Thread by @fmccrindle

A look at how Premier League clubs are approaching TikTok and where they’re having successes…

#digisport | #smsports

A breakdown of followers…

Spurs 26.8M
United 21.8M
City 15.5M
Liverpool 13.5M
Chelsea 13M
Arsenal 4.1M
West Ham 3M
Villa 3M
Leicester 2.7M
Wolves 2.4M
Everton 2M
Newcastle 2M
Brentford 1.6M
Brighton 1.5M
Leeds 1.5M
Bou 1M
Forest 887K
Palace 767K
Saints 751K
Fulham 746K

...and likes:

Spurs 184.6M
Utd 473.2M
City 264.5M
Lpool 197.2M
Chelsea 146.2M
Arsenal 26.5M
West Ham 36.3M
Villa 31.8M
Leicester 45.6M
Wolves 28.3M
Everton 27.3M
Newcastle 29.8M
Brentford 29.5M
Brighton 24.4M
Leeds 20.6M
Bou 20.2M
Forest 7.5M
Palace 6.9M
Saints 9M
Fulham 8.4M

So, where are clubs having successes?

Here's a great video from Brighton - ready to train, in the boot room, w/ engagement from players

-The social team have access to players
-Players seem relaxed, showing the importance of environment
-As a result, this stands apart from other clubs as an engaging bit of content

Getting this access and fostering this environment will have taken time, trust and stakeholder management.

Communicating the value that social media holds for the other parts of the club and in achieving business objectives is vital here.

Brighton get lots of praise for their consistency with community management. They apply this to TikTok too, with the comment section on almost every video including some 1-2-1 engagement with fans.

Looking at best practice + playlisting, West Ham have taken a simple, effective approach; playlisting based on players and their nationalities.

This will speak to a West Ham audience, but also to those who are following the club based on an affinity with a particular player.

Again, focussing on best practice, Liverpool are one of several clubs who nail thumbnails on the platform, with almost every single video giving an indication of what's coming.

Leaning into international football is another way that clubs can broaden the appeal of their content and maximise TikTok's unique means of serving content to users.

After Richarlison's bicycle kick against Serbia, Spurs shared three videos capitalising on the moment.

There have also been a few example of clubs leaning into other sports and cultural moments, again, diversifying their content beyond match footage and appealing to broader audiences.

This video from Aston Villa ahead of the Super Bowl is a great example of that.

When players are used to bring humour to the table, tell stories or show a sense of community around the club, they will perform well AND drive affinity with your audiences.

The use of national flag emoji, local colloquialisms + laughter in this video is a good example.

Takeaways?
-Match footage + trends work, but this is approach should be complemented w/ other strands
-Access, environment, creative ideas + cultural touchpoints are all important
-Thumbnail stickers seem to really bolster performance
-Original content + best practice is key