The Power of Social Media in the AFL

[Lucifers Hero 40,358]

At various times the GWS comms team and PR have received well deserved acclaim on DL.

But the Hawks have taken it to a whole new level

"Social media platform TikTok ran a competition from April to November getting AFL clubs to post content. Hawthorn finished first with 85 million video views from 82,000 unique users. Collingwood were second with 56 million from 44,000 users".

hawks-won-tiktok-this-year-now-they-re-cashing-in  To outnumber Coll by nearly 2:1 is no mean feat!

Would love to see all the rankings.  Sadly, I suspect mfc would be near bottom.

On the back of their entertaining football and horde of new young followers:

• they have nine night and two twilight matches in their first tranche of 14 games, recognising the appeal of the resurgent team.  (Young people go to night games!!)
• the club’s guernsey sales were up 25 per cent on the year before
• Football’s financial year has only just started (November 1), but the club is already up 75 per cent in apparel sales year-on-year.
• The club’s membership is already 7000 ahead of this time last year
• waiting list for the premium membership that guarantees grand final access. In some categories of membership the Hawks are up 50 per cent on last year.

Imagine the riches that will follow from sponsors, gate takings, merchandising, memberships etc. 

Clearly, a lot of that is on the back of their 'charismatic' (smart alec) youngsters.  But the club has consciously focused towards a young demographic.

“We were seen as an older demographic, but the take-up in the last year has particularly been younger. The fans at games are younger because they are energised by the team, and seeing it as fun,” Hawthorn chief executive Ash Klein said.

Elsewhere on DL there was a discussion about social media and fan appeal and what we could do attract a younger demographic.  Game style helps, winning helps, extrovert players helps, cliches help!!

We have a bit of work to do to stay relevant.  A lot of clubs will read the article and think the same.

 

Disclosure on my part:  I'm a bit 'old school' so don't use social media preferring face to face interactions wherever possible.  But I totally get the appeal to a younger generation.  The whole social media thing to them is entertainment and lots more! 

Edited November 18 by Lucifers Hero

[The Jackson FIX 3,210]

TikTok is exploding (has exploded) as a platform. So too Snapchat. You are right in saying their performance in this space is important, especially for attracting, engaging (and monetising) younger demos.

You’d hope our new CEO has more of a modern view of where we could go in this space.

[whatwhat say what 22,938]

social media only works effectively when you win on field as well

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,224]

My girlfriend works in marketing and media and previously was working with an agency who dealt with Toyota and the AFL. She’s since moved on but was telling me that the AFL and clubs don’t pay that well in the industry, mainly because it is seen that people do it for the ‘love of football’ or whatever. I’ve always felt this is an area our club should exploit. Pay the extra $40-$50k per annum to get the very best media/marketer we can get to really ramp up our content. This is so important in today’s world unfortunately!

[Lucifers Hero 40,358]

42 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

social media only works effectively when you win on field as well

Not sure that is the case.  Lots of other teams have winning streaks and didn't come close to the Hawks in the Tik Tok survey.

They want entertainment, heroes and fun! 

What is really impressive is the Hawks converted those users to members and merchandise sales in a very short time.  That takes a lot more than winning games in half a season. 

[Kiss of Death 755]

Saw a bunch of the Hawks material, a lot of it was pure hokball brainrot - sadly that’s what attracts people these days 

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,224]

2 minutes ago, Kiss of Death said:

Saw a bunch of the Hawks material, a lot of it was pure hokball brainrot - sadly that’s what attracts people these days 

Totally agree. Oh wow we all get together and take a photo together every win… idgaf

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,893]

As a media teacher this is an area of interest to me, and as the person who creates the content for the Demon Army TikTok, the content aspect is something I'm constantly looking into.  The club certainly could improve in the content aspect and what I'm finding is what they post on the TikTok mirrors what they put on Facebook, Twitter (I refuse to call it X) and Instagram.  TikTok is a very different beast, and it takes a fair bit to capture a following, given most people would scroll past a video within the first couple of seconds of the clip.  I've made about 600 or so TikToks for the Demon Army account, and as far as I'm aware, only us and Sydney Swans cheersquads (both their NSW and Vic) are active on TikTok, and Swans approached me at the start of the year about how to go about it.  It's captured a reasonable following, but certainly I've been more active with the Demon Army TikTok than the club has been for theirs.  I miss Ben Gibson, he did great stuff for the club social media.

Edited November 18 by Katrina Dee Fan

[Demonstone 22,815]

I've been a big fan for many years now, but I believe the correct spelling is "Tic Toc".

 

[Lucifers Hero 40,358]

16 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

I've been a big fan for many years now, but I believe the correct spelling is "Tic Toc".

 

 

You need to get with the time(s), Mr D 😇

Edited November 18 by Lucifers Hero

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,893]

1 hour ago, Kiss of Death said:

Saw a bunch of the Hawks material, a lot of it was pure hokball brainrot - sadly that’s what attracts people these days 

I think their social media creator is yet to graduate primary school, going by the type of content they're creating.  Pure cringe.

