brand and stakeholders

• Conversation– 2-way communication, listen– Research

• Front doors– Website, blog, other online channels

• Brand exposure– COI – cost of inactivity

• Customer loyalty– Brand ambassadors

Community Manager

• Content– Creating– Uploading– Repackaging– Featuring (valuing)– Creating opportunities

(marketing, events)• Moderation

– Proactive and reactive– Custom platforms need

custom moderation tools• Participation

– #1 active community member – lead by example

– Seed content– Communication

Community Manager

• Content– Creating– Uploading– Repackaging– Featuring– Creating opportunities

(marketing, events)• Moderation

– Proactive and reactive– Custom platforms need

custom moderation tools• Participation

– #1 active community member – lead by example

– Seed content– Communication

• Skills, Knowledge and Experience– Common sense– Online legal– Consumer insights and metrics

analysis– Editorial– Marketing– Public relations– Media management– General online– Industry– Brand ambassador– Journalism– Commercial– Image and video editing– Desire to follow ever-changing social

media landscape

Moderation

• Moderation– Fair, but firm– Proactive and reactive– Full-time– Community Guidelines

(not rules)

Keep it simple

• Use existing platforms where possible– Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube

etc• Use apps and other tools to

increase engagement and community size on mature channels

• Always provide engaging content– Ask community’s opinion (see )

• Think carefully about custom social networking platforms– Time, cost, resources, relevancy,

need

How to talk to/with your community

• Honestly• Avoid selling and too many broadcasts –

engagement and conversation is key• Correct tone for right channel

– E.g. casual professionalism

• Frequency– Different channels, different frequency

• As a valued brand partner – collaboratively, listen, 2-way

Create front doors to your brand and existing online channels

Integration: Create front doors to your social media

2022 FIFA World Cup Bid – custom social networking platform

Socceroos – 2010 FIFA World Cup insider perspective

Engaging content

Unique content

Things to remember

• Social media is not a campaign, it is a long-term commitment

• Social media is not a strategy, it’s a tactic (but you still need a strategy, as part of a brand strategy)

• Communities are not built overnight – be patient and committed

• A marketing and advertising campaign to support social media is necessary

Follow/Contact me

twitter.com/aussiegoldy

linkedin.com/in/alana1

Presentation will be posted on:slideshare.net/aussiegold

twitter.com/Socceroostwitter.com/AusComePlay

facebook.com/Socceroosfacebook.com/ComePlay

youtube.com/AusComePlay

flickr.com/AusComePlay