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January 15, 2013 Transcript of #CommsChat on digital comms in sport

This week, guests @joe_ferrari from NCFC and @adamhulme86 from QPR joined us in a #CommsChat discussing digital communications in football. They shared their thoughts on how best to use social media for community engagement, customer service and marketing.

Here’s what Adam and Joe had to say about the most important things a football club must do on social media:

joe_ferrari Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them.

adamhulme86 Important not to alienate ourselves from the fans regardless of how many followers we get. Listen!

 

And a few tweets from the rest of the hour:

steve_murg Say this a lot, but it’s all about honesty and transparency. Most fans can smell a lie about the club from a mile off

mattyhudson Content is key, juxtaposed against available time, particularly for clubs outside the Prem

mynewsdesk_uk One day I’d like to see a club allow fans to pick the team and make substitutions via social media!

SamuelPutnam Totally agree. We made an effort to interact with followers a lot more this season and our numbers have soared

adamrubins depends how you judge a clubs reputation. Players? The Fans? The Owners? Not sure who owns the reputation anymore

 

Take a look at the full transcript for many more insights and opinions:

  

 RT : Thanks to , and of course  for a great #commschat. One of the best I’ve been involved with! -9:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Enjoyed being invited on tonight’s #commschat. The pace was frantic but enjoyable. Some good points made. Same place next week? -9:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 And tonight’s CommsChat generated 602,859 impressions, reaching an audience of 100,004 followers! #commschat-9:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Big thanks to  and  for a great chat. That was end-to-end stuff. An enjoyable score draw!#commschat -9:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Interesting following both your thoughts on #commschat tonight. Good to see views from different clubs. Cheers. -9:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Superb insight into how football clubs use Twitter from tonight (Norwich’s head of media). See his timeline.#commschat -9:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Thanks to ,  and of course for a great #commschat. One of the best I’ve been involved with! -9:01 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them.#commschat -9:01 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Were out of time tonight, but love that all you football fans are talking about comms and social media!#commschat -9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them.#commschat -9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We’ll be signing off soon, but the transcript, as always, will be up on http://t.co/g0rwcyYm tomorrow a.m. G’night all! #commschat-9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 That was frantic! Thanks for inviting me to take part, some great questions and observations from everyone. #commschat -9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Sounds good! Thanks for that mate! #CommsChat -9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : So there you have it from  and, a very hearty thanks to both for joining us on#commschat tonight #commschat -9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them.#commschat -9:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : So there you have it from and , a very hearty thanks to both for joining us on#commschat tonight #commschat -8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We’re out of time tonight, but love that all you football fans are talking about comms and social media! #commschat -8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : So there you have it from and , a very hearty thanks to both for joining us on#commschat tonight #commschat -8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them.#commschat -8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Kind words, Adam. Much appreciated #commschat -8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them. #commschat-8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 So there you have it from  and, a very hearty thanks to both for joining us on#commschat tonight #commschat -8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them. #commschat-8:59 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them. #commschat-8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Interaction on Twitter is very different to FB. And Twitter is growing much faster for us #commschat -8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Important not to alienate ourselves from the fans regardless of how many followers we get. Listen!#commschat -8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them. #commschat-8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them. #commschat-8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Think were seeing power of Social Media in football on #commschat tonight as fans getting involved out of blue#commschat -8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Important not to alienate ourselves from the fans regardless of how many followers we get. Listen! #commschat -8:58 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Most important things for clubs to do on Twitter? Engage. Talk to fans and definitely listen to them. #commschat -8:57 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : 88% of our 87k followers are male #stat#commschat -8:57 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 MT : We have been brilliantly supported by our Director  who tweets for NCFC occasionally#commschat -8:57 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  in fact we should just let CommsChat carry on after the hour – in a kind of postmatch pub analysis way#commschat -8:57 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Think were seeing power of Social Media in football on #commschat tonight as fans getting involved out of blue#commschat -8:57 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Interact in Twitter, Promote on facebook#commschat -8:56 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 MT : Think were seeing power of Social Media in football on #commschat tonight as fans getting involved out of blue#commschat -8:56 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 “: Think we’re seeing the power of Social Media in football on #commschat tonight as fans are getting involved out of the blue” -8:56 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 With only 5 min left:  and  – what are the most impt things for a club to do when using social media? #commschat -8:56 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We have been brilliant supported by our Director who has 5.3m followers on twitter and tweets for NCFC occasionally #commschat -8:55 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : #CommsChat Clubs have strived to be ‘first’ & before everyone else. Now should be a paradigm shift to being ‘best’, but for your own fans -8:55 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Like any employee on SM they need guidance – you can’t really be trained to be social 😉#commschat -8:55 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Think we’re seeing the power of Social Media in football on#commschat tonight as some fans are getting involved out of the blue-8:55 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : #CommsChat Clubs have strived to be ‘first’ & before everyone else. Now should be a paradigm shift to being ‘best’, but for your own fans -8:55 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Ta for replying! We have a page in the matchday programme each week with fans SM comments plus links to our SM pages #CommsChat -8:54 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I can see why clubs could be scared – fans can put them on a pedestal. Most view club in the round though I think.