Manchester United -- Social Media Strategy Consumers around the globe use social media increasingly. The platform has made it possible for consumers to share information about products, services, and companies that generate these products. Football has also gained from the social media mania. Clubs and fans can share ideas and bond with fans on the same platform; in a two-way relationship. Harris (who?) points out that licensing, broadcasting, publication and distribution constitute a handsome cash flow across the globe. According to the article, the average sports fan uses between 1 and 2-5 hours each week catching up with their favorite teams on the social media platform. The statistics suggest that soccer clubs around the globe should then exploit the social media opportunities for popularizing their teams and the sport in general. It is also an excellent opportunity for such clubs to bond with their fans (Joanne Kuzma, Viv Bell, & Ciaran Logue, 2014). Comment by GL: explain

Social Media Use and Manchester United

Manchester United soccer club is one major team that gain a lot more from media revenues compared to match day collections. It is clear that Manchester United Managers understood the advantage of media way ahead of the peers. Statistical data shows that MU has over 22 million fans on Facebook alone. Real Madrid is the only team in the world that has a few more fans on that platform. The Manchester United Website membership and following has grown by over 40% every year for five years now. The club has also heavily invested in partnerships. It has links with major world sport companies such as Nike, DHL, Audi, and Aon. The partnership helps the club accrue around110 million pounds; just to keep them in close association. If the view that MU has now become a global brand, it must be because their managers understand what the fans need. The club perceives their global fans as customers. The globalization marketing strategy, which is a blend of global promotion and local marketing, is an effective technique to attract international fans. The club plans to launch an MU social media in future. It is evident...

Accordingly, a decision has been made to relegate sponsored links down to the right of its page or even any MU statements of commercial nature. Rigby says that they do not sell off the Facebook platform until there is evidence that it will not destroy the consistent growth achieved so far. The underlying fear has to do with the apprehension that if by chance, they get it wrong the trend of growing fan base will stall. That same reason explains why the club has not ventured on Twitter. Rigby says the club will not be going that direction until they have figured out the precise role that Twitter will play in the welfare and growth if the club. Notwithstanding, the club is reported to have started a social media network platform. The social network site was a major and daring venture by the club. The focus is on the global viewers (Tim Krabbenbos, 2013). Comment by GL: explain? Who?
TOP CLUBS BY SOCIAL MEDIA RANKING (Nick Harris, 2015)

Rank

Club

Facebook

Twitter

Total

1

Manchester Utd

65.8

4.61

70.41

2

Chelsea FC

42.02

5.33

47.35

3

Arsenal FC

32.82

5.5

38.32

4

Liverpool Utd

25.5

4.06

29.56

5

Manchester City

18.77

2.37

21.14

The top five social media followers by premier League clubs

MU boasts of over 659 million followers all over the world (News & Features - Manchesterunited Web Page, 2012): The fan base per region is as follows: The Americas has over 71 million, Africa and the Middle East has over 173 million fans, Europe ropes in over 90 million fans while Asia has over 325 million. The fan-following and popularity has been derived from a combination of following from both Twitter and Facebook. These two, are…