The use of social media as a communication tool in the KwaZulu-Natal Football Industry

Abstract

The football industry has over the years revolutionised into a modernised game through social media platforms (Wang, Cheng, and Sun 2021: 102). Social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) have been used globally among soccer stars, fans, and footballing clubs to communicate (Weimar, Holthoff, and Biscacia 2020: 335). Football clubs and marketers are exposed to advanced technology opportunities, transformations, and integration opportunities because of the development of social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn etc. (Nairaine 2019: 223). Communication plays an integral role in the sporting industry. Communication is an important element that needs to be incorporated into an organisation’s communication strategy. Effective and well-managed communication is an essential component of any organisation. The aim of this study was to establish how social media is used as a communication tool in the KwaZulu-Natal football industry by three selected teams in building and maintaining healthy relationships with their stakeholders. A mixed research approach was applied consisting of a combination of qualitative and netnography techniques. A sample of 150 social media posts from three different social media platforms of the different teams were analysed and three social media managers of the teams were interviewed. The staff members of the teams were assessed through interview questions and the social media posts were assessed through non-participant observation by the researcher on social media platforms. The software (NVivo version 12) was employed in the data analysis process. The findings indicated that social media has become part and parcel of everyday life. Social media platforms such as Facebook, X, and Instagram have revolutionised communication, which makes it easier and more efficient for the teams to engage with their stakeholders and gauge their feelings and perception about the team. In the football industry, social media has been adopted by clubs as a tool to communicate and disseminate information, particularly to their fans. Although there may be initial barriers to a sports team's use of social media, research has shown that it can serve as a powerful tool for addressing social issues and fostering communication with fans. For instance, studies have demonstrated that teams leveraging social media platforms effectively to raise awareness about important social issues, engage with fans on a more personal level, and ultimately strengthen their community presence. McCarthy, Rowley and Keegan (2022: 513) stated that the use of social media as a communication tool by organisations can is a clear example of affiliation marketing. You and Hon (2019: 110) argued that that the use of social media consists of gaining access to the individual directly, in real time and through interaction and engagement which helps the organisation to shape the affiliation the seek to establish with the customers to make sharing of information easier. According to Hellsten, Jacobs and Wonneberger (2019: 35), social media platforms are differentiated from other forms of communication because social media encourages interaction and engagement on a large and collective scale. The study recommended that teams should make it a point to be consistent with their posts on their social media platforms. Another recommendation was that teams must invest in establishing a team that will work on their communication strategy for their social media so that they can engage effectively and actively with their audiences online.