#commschat -8:54 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Interaction on Twitter is very different to FB. And Twitter is growing much faster for us #commschat -8:54 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  First question: are your fan’s on twitter? No point trying if they’re not there #commschat -8:54 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Behind the scenes videos, get some of the players on here. Match updates, competitions. Make fans want to come here #commschat -8:54 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 “: Any of my football media/social media guys, there’s a very interesting convo going on via the#commschat hashtag tonight…” -8:53 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 #CommsChat Clubs have strived to be ‘first’ & before everyone else. Now should be a paradigm shift to being ‘best’, but for your own fans -8:53 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Most definitely and SM training is very much part of our youth team players induction process when joining us#commschat -8:53 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : We try to be as transparent as a club as possible. Our chairman  is a great example of just that #commschat -8:53 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Agreed. But on the flip side of that, people would argue that a club/company isn’t transparent if they said nothing#commschat -8:53 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  #commschat if he’s so transparent why has it taken 18 months to organise a fans forum? -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : is there an argument that you can be too transparent to an audience who dont necessarily understand the business? #commschat -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Clubs/biz may think is irrelevant/less glam. Done right it works well. Fear of transparency? #commschat -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  do you think its important that players have social media training on top of media training to protect their club?#commschat -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Ive seen lots of local clubs source players and volunteers via Twitter. Growing the sport as well as discussing it#commschat -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : We try to be as transparent as a club as possible. Our chairman  is a great example of just that #commschat -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Hi guys, be more like  :)!#commschat -8:52 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  is there an argument that you can be too transparent to an audience who don’t necessarily understand the business? #commschat -8:51 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Much of the ROI is intangible, things like ‘goodwill’. Clicks to main website via bit.ly links are a measure though#commschat -8:51 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Its vital for grads to understand software but more important to understand their clients strategy #commschat-8:51 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 #CommsChat: Hi, I’m a Media Manager for a #RugbyLeagueclub in North Yorkshire, any tips on how I can improve our fan interaction please? -8:51 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I’ve seen lots of local clubs source players and volunteers via Twitter. Growing the sport as well as discussing it.#commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   £12 face to face, £8 post £3.50 tel (and email if human interaction), £0.08p integrated online forms #commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We try to be as transparent as a club as possible. Our chairman  is a great example of just that #commschat-8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Love the SLA for Norwich responses, what a good idea! #commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I like this tweet map. Understanding where your fan base is and how to engage with them is keyhttp://t.co/q03SyRYY #commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   It’s vital for grads to understand software but more important to understand their client’s strategy#commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : RT : its all about honesty and transparency. Most fans can smell a lie about the club from a mile off#commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  What stuff do you do to link online/offline? How aware are your matchday fans of your online presence? #commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Wow, we only have 10 min left! Last topic: What are some innovative ways to use Twitter in sport?#commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    That’s the kind of stuff that the fans love, http://t.co/M62jcHzk#commschat -8:50 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  and the bigger the account gets, the more difficult it becomes to find these Qs, particularly on a matchday#commschat -8:49 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Wow, we only have 10 min left! Last topic: What are some innovative ways to use Twitter in sport? #commschat -8:49 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 #CommsChat: Hi, we’re a semi-professional#RugbyLeague club in North Yorkshire, any tips on how we can improve our fan interaction please? -8:49 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 88% of our 87k followers are male #stat #commschat-8:49 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   do you know cost differences for customer transaction types #commschat I’m sure is interested! -8:49 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Delia isn’t but our CEO  is and regularly engages with supporters #commschat -8:48 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Thanks, Neil. We have another video live on  from Saturday’s match. Behind the scenes is key #commschat -8:48 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 One Mynewsdesk-biased question: are clubs creating and maintaining integrated social media newsrooms? What is your “content hub”? #commschat -8:48 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Is it vital for media graduates of 2013 & prospective press officers to know a range of specialist software?#commschat -8:47 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT :  tone is key. Its important to maintain boundaries #commschat -8:47 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 “: The beautiful game.http://t.co/doHTGtrU” #commschat -8:47 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  tone is key. Its important to maintain boundaries #commschat -8:47 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 CRM via SM is a challenge. On the one hand fans love having Qs answered directly by Club, on the other its hugely time-consuming#commschat -8:47 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  #yellowarmy #commschat. Is Delia on twitter Joe ? 🙂 -8:47 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Is it vital for media graduates of 2013 & prospective press officers to know a range of specialist software?#commschat -8:46 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  How do you measure ROI on your social media offering? #commschat -8:46 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Brilliant example of social media that makes you feel part of club RT :  https://t.co/XeWBpz4Y #commschat -8:46 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Haha, i’m fast, but not that fast! We have somebody covering the match … actually, yes, yes i am! #commschat -8:46 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  & more reason for allowing exiles to purchase away tickets easier. I live 5mins from Manutd – can I have a ticket?! #commschat -8:46 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : its all about honesty and transparency. Most fans can smell a lie about the club from a mile off #commschat-8:45 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : On tonight’s #commschat, from QPR and  from Norwich City will talk about digital comms in football. Topics to come. -8:45 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Content is key, juxtaposed against available time, particularly for clubs outside the Prem #commschat -8:45 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Say this a lot, but it’s all about honesty and transparency. Most fans can smell a lie about the club from a mile off#commschat -8:45 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Good point… season ticket logins? RT : Risky, how would you stop rival fans hijacking and picking a striker in goal? #commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   https://t.co/FmuDPXPh#commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   That’s a great point. To what extent, if any, do clubs include SM handles in their CRM systems?#commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Adam – are you doing #CommsChat at the same time as live-tweeting the U21 game from the account? Impressive if so. -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Really interesting and, one imagines, only likely to grow as a social media consideration#commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 “:  I’d like to see more videos. Reward fans with content #commschat” agree content is key -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

