Barrow AFC.net

Suggestion re Social Media - get the Twitter account more engaging, reply to fans on it and have match updates as they happen - like all other local clubs do. There's over 3,000 twitter followers its a captive audience to promote the club positively (and importantly, for free) which if its more engaging/interesting might get more people through the gates, especially younger people? I would guess there's more followers on twitter than average hits on the official website?

Some thoughts for the Official twitter account in more detail:
- post photos on match days of pitch/behind the scenes/warming up/team sheets/training etc make fans feel a part of the club.
- follow other clubs, schools, organisations to raise Barrows profile and get more followers.
- re tweet positive comments from fans and respond to basic queries.
- post short video clips post match from players/manager.
- have simple competitions to encourage followers to engage with the club, ie ticket giveaways for X follower number
- mention sponsors in tweets ie matchday sponsors, free advertising for them and us and use it as a way to encourage more sponsors "we have X thousand twitter followers we can promote you to" helps when only 700 are coming through the gates.
- keep fans updated with relevant announcements.
- have a mobile version of the official website (and this forum come to think of it)
- I know there's quite a few Barrow AFC Facebook groups with some of this type of stuff but the official group only has 300 odd members. For me, Twitter is a better way for promoting a business/football club and engaging with fans.

Like it or not we're in a digital world and the club needs to be more digitally savvy. More people now access the Internet on their smartphones (like I am now at 3 in the morning!) than on traditional desktop computers/laptops and they want information instantly, we need to give them this.

There's so much that can be done with the Social media side of things and the club need to move with the times and embrace it fully, at the end of the day it's free advertising/promotion. Hand the twitter account over to someone from the Commercial Management Group give them some guidelines what they can and can't do and see how it goes?

Thoughts?

Very good idea in my opinion.

Agree agree agree. Whoever has had the reins up to now just seems to be using it to direct traffic to the main site. Hopefully the club will approach someone with a bit of an up-to-date vision of what Twitter can do (like you Ron )

Whilst we are on this subject is there a Barrow AFC facebook page? this would be another way of spreading the message. I notice the eggchasers have one which advertises upcoming matches etc?

Wow that was quick!! On twitter today;

@BarrowAFC: The clubs twitter is now in the hands of the fledgling commercial group. Please like us on Facebook at http://t.co/xVvYR0BnI6 #barrowafc

Time Lord wrote:Whilst we are on this subject is there a Barrow AFC facebook page? this would be another way of spreading the message. I notice the eggchasers have one which advertises upcoming matches etc?

There are loads of Barrow AFC Facebook pages by different people so its hard to know which is the official one except its the first one that come up when you search.

The new Official Facebook page for the club, administered by members of the BDF is at https://www.facebook.com/barrowofficial

I'll say this: what I've seen on the official Twitter feed today has given me more cause for optimism for the future of our club than anything has for several years. Thanks and respect to those involved.

Spanner wrote:I'll say this: what I've seen on the official Twitter feed today has given me more cause for optimism for the future of our club than anything has for several years. Thanks and respect to those involved.

I agree Spanner I've been impressed as well, much better - great work Pete

Also why not get the main staff at the club proper email addresses ie @barrowafc.com presumably that's possible as we have that domain already. Looks more professional than the directors giving out their personal yahoo/gmail email addresses and have them on the website so fans have the contact info for them, rather than just an enquiry form to fill in which prob never gets looked at.

Social media is 95% of where my business comes from, I use FB Twitter, Website, Pinterest and more (im not the techy geek, thats the missus's dept)

Done right with half decent promo's to keep interest going, its well worth the effort!! I do give aways, I spread the word on what I do, what I plan to do and sometimes just talk random [SwearFilter]..

Deffo the right way forward with almost everyone having access to tinternet with phones, i pads and the like..

What's your page Oldbarrafancumback?

Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk 4

Weekly Blog to update fans on what has/hasnt happened, what help is needed where and any developments on/off the field

Uncle Peter wrote:What's your page Oldbarrafancumback?

https://www.facebook.com/abbeymarbleandgranite

Spanner wrote:I'll say this: what I've seen on the official Twitter feed today has given me more cause for optimism for the future of our club than anything has for several years. Thanks and respect to those involved.

And then today happened.

If whoever is posting on the Twitter account had posted the sort of language that Bayliss used on RC earlier then they would rightly be excommunicated. About time we did the same with Bayliss and started repairing the several years of self-inflicted damage to the image of our club in the local community and beyond.