When Football meets Social Media

“Football is the world’s biggest sport, so the world will practically stop for the month of the World Cup,” Matt Stone, Head of new media for world soccer’s governing body FIFA. (CNN)

But while the world as we know it may stop, you can be guaranteed that the social networking will not. In fact, rest assured that the sites like Facebook and Twitter will blow up during the month-long footballing bonanza. Though I looked at the money side of this global event  previously, WC2010 is a great time for getting together and meeting up with people you may never have previously met. It's a great time for football and destination blogging, video and photo sharing, tweetups and meetups, virtual discussions, podcast shows and social media promotions and giveaways. During the last World Cup, while some of us (myself included) blogged our way through the Finals, there was no Twitter, and Facebook was still a proverbial infant. So this has been described as the first World Cup of the social media age and it's left to be seen just how huge the tournament will be this time around. But between you and me, I imagine it will be HUGE.

My profile on The Club. My avatar is pretty damn stylish.

FIFA has already attracted 1.6million fans (including myself) to The Club, which is an onsite social networking platform, which connects fans of the beautiful game and allows them to get up-to-the-minute news and interact with fans across the globe. Soon they will add Facebook Connect and official Twitter sites, with promises of tweets from high ranking FIFA officials. Of course as the tournament draws closer, the number and variety of channels will undoubtedly increase - both official and unofficial, but all ultimately lending a global space for passionate fans to express their views and opinions on the game. From the bars and pubs,  tv rooms and office kitchens, cubicles and coffee shops, the age of social media will bring the tournament to more people in ways that they may not have experienced before. Instant video replays, coach perspectives, fan accounts, player feedback (hopefully, depending on the level of restrictions imposed by home FAs) - straight to laptops and mobile phones across the globe. The football community will not only grow but will be more connected to each other than ever before, eclipsing probably any other event - sporting and non-sporting - which has preceded it.

Events such as the Olympics and FIFA also raise the level of awareness on social issues due to their mass global appeal and the attention which is placed on these events. So while there will be action on the field, from a CSR perspective, it is also what happens off the field which is important and 1Goal has already started to draw attention to the issue of education for all. With over 3.5million followers already, 1Goal is "a campaign seizing the power of football to ensure that education for all is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup". I'm happy to see this aspect of the tournament on social media as well, as it should be, since social media has the power to catapult these issues to an even wider audience than ever before, thus providing the opportunity for millions of poeple to understand and make an intangible contribution. I think more sponsors should use the opportunity, in much the same way Pepsi did for the Super Bowl, and not only focus on sales/marketing gold but also on playing a part in the way we, as fans, view the game and its impact on the issues which affect millions of people.

And who knows, maybe for one full month, Justin Bieber won't be a trending topic on Twitter! I do not think it's impossible! 43 days and counting...

Photo credit: CNN; screen shot of my profile on The Club. Feel free to add me.

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What should you, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber have in common?

I know just a couple things about Nicki Minaj

1. She is an up and coming female rapper (another one) who I am hearing about more and more each day
2. She is of Trini origin - a Trini dougla
2. She got her break when she was discovered on MySpace by some big jefe record executive

I know even less about Justin Bieber except for

1. His name has been a Twitter trending topic for weeks now
2. He got his break when he was discovered on YouTube

How do you intend to catch your big break??

Before, it was the employer who pulled out the bells and whistles to make themselves attractive and accessible. Now, with social media, it's the prospective employees and the big-dreamers who are really putting themselves out there to get the attention of employers and dream peddlers. How are you using social media to self-promote?

Are you using a business-oriented social network like LinkedIn?
If your Facebook page currently has photos of last weekend's drunken club session, it may not be the best channel for promoting yourself professionally. Nix that idea IMMEDIATELY! Consider using a site like LinkedIn to sell who you are and what you can offer, while having the opportunity to network with people in your field. And don't just create a profile and leave it sitting there. Get recommendations from past employers/colleagues. Get out there and make yourself visible. Follow groups which are related to your field, get involved in discussions, post answers to questions - interact and exchange.

Are you following the RIGHT people?
We all have our interests. I follow travel tweeters, but I also follow a lot of PR/comms/social media marketing tweeters. Twitter may be like a huge chatroom for most, but make it a chatroom with a purpose and with an end goal in mind if you're looking to catch that lucky break.

Are you blogging?
Blogs are a great way to have your say and share your expertise, while putting yourself out there. But...

Are you mindful of the content you post online?
Don't use your blog to only be critical, divisive or just plain cantankerous. Offer useful solutions, show your creativity in resolving issues, show that you can be a positive part of a community. So while we may not always agree with what others may say, we don't have to be nasty about it. Offer contributions, not deconstruction! And F bombs may not be the best way to paint yourself fabulous, so don't use the F bomb on Twitter or elsewhere if you're not too pleased about something.

Is your CV current and innovative?
Ensure that your CV is current. Don't put outdated info on your LinkedIn site, which midway through a conversation you realise is not the whole story. Super fail. And depending on what you're looking for, and the audience you're trying to reach, why not integrate short video, or a podcast telling people about yourself. Though I think here, we are lagging in this area, it's an idea especially if you want to show yourself as on the cutting edge of your field. HR is using video conferencing, and social networks in some areas to recruit new hires. Why should you be limited to a standard CV?

Are you checking out who's checking YOU out?
So you have set up these social media channels to sell yourself but are you even checking to see if anyone is browsing the merchandise. Just as traditional marketers measure to see whether their message is getting across, you need to ascertain whether you are being noticed. So monitor your hits to your blog, who subscribes to your RSS feed, who's retweeting you, following you, who's connecting with you, who's responding to your discussion topics etc. Don't leave it to chance.

Are you getting the word out?
I don't think we have many mind readers out there so be vocal about your objectives and start exploring those avenues relevant to your professional needs. Let people know that you are looking for new opportunities. The more people who know you're looking, the greater the chance of you getting that job. If we can use social networks to find a date (more on this later this week), why can't we be honest about our professional desires? Get it out there!

Justin Bieber's mum used YouTube to post his performances for friends and family and inadvertently got him his dream job. Now he is all over Twitter. Why? I am not quite sure but there is really something to be said about using social media to follow your dream. Start building your networks now before you really need it. It takes time to build that network and that following, so don't waste time. Get it going.

p.s. Findind a G-rated/fit-for-purpose photo of Ms Minaj for this blog was a challenge. Be mindful of your content, right?

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