     It’s been great fun 🙂 #commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  More in Norfolk of course but followers are not a close comparison to fans attending games obviously#commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : I’m sure a club tried something similar years ago with sms, was a terrible decision. That’s a manager’s job? #commschat -8:44 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  all the more reason for investing in integrated online crm systems #commschat -8:43 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Great #commschat going on right now w/  (NCFC) and  (QPR). Join in!#digisport -8:43 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Risky, how would you stop rival fans hijacking and picking a striker in goal? #commschat -8:43 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 MT : Id like to see more video content. Challenging as it all needs to be monetised. Reward fans with content#commschat -8:43 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Great #commschat going on right now w/ (NCFC) and  (QPR). Join in! #digisport -8:42 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Time for T4?: With a passionate fanbase to address, what must football clubs be wary of when using social media? #commschat-8:42 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I’m sure a club tried something similar years ago with sms, was a terrible decision. That’s a manager’s job? #commschat -8:42 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  yes – did it work for Ebbsfleet?#commschat -8:42 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I’d like to see more video content. Challenging as it all needs to be monetised. Reward fans with content#commschat -8:42 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    where does the buck stop if a player is inappropriate on social media?#commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Clubs are investing in translation services. We have 1,000 followers in Spain we want to talk to, 900 in Brazil etc…#commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  what about Norfolk though? #commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We use the ‘lists’ page on  for fans to keep up-to-date with official players’ accounts/fan groups/supporters’ clubs#commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Accuracy. #commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Question to all – what would people want to see more of, from their clubs Twitter account?#commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Almost very similar to the Ebbsfleet idea when all fans bought shares – wonder how that model would work now? #commschat -8:41 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 One day I’d like to see a club allow fans to pick the team and make substitutions via social media! #wisdomofcrowds#commschat -8:40 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Interested in this: “: Question to all – what would people want to see more of, from their club’s Twitter account?#commschat” -8:40 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Question to all – what would people want to see more of, from their clubs Twitter account? #commschat -8:40 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : How do clubs channel likes/follows into a community? #commschat -8:39 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Any of my football media/social media guys, there’s a very interesting convo going on via the #commschat hashtag tonight…-8:39 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 “   SM =…PR… customer service…community management. #commschat” taxi! goodnight. -8:39 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Question to all – what would people want to see more of, from their club’s Twitter account? #commschat -8:39 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Only problem with twitter is that if you have a lot to say, you get through a lot of tweets! #commschat -8:39 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 How do clubs channel likes/follows into a community? By giving fans opportunities to contribute content, opinion, sentiment, etc #commschat -8:39 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : On tonight’s #commschat, from QPR and  from Norwich City will talk about digital comms in football. Topics to come. -8:38 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Does having such a geographical diversity of followers affect how/what/when you tweet etc? #commschat -8:38 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Totally agree. We made an effort to interact with followers a lot more this season and our numbers have soared #commschat -8:38 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We worked with fans to create a version of #FF for City fans.#yellowarmy ran on Tuesdays and 100s of fans followed each other#commschat -8:38 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Really interesting twitter chat from Norwich head of media  tonight, stats et al. See his timeline for more.#commschat -8:38 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Has to be incentive driven & give the fans a sense of ownership – we encourage our fans to activate their friends#commschat -8:37 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Two  media leads – ‘s and ‘s  – dropping some insights on #CommsChat now. -8:37 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Totally agree. We made an effort to interact with followers a lot more this season and our numbers have soared#commschat -8:37 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Great stats: 99% real people; 1% inactive and 0% fake accounts  #commschat -8:37 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  You surprise me – Reading have previously been the leaders in the internet era for clubs – you think not on SM? #commschat -8:37 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 MT : 38.8k of our 87k followers are from the UK, showing global reach the Premier League/Twitter/Football/Sport is#commschat -8:36 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

