The importance of social media marketing for a medium to small market soccer team's success

Social media marketing has become an integral part of a professional soccer teams ability to increase their fan base, sell merchandise or connect with sponsors. Using social media to market a soccer team is more cost-efficient and can reach a wider audience than television or billboard advertising. Before the days of social media and the ability to reach a wide range of people over the world wide web, it was extremely difficult for medium to small-market teams to gain international exposure. With the rise of social media, medium to small-market teams have expanded due to them being able to market for a cheaper price and reach a wider audience.

RB Leipzig, a German club that was bought out by investors and re-branded is a prime example of this. When the club was purchased in 2009 by Red Bull GmbH, it was a lowly fifth division team that was struggling financially. Present-day, RB Leipzig plays in the highest division of German football (Bundesliga) and has a Twitter following of over 150 thousand people. Without Red Bull using their large brand equity and successfully advertise the team on social media platforms, the team wouldn't have reached the levels of success it has today.

Leipzig's rise to international stardom is a great indicator that any medium to small market club that promotes their team and its sponsors effectively on social media can increase their fan base.

RB Leipzig's Twitter home page, displaying the teams social media following.

#SoccerSocial #RBLeipzig #SocialMediaMarketing