I belong to that category of people who follow everything related to football. I support and follow a certain team since a young child, while on a daily basis I spend time getting informed about the current affairs around football both nationally and globally. I mention all those things because I want to establish myself as an experienced consumer of football content that understands the values and the ethics of a loyal supporter.
What I always liked about football is not only the obvious, such as goals and entertainment, but also its social dimension. More than any other sport, football has managed to build strong bonds with entire societies, cities, and nations, while there are numerous cases where football matches have sparked social upheavals, sometimes with national and other times with political or even religious implications.
Beyond the classic content with highlights and interviews of the coaches and the athletes, in the era of social media, clubs have fully understood how important it is to create their own original content and strive for meaningful engagement with their supporters. But what type of content do the fans enjoy consuming?
AUTHENTIC. Authenticity is an essential element in football content creation. Football is a sport that is based on raw emotions and unscripted moments. It is an exhibition of authenticity, the unfiltered passion of players, the unpredictability of matches, the unwavering loyalty of supporters, and the possibility of David beating Goliath. Authenticity in football content can be found in various forms. It could be the unscripted reactions of players during a match, the behind-the-scenes glimpses of training sessions, or alternative shorts of interviews that reveal the human side of athletes. Fans are more likely to engage with content that they perceive as genuine and real. Real stories provide fans with a deeper understanding of the individuals that play under their favorite crest.
CONTENT PROVING THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS. Fans want to feel valued and heard by their clubs administration. Clubs should actively engaging with fans on social media, responding to comments, and more importantly addressing fan concerns. This type of content demonstrates a sense of respect and appreciation towards their support.
HONORING THE HISTORY AND THE VALUES. The history and the “glorious past” are something that football fans always love taking about. Most people who actively support a club have identified with it since childhood, and memories from the first games they watched remain indelible over time. Material that transports you back to your childhood, such as podcasts with former athletes and tributes to the club’s historic victories and achievements, is what reminds you why you once supported your club.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT. What’s for sure is that fans love to share their passion for football through photos and videos. Football clubs can capitalize on this by encouraging fans to create and share content related to the club. For example, what many clubs do is calling their fans to post their opinion through, on who was the greatest player of the year or what was the goal of the year. Another brilliant tactic is creating hashtags calling fans to remember where they were and with whom when their club played a crucial game.
The benefits of all the above are, of course, even greater for the clubs themselves. Fans above all want to feel that they themselves are part of the success or even the failure. “We won the championship”, “We lost the final” always there is a “we” at the start of the sentence. Football communities existed even before online community became a relevant term.
Every club has to invest in creating its own original content and have daily interaction with its fans in order to maintain this relationship. Athletes and officials come and go, but someone who has supported a team since childhood will likely support it forever.