     I agree – best by far – but hard to have the resource#commschat -8:36 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Absolutely. See  and currently leading the way with accounts in different languages#commschat -8:36 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Only 7% of our twitter followers come from the city of Norwich. 3% (2,700) come from USA and the same from Indonesia.#commschat -8:36 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 38.8k of our 87k followers are from the UK, showing how much of a global reach the Premier League/Twitter/Football/Sport is #commschat -8:35 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 How do clubs channel lots of likes or follows into a community on social media? #commschat -8:34 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Both – you need outside expertise, combined with internal knowledge#commschat -8:34 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  perhaps they should get Rio Ferdinand in to speak from experience! #commschat -8:34 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Broadcast vs. engagement. Reading’s SM team don’t engage, just broadcast what’s happening. #commschat -8:34 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  and I mean proper archive footage! eg can you find Robert fleck’s double vs man utd in 1990 anywhere? Neither can I! #commschat -8:34 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 “: nearly 25,000 people follow from outside the UK #commschat”  interesting stat, Tone. -8:34 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Yes.  is run by our press team, mainly by myself. More personal #commschat -8:33 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Another stat (source: Twitter): 85% of our 79,250 followers are male. This is higher than our season ticket gender split#commschat -8:33 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : In terms of crisis mgmt, would be interested to hear what other clubs do with SM training, esp for youth players #commschat -8:33 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Yes, I would say so but with v. clear guidelines/boundaries. Can find holding position before senior approval #commschat -8:33 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Definitely. And PR. And customer service. And community management. #commschat -8:33 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  YouTube tends to be answer for searchers, club could control the content, enhance user exp, increase repeat visits#commschat -8:32 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   In what sense?#commschat -8:32 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

