Make more of your Join In event with social media
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The document provides a guide for sports clubs on using social media, specifically Facebook and Twitter, to promote events and connect with members and potential supporters. It highlights the importance of engaging content, quick updates, and interaction with followers to enhance visibility and attendance. The guide also offers ready-to-use posts and strategies to effectively utilize these platforms for increased participation in local sporting events.
Make more of your Join In event with social media
- 1. Page 1 of 7 Stay up-to-date and connect with Join In: Twitter: @joininuk Facebook.com/joininuk YouTube.com/joininuk Make more of your event with social media Social media and local sport clubs were made for Why use social media? each other. You can update people on club news, Sites like Twitter and Facebook help you to: while your members can keep the ‘social’ side going • Let people know about your event when they’re not in the clubhouse. • Stay in contact with ex-members and supporters • Connect with younger sports fans And of course, social media gives you a perfect • Reach more people, faster opportunity to promote your Join In event. • ommunicate with people you never expected to C reach (from sports stars to politicians) This guide offers some quick ideas for attracting • Keep in touch after the event people to your event using Facebook and Twitter – two of the most widely-used networks in the UK. Plus, it’s free and easy to get started. All it requires (And if you’re completely new to social media, we’ll is a little commitment from you to get going. With a point you in the right direction for getting started.) small amount of effort, you could bring lots of new You’ll even find some ready-to-go Facebook posts faces to your club. and tweets to add to your profiles. A few general tips... • e friendly, welcoming and positive in your posts and tweets. Lots of B people may be unsure what to expect from a sports club – and may even be a little intimidated about coming along. • ink to your event page on the Join In website in your Facebook posts L and tweets. • ou don’t have to be chained to your computer with your social media Y accounts open – just half an hour a day is more than enough! • nteract with people – don’t just post your updates. Social media is a I place for conversations, not one-way traffic. • elp people out, direct them to interesting news stories, links to funding H opportunities – whatever makes sense to your club. • Post links to your blog, Flickr photos and YouTube videos if you have any. • ocial media can take a little time – don’t be disheartened if you don’t S see results straight away!
- 2. Page 2 of 7 Using Facebook for your event Facebook is the world’s largest social network. It has more than 30 million registered users in the UK – or around half the population. Most of your supporters, players, members and potential volunteers are probably on Facebook, so it makes sense for your club to be on Facebook too. Not on Facebook yet? • f you don’t have a Facebook account or Page go here I to create an account: http://en-gb.facebook.com/r.php Facebook for sports clubs Standard Facebook profiles are reserved for individuals. However, Facebook allows organisations, such as sports clubs, to create a ‘Facebook Page’. A Page works like a micro-website for your club, but one that’s plugged directly into the fabric of Facebook. It makes it easier to reach people on the network, and to share your links and posts. When someone ‘likes’ your Facebook Page, they will see your post updates in their feed. To set up a Facebook Page for your club go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php Facebook Basics • You create a Facebook Page for your club. • eople “Like” your Page to become fans. P • ou post messages and events. Y • Fans see these updates in their feeds. • They can like or share posts with others. • ou can respond to your fans’ posts and comments on Y Tip the Page. • rom your Facebook Page you can invite people to F become fans from your email contact list. Use the menu in the top right corner. This is a good way to get some ‘likes’ for your Facebook Page if it’s brand new.
- 3. Page 3 of 7 Ready-to-go Facebook posts If you’re stuck for what to say to promote your Join In event, try one or two of these ready-to-go Facebook posts. (Just be sure to add your link/event in the right place.) They’ll work even better with an image or video in the post. General Join In posts: Event Facebook posts: • ave you heard about the Join In Weekend? Local sports H • urn up, take part, Join In! Come to YOUR CLUB on T clubs across the UK are hosting a day of fun and games DATE and be part of a national celebration of local sport. on the weekend between the Olympics and Paralympics. Check out YOUR LINK for more! We’re involved! http://www.joininuk.org/ • lympics made you hungry for more sport? Come down O • n 18/19th August, Join In will encourage the nation to O to YOUR CLUB on DATE and be part of the Join In head down to where it starts for every great champion: Weekend - a huge national celebration of local sport! their local sports club. Find out more at: http://joininuk.org http://www.joininuk.org/ • o you want to be part of Britain’s sporting future? Find D out how you can Join In this summer from Eddie Izzard: http://ow.ly/bD4SX Tip • emember to promote your social media accounts in R the real world! Ask current members to follow or like your Twitter and Facebook profiles.
