Showcase Of Top Football (Soccer) Facebook Fan Pages

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:01:00 -0700

Below is a showcase of some of the top football Facebook fan pages from around the world. These pages demonstrate top practices for fan page development, from creative profile images, to landing on a specific promotional page rather than the wall. Think I've missed any? Let me know.

Barcelona - 1,740,242 Fans

Real Madrid - 1,394,082 Fans

Nike Football - 441,608 Fans

AC Milan - 556,217 Fans

Chelsea - 675,511 Fans

Liverpool - 1,296,491 Fans

Galatasaray - 2,782,163 Fans

Adidas - 186,007 Fans

Olympique Lyonnais - 118,838 Fans

Melbourne Victory - 16,259 Fans

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Facebook Fan Pages and A-League teams

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:14:07 -0700

Facebook Fan Pages are nothing new in the social media landscape, being a vital part of any brands social media strategy to engage and grow their fan base. I decided to have a look at how the Australian A-League clubs were utilising such a tool and if it was working for them. For some clubs, it was evident that they had a clear grasp of how to use the platform to keep their supporters updated and feeling a part of the club, while others struggled. I was surprised that out of the 11 clubs, only 6 had official fan pages, indicating that clubs were slow to adopt and utilise social media platforms to market their brand.

Adelaide United FC

The Stats: 6777 Fans - 56 Fan Photos - 11 Albums - 19 Discussion Topics - 2 Videos - 1 Fan Video

Lots of recent status updates, no surprise with the club being involved in the Asian Champions League, however the updates are generating lots of user interaction, plenty of likes and comments, with a good mix of broadcast information, on the ground/behind the scenes info and questions to their fans. There is also a great number of fan comments on their wall. Adelaide seem to be doing a good job, however they can still improve their Facebook presence. One way is to address any kind of negative feedback left on the site. Below is a screen shot of a comment left on the wall of their Fan Page.

[caption id="attachment_49" align="aligncenter" width="464" caption="A disgruntled fan leaves a message on the Adelaide United Facebook page wall"]

[/caption] The fact of whether Adelaide United are in the right or wrong is somewhat irrelevant, what is more important is that the club has not responded to this. I'm not sure if the person in charge of the page checks their wall or not, but it would be in their interest to. Social media has really become a crucial component in delivery great customer service, and Adelaide would to well to respond to this comment and any more in the future.

Brisbane Roar

The Stats: 2373 Fans - 5 Albums - 50 Fan Photos - 5 Discussion Topics

The Roar seem to be using Facebook as simply a broadcast channel, feeding news stories straight off their website onto the social media platform. I don't believe this is the best way to use Facebook, it really misses the whole point of using Facebook as a tool to connect and engage their fans, create new fans and build a community where their supporters feel close to the club they support.

Central Coast Mariners

The Stats: 3049 Fans - 30 Fan Photos - 1 Video

Central Coast have a pretty dismal effort on the Facebook front, their last wall post being April 26, 2008, which is surprising given the number of fans they have. They have one post that tries to clarify the difference between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group, saying there is no difference, which isn't totally true. Facebook Pages should be seen as brand pages, they were created for this reason. They also don't have cap on the number of fans, where groups do.

Gold Coast United

The Stats: 1080 Fans - 1 Video - 12 Photo Albums - 6 Fan Photos - 1 Discussion

The first thing that strikes you about the GCU page is the great use of the profile image, utilising a the left hand banner to give a great branded feel to the page. I must also give props to the GCU for also setting down some guide lines for interaction - We welcome your contribution and participation, but please keep it clean, respectful and constructive. Go United! GCU seem to be using it as a broadcast channel, with the majority of status updates being news items with links back to their website.

Melbourne Victory

The Stats: 16,168 Fans - 83 Albums - 108 Fan Photos - 45 Videos - 5 Fan Videos

Without doubt, Melbourne Victory win the title for best social media presence on Facebook - all other A-League clubs take note! With a commanding presence on Facebook, it's no wonder the Melbourne Victory has such a horde of followers. From the strong profile image to the information regarding how people should act online, to a substantial list of there presence online (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube), the Victory have a strong supporter base that are active on Facebook. The status updates are a great mix of photos, game information and behind the scenes photos, giving supporters a real sense of belonging to the club.

Melbourne Heart FC

The Stats: 5,079 Fans - 13 Albums - 23 Fan Photos - 6 Music Files

Coming into the league this year is Melbourne Heart, and already they have a strong Facebook Fan Page presence. For a club that hasn't even filled it's playing roster, it has done a great job in connecting with supporters with what is happening in the club, providing constants status updates, photos as well as audio interviews with players and coaching staff. I can only imagine that the number of fans will rise as we draw closer to the upcoming season and as more players are added to the club.

Clubs without offical Facebook Fan Pages

It was surprising to see that 5 A-League teams didn't have Official Fan Pages, instead, many fans have created their own to support the club:

Newcastle Jets

North Queenland Fury

Perth Glory FC

Sydney FC

Wellington Phoenix

It would be a good idea for these clubs to at the very least, monitor these pages, and if possible contribute to them. Alternatively, they could create an official page, which, combined with official updates and information would succeed.

Creating a strong following takes time

To achieve the kind of success that Melbourne Victory has with the Facebook Fan Page, it's clear that it takes take and effort, and that social media platforms like Facebook, can't be seen as just an add-on to the marketing strategy, but rather an integral part of it.