IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v10y2023i1d10.1057_s41599-023-02357-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Connecting with fans in the digital age: an exploratory and comparative analysis of social media management in top football clubs

Author

Listed:
  • Edgar Romero-Jara

    (National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Barcelona (UB))

  • Francesc Solanellas

    (National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Barcelona (UB))

  • Joshua Muñoz

    (National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Barcelona (UB))

  • Samuel López-Carril

    (Universidad de Castilla–La Mancha (UCLM))

Abstract

In a globalised society, characterised by increasingly demanding markets and the accelerated growth of the digital approach, sports organisations face the challenge of connecting with fans, generating and maintaining audiences and communicating with stakeholders creatively and efficiently. Social media has become a fundamental tool, with engagement as a critical measurement element. However, despite its popularity and use, many questions about its application, measurement and real potential in the sports sector still need to be answered. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to carry out a descriptive and comparative analysis of the engagement generated through social media posts by elite football clubs in Europe, South America and North America. To this purpose, 19,745 Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts were analysed, through the design, validation and application of an observation instrument, using content analysis techniques. The findings show evidence of a priority focus on “Marketing” and “Sports” type messages in terms of frequency, with high engagement rates. They were also showing a growing stream of “ESG” type messages, with a low posting frequency but engagement rates similar to “Marketing” and “Sport”. “Institutional” messages remain constant in all football clubs. “Commercial” messages still have growth potential in both regards, frequency and engaging fans, representing an opportunity for digital assets. Also, specific format combinations that generate greater engagement were identified: “text/image” and “text/videos” are the format combinations more used by football clubs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; however, resulting in different engagement rates. This study showed evidence of different social media management strategies adopted according to region, obtaining similar engagement rates. This research concludes with theoretical and practical applications that will be of interest to both academics and practitioners to maximise the potential of social media for fan engagement, social initiatives and as a marketing tool.

Suggested Citation

  • Edgar Romero-Jara & Francesc Solanellas & Joshua Muñoz & Samuel López-Carril, 2023. "Connecting with fans in the digital age: an exploratory and comparative analysis of social media management in top football clubs," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02357-8
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02357-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-02357-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-023-02357-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simoni F. Rohden & Gabriel Tassinari & Carla Freitas Netto, 2023. "Listen as much as you want: the antecedents of the engagement of podcast consumers," International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 18(1), pages 82-97.
    2. Pedro Cuesta-Valiño & Pablo Gutiérrez-Rodríguez & Cristina Loranca-Valle, 2021. "Sustainable Management of Sports Federations: The Indirect Effects of Perceived Service on Member’s Loyalty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    3. Shakeel ul Rehman & Rafia Gulzar & Wajeeha Aslam, 2022. "Developing the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) through Social Media (SM): The Modern Marketing Communication Approach," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    4. Cuesta-Valiño, Pedro & Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Pablo & Loranca-Valle, Cristina, 2022. "Sponsorship image and value creation in E-sports," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 198-209.
    5. Kevin Hull & Gashaw Abeza, 2021. "Introduction to Social Media in Sport," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Gashaw Abeza & Norman O'Reilly & Jimmy Sanderson & Evan Frederick (ed.), Social Media in Sport Theory and Practice, chapter 1, pages 1-28, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ardvin Kester S. Ong & Yogi Tri Prasetyo & Kerr Lorenzo Picazo & Kim Aaron Salvador & Bobby Ardiansyah Miraja & Yoshiki B. Kurata & Thanatorn Chuenyindee & Reny Nadlifatin & Anak Agung Ngurah Perwira , 2021. "Gym-Goers Preference Analysis of Fitness Centers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Conjoint Analysis Approach for Business Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Volodymyr Nesterenko & Radoslaw Miskiewicz & Rafis Abazov, 2023. "Marketing Communications in the Era of Digital Transformation," Virtual Economics, The London Academy of Science and Business, vol. 6(1), pages 57-70, March.
    3. Meng Qi & Zulhamri Abdullah & Saiful Nujaimi Abdul Rahman, 2024. "Navigating the Digital Landscape: Evaluating the Impacts of Digital IMC on Building and Maintaining Destination Brand Equity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Andreea Nistor & Eduard Zadobrischi, 2022. "The Consumption Analysis of Economic Media at the Regional Level in a Developing Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-17, December.
    5. José Daniel Barquero Cabrero & Bárbara Castillo-Abdul & Juan Andrés Talamás-Carvajal & Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez, 2023. "Owned media, influencer marketing, and unofficial brand ambassadors: differences between narratives, types of prescribers, and effects on interactions on Instagram," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Allal-Chérif, Oihab & Guaita-Martínez, José Manuel & Montesinos Sansaloni, Eduard, 2024. "Sustainable esports entrepreneurs in emerging countries: Audacity, resourcefulness, innovation, transmission, and resilience in adversity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    7. Tien-Chin Wang & Tsai-Yun Huang & Chien-Hui Lee, 2023. "Exploring the Preference of Corporations for Sponsorship Motives and the Impact of Sponsorship Motives on Sponsoring Intention in Post-Epidemic Era: Using Two Different Approaches—FPR and SEM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-22, May.
    8. Jialei Xu, 2022. "Service Trust and Customer Loyalty in China’s Hotel Services: The Causal Role of Commitment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Lisa Rosita & Farida Hariyati & Deni Adha Akbari & Vilya Dwi Agustini, 2023. "Implementation of Integrated Marketing Communication for ERIGO Brand Through Instagram," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 42(1), pages 63-75, April.
    10. Tantri Yanuar Rahmat Syah & Patrick Christian Alimwidodo & Lovinda Lianti & Holila Hatta, 2022. "Perceived Price as Antecedent of Satisfaction and Loyalty: Learn from Fast Food Multinational Restaurants in Indonesia," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(4), pages 63-84.
    11. Francesc Solanellas & Edgar Romero-Jara & Joshua Muñoz, 2023. "Managing the COVID-19 Crisis Through Social Media: An Analysis From Sports Organizations Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    12. Antonio Fernández-Martínez & Luis Alberto Dueñas-Dorado & María Rosario Teva-Villén & Alberto Nuviala, 2021. "Consolidation, Stages of Change, and Loyalty among Users of Public Sports and Health Services Aged 12–16," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, September.
    13. Norah Saud H. AL Hilal, 2024. "The Relationship Between the Sustainability of Brand Marketing Communications and the Well-Being of the Saudi Consumer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-26, October.
    14. Rasheedul Haque & Abdul Rahman bin S. Senathirajah & Md. Ibrahim Khalil & Sayeeduz Zafar Qazi & Saif Ahmed, 2024. "A Structural Path Analysis Bangladeshi SMEs’ Sustainability through Social Media Marketing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-19, June.
    15. Tapas Ranjan Moharana & Debashree Roy & Garima Saxena, 2023. "Brand sponsorship effectiveness: how self-congruity, event attachment, and subjective event knowledge matters to sponsor brands," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 30(5), pages 432-448, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02357-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.