By Miguel Ángel Fernández de Gracia, Onuba Communications’ Community Manager and social-media expert
There can be doubt that in recent years, social-media channels have morphed into the principal off-the-field ‘shop window’ for sportspeople everywhere. The opportunity to enjoy a direct connection with millions of fans across the globe has made elite sporting performers place ever more emphasis on their social profiles, with many bringing in outside help to give them the edge they need. Read on as our Community Manager Miguel Ángel, for eight years Head of Comms at the world’s leading futsal club Movistar Inter, brings you his five key tips for honing a sportsperson’s online presence, whatever their situation or their sport.
CONTENT 💡📝
We are what we publish, or at least that ought to be the case. Content needs to be original, interesting and, of course, genuine. A good ‘timeline’ ought to contain a healthy balance between a sportsperson’s professional and personal life, with anything that adds value to the content found on other media always likely to gain positive feedback.
APPROACHABILITY 🤗
Social-media profiles must shy away from being perceived as mundane or ‘cold’, with a sportswoman or man’s warmth and approachability undoubtedly one of the qualities that most draws fans towards following an account. Personal profiles are the perfect window into a sportsperson’s real personality, which very often is not properly reflected via conventional media.
EXPERT ASSESSMENT 🔍👀
As part of the successful handling of social-media channels, a player or athlete’s determination to get their message across is totally compatible with their being given expert assessment. The one expressing their opinions, their feelings and their moods must be the individual themselves as, when all is said and done, fans often follow them as much for their personality as for their sporting prowess. However, skilled outside support can ensure that nothing is missed, as well as helping avoid any potentially damaging slip-ups. There are two vital foundation stones for this process: a content filter and an established communication plan.
KEEP ACTIVE ✍💻
How many profiles have you seen where content is only posted on a drip-fed basis? Only those players and athletes that already boast massive media exposure can afford this luxury, with the other 95% needing the regular visibility that keeps them on the radar. That said, sometimes more can be less, so avoid committing the sin of publishing rushed content that may be low on quality or contain damaging errors. On social media as on the field of play, working as a team is crucial.
GO GLOBAL 🌍
At Onuba Communications we have a clear premise: everyone involved in every sport deserves the opportunity to connect with their audience. Social-media channels have the power to reach fans in every corner of the globe, so why limit ourselves to posting messages only in our native tongues? An accurate and stylish translation of the original post shows professionalism, care in your work and enables you to reach a wider public at a stroke. And no, speaking as language experts, Google Translate just doesn’t cut it…
