Using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the presenter discusses how Millwall Rugby Club built interest in their club by capitalizing on attention around the Rugby World Cup. They followed people in the local area discussing rugby-related hashtags and posts to build their audience. During the tournament, they promoted membership offers, return-to-rugby programs for beginners, and opportunities to watch matches at their club. This led to increased attendance at training sessions and the recruitment of 75 new members through their return-to-rugby program. The presenter provides tips for clubs to set goals for their social media use, be realistic about time commitments, and ensure they deliver a good experience for any new members or visitors

1. Using Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
to build interest in your club
Andrew Hesselden (Millwall Rugby Club)
@andrewhesselden

2. Andrew Hesselden
Communications Officer
Millwall Rugby Club
www.millwallrugby.com
@millwallrugby
Creative Director
Coralfish Communications
www.coralfish.co.uk
@andrewhesselden

3. How you can use Facebook, Twitter
& Instagram to build an audience
that’s interested in your club

4. How we used social media during
the Rugby World Cup to build
interest in Millwall Rugby Club

5. 250 adult members
3 adult men’s teams
1 adult women’s team
1 touch rugby group
Approx 60 training regularly
40 youth members
Minis, Cubs & Juniors
(Ages 3-12)
Approx 30 training regularly

6. How many of you…
• have a Facebook Page or Group?
• have a Twitter Account
• have an Instagram account?
• make Vines
• make YouTube videos

7. What social media channels do we use?
A lot of this… Some of this…
A bit of
this….
And sometimes a little bit of these too…

8. Statistics & Demographics
• 58% of adults use Facebook.
• 23% of adults use LinkedIn.
• 22% of adults use Pinterest.
• 21% of adults use Instagram.
• 19% of adults use Twitter.
• 24% of adults are on two social sites.
• 16% of adults are on three social sites.
• 8% of adults are on four social sites.
• 4% of adults are on five social sites.
• 70% of adults use Facebook daily.
• 49% of adults use Instagram daily.
• 36% of adults use Twitter daily.
• 17% of adults use Pinterest daily.
• 13% of adults use LinkedIn daily.
May 2015
Source: http://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/

9. How else do we communicate?
• Website
• Blog
• Bulk Email Marketing System (for communicating with
members, supporters & potential members)
• Using a match day programme
• Face to Face at training sessions & matches

10. The Rugby World Cup
• International Rugby came to East London for the
first time!
• 120 million viewers worldwide
• 2.47 million tickets
• Over 1 million people in Fanzones
• #RWC2015 used twice every second

11. How we made the most of the
Rugby World Cup
• We held an open day in August
• £17 spent on Facebook advertising
• Special offer on membership during the
RWC to bring in TV spectators to our bar
• But most of it via ‘free’ social media:
1. Wording
2. Calls to action
3. The right #hashtags
4. The right timing
5. The right photography

12. What we did at Millwall Rugby Club
1. Increased our audience
• Followed people tweeting and
instagramming during matches
from within the boundaries of
Twickenham Stadium and
Olympic Stadium
• Followed people using the
hashtags #rugby or #RWC2015
in Tower Hamlets
2. Posted content to interest that
audience
• Info about RWC2015 matches
• Info about our new Return to
Rugby Programme
• Promoted opportunities for
complete beginners
• Appealed to the positive
emotions they associated with
their experiences with rugby in
the past.

13. Return to Rugby
• Return to Rugby
• 50 clubs, 300 sign-ups via www.returntorugby.com
• 75 sign ups at Millwall alone!
• Doubled our regular men’s training numbers from
average of 15 to 35+ every week.
• Structured training programme. 10 have transitioned into
third team rugby already.
• Women from 8/9 to 15 regulars.

14. Ingredients of a good post
1. A few well chosen words
2. A few relevant #hashtags that your target audience
watches already plus a #hashtag or two that might lead
them to something else you want them to learn about
3. A great photo that evokes emotion
4. Single, clear call to action

15. Use #hashtags liberally

16. Use local hashtags like #canarywharf

17. Talk about what everyone is talking about
• Include your #hashtags along with the ones other people are using

18. Include a call to action
• Include popular #hashtags and a photo that shows what to expect

19. Calls to action
• Click
• Look at
• Register
• Sign Up
• Come along to
• Hit “Going” (on a Facebook event)

20. Keep your fans up to date

21. Post results even if you lose

22. Share your photos

23. Show a bit of character

24. Photography
• Choose authentic photos that represent what people will
experience if they come and try you out
• Appeal to emotion and the subconscious
• “If I take this action, this is how I could feel”

25. Making it work for your club

26. Who is responsible for social media in your
club?
• One person?
• Several people?
• Everyone on the committee?
• All the members?
• No one?

27. #1 Have a goal

28. “Doing social media without knowing
what you actually want to achieve is
like an adventure down a rabbit hole”

29. Goals/strategy
• Where are you now?
– How many members do you have?
• What do you want to achieve?
– Recruit x new members?
– Recruit beginners?
– Retain your current members?
– Recruit and train coaching volunteers?
• How will you get there?
– What action will you take? Who will you target?
• How do you know you’ve got there?

30. Deciding who to target and how
1. Ask your members
2. Ask those you want to target
3. Use tools like
www.sportengland.org/segments

31. #2 Be realistic

32. “You can’t do it all
on your own”

33. #2 Be realistic
• Set limits on how long you want to spend yourself
posting and responding
• Share the load, involve others especially in responding
to enquiries
• If you’re going to pay for advertising set a budget
• Remember, you are not a FTSE100 marketing
department and it is unrealistic for people to expect
you to be

34. National Campaigns
• Make the most of campaigns run by Sport England, your
local council, City Hall and your governing body.
• For example #thisgirlcan – aimed at getting women into
sport and #returntorugby from RFU

35. Automation
www.ifttt.com
You can find people who use
certain hashtags and follow them
You can search for tweets or
Instagrams in an area at a
specific time and reach out to
them
You can cross-post Facebook to
Twitter and Instagram to
Facebook etc (but take care)

36. #3 Be ready to deliver

37. If you tell people, they will come
But if you don’t give them a good experience they may
never return again

38. Three thoughts
#1 Have a goal. Know who you want to target and decide
what success will look like.
#2 Be realistic. You can’t do it all on your own and it’s not
authentic to do it al on your own. Work out your personal
time limits and your club budget. Get people to help you.
#3 Be ready to deliver. Make sure that you deliver on your
promises and give people a good experience so they want
to talk about you to their friends.

39. Questions
Andrew Hesselden
@andrewhesselden
andrew@andrewhesselden.com
www.andrewhesselden.com