     is all your social media work done in-house? Or do you have agency support? #commschat -8:32 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  In terms of crisis mgmt, would be interested to hear what other clubs do with SM training, esp. for youth players #commschat -8:32 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Major sports events can be catalysts to get people playing/watching/coaching sports. Social media great outreach tool. #commschat -8:32 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Can responsibility ever be handed to employees below senior management? #commschat -8:31 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Plenty. My loyal club, Reading, miss massive opportunities. Too many journalists run these accounts, not communicators #commschat -8:31 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT :  nearly 25,000 people follow  from outside the UK #commschat -8:31 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  sorry for bombarding! Any plans for using archive footage across the website & social media more extensively?#commschat -8:30 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 For those interested in SM/football, look at exchange between Joey Barton & Dietmar Hamman just now as how it can spiral quickly #commschat -8:30 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Still primarily a business needing customers #62quid #commschat -8:30 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Hi Tim, nearly 25,000 people follow from outside the UK #commschat -8:30 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  …for nearly twelve years now and am part of the senior management, so approval process is at my level anyway 🙂 #commschat -8:29 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 The media team at NCFC takes responsibility for what is tweeted from . We have to judge what’s right and what works #commschat -8:29 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   the problem is players and owners come and go. The fans are the one constant #commschat -8:29 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   I don’t think you can. Fans have the right to be negative & positive,can’t just listen to positive tweets #commschat -8:29 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Timely debate on football & social media currently via #commschat …just as  & have a gigantic twitter scrap. -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   I think you have to say it’s the players, they’re the ones who the fans want to speak to and hear from#commschat -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  ncfc has more ‘exiles’ spread across the country than most. Club could make more of use of that on social media #commschat -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Seven of the top 10 most-Tweeted events in Britain were about sport. What opportunity does this present to football comms teams? #commschat -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  We do things that can be directly or indirectly have monetary values, but it also increases trust in the brand/club #commschat -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Let’s take a look at T3 as it relates to crisis mgmt…#commschat -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT  depends how you judge a clubs reputation. Players? The Fans? The Owners? Not sure who owns the reputation anymore #commschat -8:28 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    being proactive rather than reactive has to be key though #commschat -8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Timely debate on football & social media currently via#commschat …just as  &  have a gigantic twitter scrap. -8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   How is responsible for immediate replies? How did you agree a approval process? #commschat-8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 But informal works best on social media. A tweet we did suggesting Aguero was taking his time leaving the pitch got 1,090 RTs#commschat -8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    I don’t think you can, as soon as you do it stops being social. Need to deal with negatives #commschat -8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    I think at all other times, it is about making a club into a community of fans#commschat -8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

     yep – timing is everything #commschat -8:27 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Agreed. As a club we confirm/deny when/where we can. Impossible to do 24/7 #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Response and interactions. Should be used as a customer service tool to an extent. #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  depends how you judge a club’s reputation. Players? The Fans? The Owners? Not sure who owns the reputation anymore #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Would agree. More meant my tweet re club crisis/ big announcements #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Clubs have had to challenge previously stuffy and formal comms with more open style on social media. #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  1) Another way to deal with complaints/questions (speeds up resolution of problems) 2) Softer sell for tickets etc #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 It’s tempting to be boring and sensible at all times due to the massive scrutiny cluybs are under from fans and media.#commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Then proceeded to start arguing with Hamann…we should have got him to join #commschat -8:26 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : How do clubs manage their reputations through social media? #commschat -8:25 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 talking about reputation, social media and football on#commschat right now -8:25 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 #CommsChat how do clubs measure the value of their social media presences? -8:25 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Clubs have had to challenge previously ‘stuffy’ and formal comms with more open style on social media. #commschat -8:25 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    I don’t think clubs/companies can. With the amount of media outlets on here especially #commschat -8:25 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Depends on overall objectives and ethos. With a decent, interactive following, then yes #commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   true or not true there is a lack of control within football. How do you regulate social media#commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   What would you say are your key KPIs for SM for your club? #commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