- 4. Page 4 of 7 How other clubs use Facebook: Pinewood Gymnastics Club Pinewood Gymnastics Club in Berkshire uses Facebook to keep in touch with their members, hold open competitions, share news and event updates, add photos and videos - and generally keep people up-to-date with their club activities. Choose a nice, bold photo for your Facebook Page. You don’t need thousands of “fans” to have a successful page. Better to get a couple of hundred of true supporters who can spread the word on your behalf. Let people comment and chat on your Facebook Page. Avoid the temptation to censor/delete posts. Local council bodies and national organisations “like” this page. Facebook is great for holding competitions – maybe you could add a competition to your Join In event?
- 5. Page 5 of 7 Using Twitter for your event Twitter is smaller than Facebook – but still boasts over 10 million UK users in 2012. It also offers sports clubs a different way to reach potential supporters. Unlike Facebook, Twitter profiles and tweets are publicly visible. With Twitter, you only get 140 characters to say what you want. That may not seem like much, but it’s a perfect size to share little updates – such as event announcements. It also works brilliantly to link to any blog posts or videos. New to Twitter? • f you’re new to Twitter, take a look at this short video I introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ddO9idmax0o • o here to create an account: G https://twitter.com/signup Following and Followers Who to follow on Twitter On Twitter you follow people and organisations that • Former and current club players you’re interested in. For your sports club, that could • Current volunteers and members be anyone from current players to your governing • Your sport’s governing body body. When you follow someone, you see what they • Famous figures in your sport post in your timeline feed. • Local council bodies • Local teaching associations and schools Over time, people will begin to follow you back. The • Local events feeds and newspapers more you engage with people, the more followers you’ll have. Followers see your tweets in their timeline. However, don’t obsess about your follower total! It’s more important to have 100 highly interested followers than 1,000 people who don’t care about your sport or club.
- 6. Page 6 of 7 Retweets and @ replies Tip If someone likes your tweet, they can “retweet” it. • ou don’t want half of your 140 character limit taken Y That means that all of the people following them up with a long web address. Link shortening services see the tweet. You too can retweet someone’s post, allow you to squeeze your web address into a shorter showing it to all of your followers. Try to retweet space. Some of the most popular include bit.ly, ow.ly, goo.gl and tinyurl.com interesting posts every so often as well as posting your own updates. If you want someone to see your tweet, use the “@” command. For example, starting your tweet with Ready-to-go Tweets @joininuk means that you’re speaking directly to If you’re stuck for what to say to promote your Join In event, try one or two of these ready-to-go tweets. the Join In team. You’d be surprised who you can (Just be sure to add your link/event in the right place!) reach with a well-written @ tweet. You could try famous sportspeople in your area. You might even General tweets about Join In: tempt an Olympic champion to come to your Join • housands of people across the UK will Join In to T In event! celebrate local sport this summer. Will you? http://joininuk.org #joinin Using hashtags When people on Twitter talk about an event or • hat are you doing to be part of #joinin weekend W topic, they often use hashtags - words preceded by 18/19th August? http://joininuk.org @joininuk the hash (#) sign. When someone clicks a hashtag • joininuk @eddieizzard are inspiring the nation to @ or searches for the term, all of the tweets with that go down to their local Sports Club on 18/19 August. hashtag appear. The Join In hashtag is: #joinin. You http://joininuk.org can use this to your advantage, particularly with hashtags for your local area. For example: • o you want to be part of Britain’s sporting future? D Find out how to #joinin from @eddieizzard: http://ow.ly/bD4SX @JoinInUK Fancy being Robin Hood for the day? Come to Westfield Archery Club, 18th Aug and become a sharp shooter! bit.ly/348748 #swindon #joinin Your event tweets: • eard about the Join In Weekend across the UK? We’re H These are hashtags! taking part! Take a look: YOUR JOIN IN PAGE LINK #joinin People searching for “swindon” are now more • urn up, take part, Join In! Come to YOUR CLUB , T likely to see your tweet. You could reach people 18th Aug and celebrate local sport: YOUR LINK who might otherwise have never found out about #joinin your event. • e’re Joining In - are you? Come to YOUR CLUB , W 18th Aug for the massive Join In Weekend! #joinin
- 7. Page 7 of 7 How clubs use Twitter: Alderley Edge HC Alderley Edge Hockey Club in Cheshire use Twitter to keep in touch with their members, share news and event updates and show off photos and videos. The club follows lots of relevant people and supporters (and have lots of followers in return). Retweeting interesting tweets is polite and people may return the favour! Try using the @ symbol to speak directly to other members and supporters. Hashtags help you reach more people and join in converstations about a topic. Make sure to mention Post images and link to videos your event. to encourage people to see what it’s like at your club! Stay up-to-date and connect with Join In Twitter: @joininuk Facebook.com/joininuk YouTube.com/joininuk