A Digital Due Diligence look at the social media strategies of top football clubs: from FC Barcelona to Manchester United, see how clubs leverage platforms like TikTok and YouTube to engage fans and boost their brand.
Lóránt Erős
Digital Strategist
This article is part of our Football Club DDD blog series, where we showcase key insights from our comprehensive Digital Due Diligence focusing on the top 15 European football clubs. Read on to discover the practical benefits that such an analysis can provide for top-tier football clubs.
KEY POINTS:
Social media success often goes hand in hand with historical achievements.
Top clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United dominate social media with global strategies and huge follower numbers.
Paris Saint-Germain stands out on TikTok, while English Premier League clubs dominate when it comes to total followers across platforms.
The Social Media Pitch: Which Football Clubs Are Scoring Big?
The Social Media Strength analysis reveals a familiar trio at the top: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. These clubs dominate both social media rankings and brand value. FC Barcelona takes the crown, with Real Madrid hot on their heels – there’s just a narrow gap between them! These clubs have successfully integrated a global social media strategy across multiple platforms, building massive fan bases in the process.
Aggregated social media followers of soccer club brands
In terms of specific platforms, Paris Saint-Germain is a standout performer on TikTok, while clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid also show strong numbers on the platform. There are seven clubs with over 100 million followers on social media platforms – talk about global audiences, right? These football clubs built a powerful online presence and keep fans buzzing across all channels
Out of the top 10 football clubs with the biggest follower bases, 5 clubs are from the English Premier League, 2 from the Spanish La Liga, and 1 each from Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1. It seems there’s a strong correlation between sporting success and fan engagement.
Aggregated social media followers of soccer club brands by platform
Here's the interesting bit: the analysis suggests a link between social media success and historical achievements. It seems a lot of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid fans were hooked during the eras of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Aggregated social media followers by channel
Facebook and Instagram – the usual suspects – are the most explored social media channels. But here's a surprise! TikTok takes the bronze medal for follower count among the clubs we analysed. Seems the younger generation is getting its football content on a different pitch!
Aggregated social media followers by major soccer leagues
Looking at the leagues individually, the English Premier League teams dominate the social media scene, with a massive 37.8% of the total 1.7 billion followers—that's nearly 4 out of every 10 football fans!
Spain's La Liga comes in a close second with 32.6%. Here’s a twist, though: 7 English clubs contributed to the success of the Premier League, while La Liga relies on just 3 Spanish clubs’ followers. And the difference between the two is less than 100 million!
Like a Perfect Pass: The Art of Video Engagement
While all the football clubs we analysed use video platforms, Tottenham relies on these platforms the most. 33% of their their total follower base come from YouTube and TikTok. But hold on! Even though one-third of Tottenham’s followers are to be found on video platforms, Paris Saint-Germain is the most successful football club on YouTube and TikTok, followed closely by Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Aggregated social media followers by major soccer leagues
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stands out as the top player on TikTok among the analysed football clubs. PSG's significant traction and success on the platform highlight its strategic prowess in social media engagement, effectively leveraging TikTok to enhance its brand presence and connect with a global audience of fans.
Percentage of YouTube and TikTok followers relative to total follower base by soccer clubs
The DDD goes beyond follower count. The analysis highlights the varying strengths of football clubs across different platforms. For example, Everton tops the charts for video views per subscriber on YouTube, while Chelsea reigns supreme on TikTok with impressive engagement rates, even with fewer likes compared to PSG.
The Endgame: Key Insights into Social Media Strategies and Platform Strengths
The DDD revealed some fascinating insights on how football clubs are winning the social media game. Here are the most prominent ones:
1) Among the top 10 brands with the most extensive follower base, clubs from the English Premier League dominate the follower count charts, followed by clubs from La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1.
2) When it comes to total followers, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid reign supreme globally. Manchester United tops the list in England, while Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Bayern München lead in France, Italy, and Germany, respectively.
3) Looking at influential YouTube channels, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Tottenham Hotspur stand out. PSG is particularly successful on YouTube and TikTok platforms.
4) Many fans of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are attributed to the eras of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, showcasing the impact of past glories on social media success.
5) While all 15 analysed clubs have a LinkedIn page, their follower counts suggest it's not a top priority, and they place a stronger focus on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
We trust that this article shows that a DDD analysis is more than just numbers. It's about gaining a strategic edge in the digital world. By leveraging data and trends, football clubs – or any brand – can fine-tune their social media strategies to achieve better results: a passionate and engaged fanbase, an amplified brand presence, and ultimately, success on the digital pitch.
The present analysis utilises data collected in July 2022. While there are other historically significant European clubs, such as AC Milan, AFC Ajax, and SL Benfica, the analysis focuses on the top 15 football clubs based on Brand Finance's Football 50 (2021) report.
This blog series showcases the core pillars of our DDD methodology, but it is important to note that it represents a snapshot based on data collected in July 2022. 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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