by By: Talaya Law
In the ever-evolving social media landscape, football teams continuously seek innovative ways to connect with their audience. One platform that has caught their attention is TikTok, a popular video-sharing app widely embraced by the younger generations. In this blog post, we will explore three effective strategies football teams can adopt to tap into the TikTok phenomenon and engage with a new audience.
- Connect with Pop Culture
One of the key ways to resonate with Gen Z is by embracing pop culture. Football teams can take a page from successful TikTok strategies by incorporating references to popular artists and trends. Engage with players by asking them questions about their favorite artists or songs. Show Gen Z that you’re not just about football, but also aware of the latest pop culture happenings. With the recent influx of all things Taylor Swift, teams have taken advantage of her popularity by including questions about her in their TikTok videos. It’s all about finding common ground and building a connection that your Gen Z fanbase can relate to.
- Follow TikTok Trends
To truly captivate Gen Z on TikTok, it’s crucial to stay up to date with the latest trends. Keep an eye on the viral dances and challenges that flood our feeds. Encourage your players to participate in these trends, showcasing their skills and personalities. By joining in on the fun, you’ll not only gain attention but also earn “funny points” from Gen Z. Being authentic is key. Gen Z can tell when authenticity is lacking, so don’t be afraid to let loose and make some jokes once in a while.
- Capture Players Outside of Football
Gen Z appreciates authenticity and values personal connections. It’s essential for football teams to go beyond the field and share glimpses of players’ lives off the field. You can use TikTok to provide behind-the-scenes footage, player interviews, or share their hobbies and interests. Show Gen Z the unique personalities behind the game, allowing them to relate to the players on a personal level. Use videos from other events players attend or even have them send you some videos they took themselves. By doing so, you’ll create a stronger bond with the audience and foster a loyal fanbase.
By tapping into the power of TikTok, you can connect with Gen Z like never before. With these three tips in your playbook, you’ll be well on your way to scoring social media goals and winning the hearts of Gen Z. So get creative, have fun, and let TikTok help you build an engaging online community that resonates with the next generation of football fans.
Connect with Talaya on LinkedIN
Hi Talaya!
I enjoyed reading your piece. It’s really interesting to think about how different the landscape for athletes would be if social media had been around in the 90s and 80s, since back then it was much harder for athletes to advocate for themselves. I like that social media is giving athletes more autonomy and organizations no longer have full control.
Hi, Talaya!
I loved your piece. I think that social media really is a great way for fans and followers to see their favorite players as people, not just athletes. That human connection component really is critical to success in my opinion. It’s crazy to think about how different being an athlete would have been in previous decades to now! We have more access to our favorite players and they are able to showcase more about their identities and lives as people both on and off the field. Great work.
Talaya, (first of all you have an awesome name)
I really enjoyed reading your blog! Obviously, TikTok has been really influential for businesses and teams such as football. I hadn’t really considered how football specifically had been increasing their reach through TikTok. I have recently seen on my fyp a baseball team doing trending dances, which I also think is a great way that they are connecting with pop culture. Overall, your blog looks great, good job!!
Talaya,
I really enjoyed this blog. I like how you emphasize Gen Z’s craving for authenticity from brands, and how football teams are leaning into that through TikTok. TikTok is the perfect app to connect with the younger generation, especially when teams learn to stay on top of trends and not take themselves too seriously. Getting to see behind the scenes of football teams and players not only produces great content, but it connects fans more to the team and makes them feel more a part of it.
Hi Talaya!
Your article was well written! I loved your point about humanizing the players. I think the opportunity to see players from another perspective allows for them to span from 2-D to 3-D. Gen-Z prizes authenticity and ethics and they want an inside look at players performing well and not so well. Because at the end of the day they are not players, but members of a family, religion, and hobbies. The power of PR allows for athletes to play even outside of the field.