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,893]

This is an example of the kind of stuff I’ve created for Demon Army TikTok https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSjm8uVaj/
This post is shared via TikTok. Download TikTok to enjoy more posts: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSjm8srsM/

[Ethan Tremblay 30,966]

Keep ya blasted tok tiks and put an ad in the weekend herald. 

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,893]

1 minute ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Keep ya blasted tok tiks and put an ad in the weekend herald. 

Do you need to take a Bex and have a lie down, there, old champ? 

[Willmoy1947 4,140]

And of course Social Media has made the world such a better place... but i digress.

[praha 11,240]

2 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

social media only works effectively when you win on field as well

We missed the initial social media crazy in the late 2000s/early 2010s when Facebook and Twitter were blowing up. It makes a huge difference. 

[Neil Crompton 5,618]

1 hour ago, Demonstone said:

I've been a big fan for many years now, but I believe the correct spelling is "Tic Toc".

 

Haha, where’s the facepalm emoji when you really need it?

[Salems Lot 2,633]

2 hours ago, Demonstone said:

I've been a big fan for many years now, but I believe the correct spelling is "Tic Toc".

 

Even Tic Tocs arent what they used to be!

[whatwhat say what 22,938]

3 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Not sure that is the case.  Lots of other teams have winning streaks and didn't come close to the Hawks in the Tik Tok survey.

They want entertainment, heroes and fun! 

What is really impressive is the Hawks converted those users to members and merchandise sales in a very short time.  That takes a lot more than winning games in half a season. 

it is 100% the case

if the social media wasn't combined with winning it would not have been an effectively rendered campain

3 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

My girlfriend works in marketing and media and previously was working with an agency who dealt with Toyota and the AFL. She’s since moved on but was telling me that the AFL and clubs don’t pay that well in the industry, mainly because it is seen that people do it for the ‘love of football’ or whatever. I’ve always felt this is an area our club should exploit. Pay the extra $40-$50k per annum to get the very best media/marketer we can get to really ramp up our content. This is so important in today’s world unfortunately!

the first part of this is true, and our club would 100% benefit from doing more...but i would advocate going the gw$ route and get an agency to help

it is a seasonal cost only (aflm and aflw), not ongoing, and a campaign can be developed in the off-season, much as gw$ was thru the agency they employed

this is why clare pettyfour is getting the big bucks; i expect to see much changed in 2025

[Satyriconhome 10,879]

4 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

My girlfriend works in marketing and media and previously was working with an agency who dealt with Toyota and the AFL. She’s since moved on but was telling me that the AFL and clubs don’t pay that well in the industry, mainly because it is seen that people do it for the ‘love of football’ or whatever. I’ve always felt this is an area our club should exploit. Pay the extra $40-$50k per annum to get the very best media/marketer we can get to really ramp up our content. This is so important in today’s world unfortunately!

I tend to disagree, it may try and attract a 'younger' audience, but getting them to buy memberships and go to games is another matter completely, I think a lot of the Hawks membership is all smoke and mirrors, by offering cheaper short term memberships to pump up the numbers.  It needs success on the field as well, if the Hawks do not continue their on field success it will soon fall away, attention span of a goldfish and all that.

The lack of social media exposure has not affected sponsorship, which is were the money is, the sponsors still want to see the logo on TV or streaming channels and of course access to the membership database

[rjay 25,086]

18 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

The lack of social media exposure has not affected sponsorship, which is were the money is, the sponsors still want to see the logo on TV or streaming channels and of course access to the membership database

I'm not so sure of this...it's not my age group but influencers are influencers for a reason and attract a lot of product placement.

I think the club need to be on the front foot as old media is dying out.

Broaden the base so to speak.

[rjay 25,086]

1 hour ago, Salems Lot said:

Even Tic Tocs arent what they used to be!

Daylight saving has ....... them.

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,224]

32 minutes ago, rjay said:

I'm not so sure of this...it's not my age group but influencers are influencers for a reason and attract a lot of product placement.

I think the club need to be on the front foot as old media is dying out.

Broaden the base so to speak.

Yep 100%. I’m not big on social media personally, but if the club aren’t on the front foot with this stuff they will be left behind and anyone who can’t see that doesn’t understand the modern world.

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,708]

3 hours ago, Demonstone said:

I've been a big fan for many years now, but I believe the correct spelling is "Tic Toc".

 

I forgot all about these bad boys, haven't had them since my childhood years. Might buy a packet for my kids.

 

[Sir Why You Little 37,125]

1 hour ago, Satyriconhome said:

I tend to disagree, it may try and attract a 'younger' audience, but getting them to buy memberships and go to games is another matter completely, I think a lot of the Hawks membership is all smoke and mirrors, by offering cheaper short term memberships to pump up the numbers.  It needs success on the field as well, if the Hawks do not continue their on field success it will soon fall away, attention span of a goldfish and all that.

The lack of social media exposure has not affected sponsorship, which is were the money is, the sponsors still want to see the logo on TV or streaming channels and of course access to the membership database

If you think not engaging the younger generation is not important, that says a lot about you. 
Our online Communication has been appalling ever since Benny Gibson left. We need to employ some young people who understand its instant power and become proactive 

we have been sadly lacking in this area