Lessons from 2024 on Social Media Strategies of Top Football Clubs
Social media is a crucial tool for football clubs to connect with fans and enhance their brand. This blog post explores important social media trends from 2024 and effective strategies using our Digital Due Diligence framework.
Lóránt Erős
Digital Strategist
This article is a component of our Football Club DDD blog series, which features important findings from our extensive Digital Due Diligence analysis of the top 15 European football clubs in 2023. Continue reading to learn how top-tier football clubs can benefit from this type of study.
The social media game for football clubs is constantly changing, offering new ways to connect with millions of fans worldwide. With platforms like TikTok and Instagram leading the charge, clubs now have powerful tools to share updates, engage with supporters, and promote their merchandise in creative ways.
The rise of video content has completely changed the playbook. Short-form videos, especially on TikTok, are taking center stage, offering clubs a fresh way to stay relevant and build deeper connections with fans.
Year-over-Year Social Media Trends for Top Football Clubs
Our analysis of the social media performance of leading clubs like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Manchester United uncovers key shifts in 2024:
Video is King: Clubs are doubling down on video content, with short-form videos proving far more engaging than traditional static posts.
Platform Diversification: While Instagram and Facebook still reign supreme with over 700 million followers combined, TikTok is making a major splash, nearly quadrupling the popularity of YouTube. Instagram saw a 27.71% increase in followers, surpassing Facebook in the process. TikTok’s rapid growth is reshaping how clubs connect with younger audiences, pushing the platform to the forefront of digital strategies.
Growth of Social Media Followers by Channel
Video Platform Surge: The rise of video content is unmistakable. Between 2022 and 2023, clubs like PSG, Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona saw massive growth on TikTok, with Real Madrid leaping from 19.3 million to 40.4 million followers—an almost 110% increase! On YouTube, FC Barcelona led the charge with a 25% rise in subscribers, while Real Madrid boasted an impressive 70% growth rate.
TikTok and YouTube Aggregated Follower Base: 2022-2023
TikTok Surpasses YouTube: Driven by the rise of Gen Z, TikTok has now overtaken YouTube in follower count, proving its dominance as the go-to video platform for football clubs. This shift is a clear indicator that clubs must adapt to new content consumption trends to stay ahead.
Top Football Clubs Crushing It on Social Media in 2024
Total Social Media Followers per Club by Platform
In 2024, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Manchester United continue to set the gold standard for social media success in terms of follower base. These clubs have mastered the art of digital engagement, leveraging their prestigious brands to captivate millions of fans across the globe. However, the digital landscape is evolving rapidly, with emerging players making their mark and long-established giants facing increasing challenges in maintaining their dominance.
To better understand the social media landscape of football club brands, we’ve developed The Social Media Landscape Quadrant. This matrix categorizes clubs into four distinct quadrants: Rising Stars, Crowned Titans, Sleeping Giants, and Stagnant Shadows. Each quadrant represents the clubs' social media performance, based on their follower bases and growth trends, providing a clear picture of where clubs stand in the digital arena and which are on track to redefine their futures.
The Social Media Landscape Quadrant
The Rising Stars
While the established titans dominate follower counts, a new wave of clubs is making waves with innovative strategies and impressive growth.
Clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid, and Internazionale Milan stand out as Rising Stars in our Digital Due Diligence (DDD) analysis. Though their follower bases may not yet rival the Crowned Titans, their dynamic and engaging content strategies have driven exceptional growth. By embracing short-form video content, fan challenges, and personalized engagement, these clubs are quickly climbing the digital ranks and reshaping the competition.
The Crowned Titans
The Crowned Titans are the undisputed leaders of the social media world, combining massive follower bases with stellar growth rates. Real Madrid exemplifies this category, setting the benchmark for engagement and influence. These clubs have mastered the balance of legacy appeal and modern digital strategies, ensuring they dominate the digital stage.
The Sleeping Giants
Even the greats must evolve. Clubs like PSG, Manchester United, and FC Barcelona, classified as Sleeping Giants, boast immense follower bases thanks to their illustrious histories. However, their growth rates have plateaued, signaling a reliance on legacy rather than innovation. While their current strategies sustain their popularity, they risk losing ground in a rapidly changing digital landscape unless they embrace cutting-edge approaches.
The Stagnant Shadows
For some, the digital realm remains a challenge. Clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Juventus fall into the Stagnant Shadows category. These clubs struggle with smaller follower bases and minimal growth rates, highlighting the urgent need for revamped social media strategies. Without bold moves to innovate and engage, these clubs may face declining relevance in an increasingly competitive space.
Curious about how different football clubs perform in the digital arena? Wondering if your favorite team is a winner or a benchwarmer in the digital brand championship? Or perhaps you’re eager to discover the powerful insights our Digital Due Diligence (DDD) methodology can offer for your brand?
Dive into our comprehensive white paper, where we analyze the top 15 football clubs through the lens of digital performance. Uncover who dominates the digital game and how the core principles of DDD can unlock opportunities for your brand. Don’t miss out—check it out now!
The present analysis utilises data collected in March 2024. While there are other historically significant European clubs, such as AFC Ajax, and SL Benfica, the analysis focuses on the top 15 football clubs based on Brand Finance's Football 50 (2023) report.
This blog series showcases the core pillars of our DDD methodology. Our complete analysis, customised for your organisation, includes an in-depth examination of business-specific data and offers a detailed perspective of your industry landscape.
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