Despite Kenya being ranked among the countries with the highest social media usage in Africa, our football clubs and players are yet to enjoy the maximum benefits of social media branding.
In the recent past, betting firms with a strong football focus have partnered with teams in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) in a move to increase their media visibility. These teams enjoy a huge audience of football fans and in turn, they would gain sponsorship, marketing deals, and jersey deals.
Over the years the number of such partnerships has grown significantly, with clubs and players approaching and getting approached by organizations in different industries like aviation, sportswear, and telecommunications among many others. Sadly only a few of these clubs and players have been able to take the bold steps towards establishing, growing, and monetizing from their social media.
Many of them have social media handles that are either inactive or nonexistent. Many players shy away from posting their professional achievements and even engaging with their fans. This situation is quite understandable for some reasons. First, alarming as it may be, it is a known fact that Kenyans, on any and every social media platform are not the friendliest audience. From the violation of online community guidelines to resorting to cyberbullying; the Kenyan online community can be unforgiving.
Also, it can be quite a handful for players and clubs to run their social media handles by themselves as some of them handle other jobs because some of these clubs don’t pay their social media managers. When efforts are placed on social media monetization, as done previously by AFC Leopards in airing their games before the intervention of the Federation, proper results can be achieved and this can act as another avenue of revenue collection for the teams.
As we take steps towards cashing in, there are a few things we can embrace. One is to create more awareness among clubs and players on the importance of social media and branding as a tool for monetization, selling their clubs, increasing merchandise sales, and advancing sponsor visibility. Encourage players that as much as it might be overwhelming to control their public image, being honest, different, and having a unique personal narrative is a trait highly appreciated by fans, brands, and sponsors while also ensuring that they will have a positive impact long after their playing careers are done.
It is heartbreaking to see the social media handles of some of our best gain visibility and grow only after they feature internationally. As a nation, let us support our own by creating a better environment for them to flourish, as a win for one is a win for all. I will however not fail to acknowledge that some clubs and individual players are doing quite well when it comes to social media management.
If most clubs are now embracing social media as part of their marketing tools, there is no reason why all the players should not join the trend in marketing not only our game but themselves to potential teams.
Also Read: Anyembe makes long awaited return in Viborg win
