The opportunities social media provides to pro sports teams and athletes are well documented, but I feel social media also provides massive opportunities for amateur and semi-pro teams.
A lot of the conversation around sports and social media focuses on the idea that teams already have a massive following they can just tap into. This isn’t often the case for grass roots teams though. Many teams need to build their followings up from scratch and social media is a great way to do this. However, in order for social media to be successful it must be approached in the right way.
This quote from Lewis Howes sums it up perfectly: “For a sport to grow, it must first be seen and talked about, and the social web is a free ticket to accomplishing both. However, utilizing the power of social media is more than simply getting a Facebook account or signing up for Twitter. It’s a fundamental change in the way things are done, and the way messages are spread.”
All sports teams want to give their players, members and sponsors the best possible experience – the best kits, best equipment etc. However, nowadays I feel that teams of every level should also be looking to give everyone involved the best online experience too.
Not only does social media provide teams with the chance to increase their exposure and reach more people, it also gives them the chance to build team spirit by creating talking points, sharing content and building up a sense of community around the team.
For teams and athletes alike, a strong online presence can separate them from others and make them stand out. This could potentially be the difference between getting sponsorship or not. There’s no escaping the fact that the Internet is going to play a big part in the development and future of teams of all sizes.
FundSport.com (a site I Co-founded) is dedicated to helping grass roots sports and after seeing how under-utilised social media is within the grass roots arena we prepared a free 30 page guide to help educate people on the ins and outs of social media.
‘The Essential Guide to Grass Roots Sports and Social Media‘ features a foreword from Sports Networker founder Lewis Howes, an amateur football and social media case study, an introduction to social media and also explains some of the social platforms available.
Since releasing the guide we’ve had some great feedback, see what others have been saying and download your copy of the guide for free here.
Let’s carry on the conversation, how do you feel grass roots teams can utilise social media? Also, if you download the guide, or have already read it please feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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About Ash Read
Ash is the co-founder of FundSport.com a grassroots sports community providing sports clubs and athletes from around the world with professional, easy-to-understand advice and articles on all aspects of grassroots sport including sponsorship, fundraising, the Internet, social media, club management, PR and marketing. As well as being passionate about the development of grassroots sport Ash also has a keen involvement in the sports social media industry. You can follow Ash on Twitter at @ashread14
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