11 Out Of 10 Blog

Should footballers be allowed on Twitter?

Twitter is one of the most used social media platforms around at the moment and because of this it has attracted the highest calibre of user in the form of some of Britain’s highest paid professional footballers. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, Cesc Fabregas and Robbie Savage are all frequent users and ‘tweeters’ on the site and have amassed thousands of followers each. Now not only do they have to manage their on the pitch behaviour they also have to be careful with what they say online. This was brought abruptly home to Ryan Babel in recent news.

After the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United the Liverpool player was obviously frustrated and posted an image of referee Howard Webb wearing a Man United shirt. This was the reaction to the loss of the game which, had it been done by any fan would have been seen as a joke and nothing more would of been thought of it. However due to the public position that footballers have on Twitter and in general, the FA felt the only suitable thing to do would be to fine Babel a £1,000 and warn him on his future conduct.

Twitter has however also been used to show the lighter side of some footballers. Rio Ferdinand often tweets about his family and jokes showing another side to the stereotypical playboy footballer.

It must be said that this problem is not just confined to footballers. Anybody can ‘misuse’ twitter, for instance some companies have been caught using inappropriate hashtags in order to get more exposure for their brand. The difference is that footballers are often seen as role models to younger people and need to carry themselves as such, something that is often forgotten when using social media.

This problem of footballers using social media and twitter in order to vent anger or frustration is something managers are struggling to contain. Managers are keen to control this problem as when a footballer speaks out it can often impact the image of the club. This is something Steve Cotteril is trying to combat at Portsmouth, where he has told players that he will fine them £1,000 every word they Tweet. This is excessive treatment perhaps but it may keep the players in line.

It is important to remember these things when using Twitter for anyone, as an impression you give on Twitter can have a huge impact on many things therefore it is key to think about any repercussions that your tweet could have for you and your employer.

Pick that one out of the net!

Growing trends in Social Media have prompted businesses to actively join social networks in an attempt to reach their customers and increase sales. As many companies have found it isn’t easy to make money from social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube if you don’t have a strong foundation and clear strategy. Most companies have joined the social media revolution without a clear strategy and goals for their campaigns.

A development in social media marketing will allow brands to market their products effectively on social media platforms with tangible results, this is called Social Commerce.
Social Commerce is the adaption of e-commerce functionality to social media platforms that encourages social interactions and sharing of online products or services.

The main benefits of making your products available on social media platforms are:

• Revenue generation – customer acquisition and customer retention.
• Product Development – develop your brand, products and services to your customers needs.
• Relative low cost – there is a relative low cost attached to social networking compared to the more conventional marketing methods.
• Gain Feedback – evaluate the success of services, marketing campaigns and promotions through poll’s and surveys.
• Identify brand advocates – find people who promote your brand or products online and reward them.
• Reputation management – protect and develop your brand reputation.
• Create a community – you can gather people who are interested in your brand, industry, etc.
• Sharing is caring – if customers are happy with your product or service they can share them with their own social network across many platforms.

Facebook is the strongest platform for social commerce growth at this stage due to its popularity and flexibility for developers. 11 Out Of 10 have developed a new innovation with e-commerce clients called a “Facebook Shop” that has proved popular for brands such as Faith in Nature. As you can see below the products are clearly displayed for the user to buy and share products with their network.

As technology continues to advance at an accelerated rate and social media platforms become more flexible and popular social commerce will undoubtedly grow as non threatening purchasing environment for on line consumers.