     I don’t think they can, but the quicker they confirm/deny the better #commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Immediacy of response/interim position, a more conversational tone (if chosen by club), news on the move#commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 How do clubs manage their reputations through social media? #commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   These are just one of the positive outcomes from player interaction on Twitter #commschat -8:24 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Our official Twitter account broke Mark Hughes’s departure/Harry signing first, WHEN they happened#commschat -8:23 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Joey Barton announced tonight that we are buying Remy. Sometimes rumours come from within #commschat -8:23 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    what’s the answer? And how can clubs/companies beat the rumours?#commschat -8:23 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    I’m not expecting an answer really, not fair to comment I suppose! #commschat -8:23 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Couldn’t agree more. Gossip has a place but fans want big news from 100% reliable sources.#commschat -8:22 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : We don’t own our players’ accounts. We do have a social media policy for players and staff. #commschat -8:22 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    You’re a braver man than me , I didn’t want to run the gauntley#commschat -8:22 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  You may actually like/agree: Social Media Is nothing More than common sense http://t.co/UIzohtLw #commschat-8:21 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Agreed – we’ve had v. positive outcomes, e.g. player visits, charity donations, players getting to meet young fans.#commschat -8:21 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Hi Tim – totally agree! We are in constant dialogue with our providers FLi and Sapient Nitro on the subject#commschat -8:21 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Will never be able to stop rumours, especially with the increase in social media channels #commschat -8:21 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Keeping a close eye on #commschattonight. Always interested to hear other clubs social media ideas and policies. #commschat -8:21 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Definitely. Instant communication. Transfer Deadline Day 2.0. #commschat -8:21 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 On the down side interactivity with fans brings risk as well. Police are investigating 3 racist tweets aimed at Seb Bassong atm.#commschat -8:20 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  any plans to sort the website out though?! Needs to be responsive for mobiles #commschat -8:20 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Great point, how was it looking after ?#commschat -8:20 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Keeping a close eye on #commschat tonight. Always interested to hear other clubs’ social media ideas and policies. -8:20 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : People often focus on the risks of player interaction but there are many plusses too. #commschat -8:20 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT :   I bet couldn’t say that when they still had Joey Barton#commschat -8:20 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT :   Hence it is crucial to get the comms plan as effective & transparent as possible.#commschat -8:19 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    I guess my point is that rumours often soften the surprise of an official piece of news #commschat -8:19 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Is the main club acct more relevant/important when there’s a crisis or concern to address? #commschat -8:19 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 People often focus on the risks of player interaction but there are many plusses too. #commschat -8:19 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   I bet couldn’t say that when they still had Joey Barton #commschat -8:19 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Of course, the fact you responded proves my point perfectly! #commschat -8:19 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Hence it is crucial to get the comms plan as effective & transparent as possible.#commschat -8:18 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Most fans are on social media. Very important to stay relevant. Easier to control than message boards too.#commschat -8:18 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  community, conversation, crisis management. The fans appreciate a two way dialogue but many take it for granted #commschat -8:18 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  It is not a complicated thing to be honest but made as such ;)…Thanks for the link, will check it out! #commschat-8:18 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 MT : True for any business – fans/customers want to interact with people not companies #commschat -8:18 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 The usual FA and club sanctions can be brought to bear for a breach of the social media policy. #commschat -8:17 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  They should go where their fans/customers are – if fans are on SM, they need to be too#commschat -8:17 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Bet you’re thankful for that 🙂 Is there crisis/issue protocols in place, just in case? Dealing with media, etc?#commschat -8:17 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   We don’t speculate on rumours, never have, never will. We report the news when it’s official#commschat -8:17 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Our social media policy reminds players that you can be deemed by the FA to bring the game into disrepute via social media.#commschat -8:17 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Our official Twitter account broke Mark Hughes’s departure/Harry signing first, WHEN they happened #commschat -8:16 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  You may like this deck http://t.co/XyfzJtq3 on how  is doing Social Media management too. #commschat -8:16 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Oh absolutely (i’m one myself!). Just meant it must be challenging from a comms perspective. #commschat -8:16 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    True for any business – fans/customers want to interact with people not companies #commschat -8:16 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Let’s take a look at T2: Why is it important for a club to have a strong presence on Twitter/social media? #commschat -8:16 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Well all players should be aware of the need to tweet responsibly. By and large they’ve been great here.#commschat -8:16 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Interesting #commschat going on right now on the marriage of football and social media, featuring our very own #ncfc -8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  do you use social media monitoring tools eg meltwater buzz, radion6 etc? Or just your own nous? #commschat-8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   social media policies only go so far when your players have no fear of discipline #commschat#playerpower -8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Exactly. Tricky spot.#commschat -8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  yes,  also does that now.#commschat -8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    Maybe because fans are the actual investors & passionate promoters of clubs?! #commschat-8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I think that’s the only way. There’s no way you can own an account if the player is already tweeting when he signs#commschat -8:15 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 MT : Im interested to know whether players are advised on how to use social media to best represent their employer. #commschat -8:14 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Also like to know how biased clubs’ social media managers are. Eg when live commentating and there’s a controversial incident. #commschat -8:14 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Very good that you have a policy in place, what are your Ts&Cs to protect your brand reputation & heritage?#commschat -8:14 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

