Why PR Professionals Need to Pay Attention to the Social Media Revolution in the Sports Industry

The business of sports is a complex and sophisticated web of relationships.

learn more about Krishna Athal

By Krishna Athal

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In a nutshell, a sports organization provides services, which it must sell to prospective business partners and sponsors. The organization must continually convince sponsors by showing it has something profitable to offer. Furthermore, a sports organization's predicted success is a determining factor for receiving funds, the number of fans and media coverage, thus affecting sponsors' visibility. In short, a sports organization needs sponsors, and sponsors need visibility and media channels.

Considering these relationships, the PR department of a sports organization must create and maintain the organization's corporate success.

Related: 5 Social Media Marketing Tips to Boost Your Sales

The role of PR and social media in a sports organization

The PR department of a sports organization must be conscious of the relationship with the media since it is an effective way to spread its message to different people. Nonetheless, media does not only comprise traditional means, like newspaper, radio and television; it also extends to the internet, which, in recent times, includes social media. Over the last decade, social media has been the buzzword on tongues of public relations practitioners, marketers, celebrities, business owners, sports organizations and the public.

The exchange of information and conversations on online social networks ideally produces favorable publicity for sports organizations. Consecutively, the favorable publicity tends to lead to increased awareness about the sports organization, which translates to an increase in revenue. Nowadays, the role of public relations practitioners in sport organizations has changed to become positive content creators for the organization on social media.

Related: 8 Simple Ways to Make Social Media Work for Your Business

The social media models used by sports organizations

Sports organizations commonly use two social media models to turn information currency into organizational revenue. They are the press agentry and publicity model in which public relations practitioners try to bring on as much publicity as possible for their sports organizations. Furthermore, a press release has been an essential tool for decades for PR practitioners in the sports industry. The formatting has been definite and pre-set with a headline on the center-top, contact information on the bottom left corner and For Immediate Release on the top right. However, with the rapid growth of social media — where messages could be transferred to every corner of the world with text, pictures, and videos — many PR professionals shifted from traditional press releases to Social Media Releases (SMR).

Though many PR practitioners in the sports industry believe that SMR should replace the traditional press release, newsrooms and PR professionals should develop more informative, timely, accurate and less corporate press releases. The SMR revolution has led PR practitioners to include hyperlinks, pictures, videos, audio and social media contact information in releases. Reporters find these news releases more in-depth and digestible. At the same time, sports organizations have made social media monitoring their top priority since the public can post opinions openly. Ultimately, the main goal of social media engagement is to connect different public sectors — fans, athletes, sponsors and media — to the sports entity and spectacles that the entity offers in its services.

Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing

Krishna Athal
A recipient of numerous leadership and innovation awards, Krishna Athal has a BA in business and enterprise, an MBA in leadership and management and is currently a PhD candidate in leadership and entrepreneurship.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Living

8 Things I Discovered While Working With Affluent Clients in New York City

After a decade working with the 1%, I learned that they have common traits.

Travel

6 Secret Tools for Flying First Class (Without Paying Full Price)

It's time to reimagine upgrading. Here's how to fly first class on every flight, business or personal.

Thought Leaders

The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce's needs and preferences.

Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.

Business Solutions

This Comprehensive Microsoft Excel Course Can Turn You into a Whiz for $10

Master Microsoft Excel for less than the cost of your lunch with this top-rated course.