How Fans Engagement On Social Media Can Increase NPFL Match Attendence By 100%

Fans engagement on social media is the way to go for any club serious about getting its fans back to the stadium and growing their match attendance.

Football is nothing without spectators, otherwise who are the teams entertaining when they play in a virtually empty stadium? Why I find it difficult to comprehend the reason League management company (LMC) and Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs sit on the armchair and do nothing, just watching spectators thin out to almost empty stadium in most of their league games.

Television viewership has also petered out. Football fans are not watching NPFL games because they are not following the league. They prefer to watch English Premier League and UEFA champions league on cable tv. 

Perhaps, due to the continuous decline of NPFL viewership on TV, SuperSports decided not to renew their broadcast right.

The thing is, today's fans always watch two screens... television screen and the screen of their smartphones, tabs or laptops. The fans habit has changed exponentially, they are more engrossed on the social media on the internet. This is the virtual space where most people between the ages of 15 and 45 years spend more of their time... and NPFL clubs should meet fans in these platforms, in their hundreds of thousands, if not millions; engage them and lure them back to the stadium.

First, LMC and NPFL clubs should establish social media department, then employ very creative content creators and social media savvy personnels.

The clubs should go ahead to launch very robust and technologically friendly club website as well as club Apps. Sign up to own accounts on major popular social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram, fans page on Facebook, You tube...

The primary job of the social media personnels is to get people following their club on these social media platforms mention above and to build a large fans database.

Social Media Marketing: How to Engage Fans and Attract them to your Club Matches and Other Activities:

1. Build Fans Database through reward system: Offer rewards to encourage fans to fill out the online form. You can offer free downloads: ebook, newsletters, membership badge or webpage...

2. Build e-ticketing plaform and set up Attendance frequency reward system, where fans can purchase tickets online and gain points on each match they attend. Rewards are given to fans who where able to attend upto certain specified number of matches.

3. Regular email of match fixtures, Preview and Post Match interviews to fans on the club data base. This keep them updated and also inspire them to attend the next match.

4. MatchVideo Highlights should be posted on club's channel on YouTube, so fans who couldn't attend may see the highlights of the game. This helps fans to keep following and conscious of the league proceedings.

5. Post Inside club's camp tits and bits, as well as photographs, short videos on the club's various social media. platforms to encourage comments and spark off ddiscussions (interactive sessions).

6. Set up promotional contents on your club's social media platforms: opinion polls, Survey, Sweepstake, raffle draws and rewards to quiz winners to encourage fans active participations and engagements online. Let your reward or prizes be free match tickets, free trip to away matches or stage your raffle draw on match day. Perhaps, before the game kicks off or during half time.

Why It Is Important for NPFL Clubs Be Actively Engaged In Social Media Marketing

NPFL current average match attendance is about 5,000 spectators per match, but with active social media marketing the figure can grow upto an average of 10,000 by the end of 2020 season.

Of course, we know what large fans attendance and followership can do to NPFL in terms of revenue from ticket sales, Sponsorships and television rights. How these will help grow the industry and economy in Nigeria.