    do you not think fans want to interact more with fans than clubs? #commschat -8:13 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  But do they have a sense of responsibility to the club? To tweet positive messages, etc? #commschat -8:13 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  : I think fans are also very demanding – expect to be stakeholders rather than just ‘customers’ of clubs #commschat -8:13 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We copied a good idea by Man City and actively promote our players’ twitter accounts. It’s great for fans to engage with them#commschat -8:13 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   unfortunately by the time its official, the news has already broken in some form or other#commschat #Remy -8:13 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Lack of policy & guidelines cause such confusion; so much time & too much money will be wasted too. #commschat -8:13 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 We don’t own our players’ accounts. We do have a social media policy for players and staff. #commschat -8:12 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Actually I think the bigger the club the harder it is. Small clubs already have a sense of community.#commschat -8:12 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Interesting RT : Actually I think the bigger the club the harder it is. Small clubs already have a sense of community.#commschat -8:11 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 I’m interested to know whether the players themselves are advised on how to use social media to best represent their employer. #commschat -8:11 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : The Twitter League Table, for reference:http://t.co/62Ryovnc #commschat -8:10 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Actually I think the bigger the club the harder it is. ‘Small’ clubs already have a sense of community.#commschat -8:10 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  My diss was on corp rep and whether players’ accounts belong to the club? Where does the reputation hit go?#commschat -8:10 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Twitter blew away the previous reliance on static website messageboards as the main means of talking to/with our fans#commschat -8:10 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : Yep, big clubs will always have a higher following but the best clubs will interact not just fake it! #commschat-8:10 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  the breakdown is the fans thirst for unofficial news and an inability to control players many of whom are off brand #commschat -8:09 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Easy to do w/built in fanbase of a footie club? RT: All about creating a sense of community, whatever the clubs size #commschat -8:09 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   Yep, ‘big’ clubs will always have a higher following but the best clubs will interact not just fake it!#commschat -8:09 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Although Man U have millions following their main Facebook account and of course their players’ accounts #commschat -8:09 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  football clubs use digital comms as a platform for addressing journalists and its fan base with official announcements #commschat -8:08 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 In the UK Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool have huge followings on Twitter. Interestingly Man U dont have a main twitter account#commschat -8:08 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Agree with , interactivity is central and key. All about creating a sense of community, whatever the club’s size.#commschat -8:08 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  It was very interesting. There’s still plenty of great ground to break! #commschat -8:07 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : The Twitter League Table, for reference: http://t.co/nxe3Flk4 #commschat -8:06 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT : I’m a huge fan of what  do. From an outside perspective they seem to be the best. Love the tunnel cam! #commschat -8:06 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  i meant in terms of innovation, creativity and execution. Some brilliant stuff going on. #commschat -8:06 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 The Twitter League Table, for reference:http://t.co/62Ryovnc #commschat -8:06 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 That league table produced by Twitter was interesting, took into account interactivity with fans and not just number of followers#commschat -8:06 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 True , Twitter released a table of the best clubs on social media, Norwich City and QPR were two of them#commschat -8:05 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  I’m a huge fan of what  do. From an outside perspective they seem to be the best. Love the tunnel cam!#commschat -8:05 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Hi all, Joe Ferrari, Head of Media . Good to be taking part. #commschat -8:05 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

   hello #commschat -8:04 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Hi everyone, i’m Adam. I’m the Multi-Media Officer at #commschat -8:04 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Hi folks, I’m Neil…work in PR/Comms in the legal sector (and a Leeds Utd fan!) #commschat -8:04 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Hi I’m Adam Rubins, #QPR obsessive and CEO of global digital comms business Way To Blue #commschat -8:04 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Hi all, Adam here from Mynewsdesk’s London office (I’m a supporter of !) #commschat -8:03 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  Many do it well. Many don’t do it. City, Liverpool & Arsenal well ahead.#commschat -8:03 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 RT :  from Norwich City and from QPR #commschat -8:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Hi all, I’m Steven…the Internal Comms and Social Media manager for KCOM Group #commschat -8:02 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Our first topic tonight is ‘How do football clubs approach digital communications?’ Share your thoughts on digi comms in sport#commschat -8:01 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 If it’s your first time on #commschat, don’t forget to use the tag and introduce yourself on your first post #commschat -8:01 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

  from Norwich City and  from QPR #commschat -8:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Hi all, I’m Brittany from Communicate, welcome to tonight’s #commschat on digital comms in football/sport with two unique guests- #commschat -8:00 PM Jan 14th, 2013

  

 Looking forward to #commschat on digital comms in football, starting at 8pm… http://t.co/oqDBhCzW -7:53 PM Jan 14th, 2013

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