Social Media Cafe Blog Week Two – David Granger

November 6, 2013

Every week David Granger hosts the Social Media Cafe show on iSportconnect TV, complimented with his catch-up blog.

Athletes Getting It Right: Kobe Bryant

Bryant isn’t just a great pro basketball player, the Lakers man is also pretty savvy when it comes to his social stuff too. Combining his Facebook and Twitter followers he reaches more than 20 million with his posts. So why is he better than the rest?

It’s the combination of being open, spontaneous, funny and interesting… perhaps the latter is something more athletes should think of. He’s also seen that the Chinese market is one to consider and conquer and so he’s also take on a Sina Weibo account. It’s Twitter but in Chinese basically.

But, if your mandarin isn’t up to scratch, check him out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram  and search for him on Vine.

Team In Focus: FC Barcelona

If it was down to pure numbers then FC Barcelona do pretty big things.

A quick rundown:

Barcelona_large

So is it just the fact that Baca is a great football, with a grand history and incredible heritage which brings these kinds of numbers to a club?

Well, clearly that plays its part, but when it comes to social media you don’t build up a following like that by just launching channels and throwing content at them.

Barca has a very shrewd, very comprehensive strategy to what it does in the social space and it’s all based on its desire to interact with its fans. This is not lip-service it works hard to achieve real interaction.

So, they’re not content with tweeting on one channel: they have three, one in English for the global audience, one in Spanish for its domestic crowds and one in Catalan – now that’s dedication. A lot of hard work for the team, but clearly work which reaps rewards.

…rewards of more than 350 million followers world wide, making it the top sporting team in the world and one of the top social brands on the planet.

And this goal of serving its existing fans and promoting the club globally – especially in the lucrative, and passionate Asian markets is clearly going to help not only widen the club’s appeal but will reap financial benefits.

It has been widely documented that an educated ethos extends right through the club, and includes an insistence that their players and staff comprehend the importance of communicating with the world without the traditional PR or comms department filter.

Other teams and clubs have banned or restricted players and members’ use of social media, however FC Barcelona believes in providing an open use policy, but with some foundations, some basic guidelines and comprehension.

But it’s not all about teaching players to tweet and posting up to seven times a day, elements such as the club apps and encouraging – rather than driving or leveraging – fans to make relatively small purchases which will all add up longer term.

Much of this of course is using the club’s on-field success to springboard this social media strategy, but even so FC Barcelona is not complacent. It works as hard online as it does on the training ground.

Fan Engagement

While Facebook has always had bigger numbers, Twitter is perhaps more innovative when it comes to its technology.

Its very premise was scoffed at when it launched, but it has opened doors like no other channel into the worlds of the rich and famous and made as many headlines as it has reported.

But it’s new tie-up with Sky Sports has given fans the chance to share footage of the UEFA Champions League. Fans who have joined the conversation on Twitter will be able to see clips, the top goals and interviews after the game, shared in real-time.

Another neat strategy by both Sky and another new strategy by Twitter which will keep it ahead of certain other social channels.

Check out the already lively discussion started by Steve Moorhouse HERE 

You’re Up…

Do let us know what you think about the programme and the blog – and if you have any suggestions for teams, athletes or topics you’d like us to consider in the future.

Having spent eight seasons in Formula One managing the digital channels for world champions Red Bull Racing, David Granger now runs Fact 51, a social and digital content agency.

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