Back in March we took a look at the AFL teams using the Sports Social Media Index (SSMI) developed by Sports Geek, now we take a look at the NRL.
Wests, Broncos, Rabbitohs lead the way
The Wests Tigers head the NRL SSMI leaderboard with good use of Facebook events to stay connected with fans. Brisbane Broncos are close behind taking advantage of the Facebook photo galleries to run promotions with fans sharing great snaps at the game. The South Sydney Rabbitohs scored well with a well branded Twitter account that is interacting with fans definitely “joining the conversation.”
Link #fail
Unfortunately it is very hard to determine “official” accounts from fan-run or imposter accounts. The main culprit is the “Connect with the NRL” page on NRL.com which links to several unofficial accounts on Facebook & Twitter. To make matters worse some of the club sites link to the incorrect accounts as well. Some of the clubs with bad links include Melbourne Storm, Newcastle Knights, North Queensland Cowboys, NZ Warriors, Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers & Sydney Roosters.
Good moves
Some teams are trying a few initiatives that should be applauded to create a community for fans with Penrith going “old-school” social media providing a fan forum with Panthers Interactive. The NZ Warriors have teamed up with their major sponsor in Vodafone to deliver Vodafone One Tribe. These sites do well to foster community amongst fans and would be improved if integrated with Facebook Open Graph to allow fans to share via Facebook.
NRL Clubs on Twitter and Facebook
| NRL CLUB | TWITTER ADDRESS | FACEBOOK ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Broncos | @BrisbaneBroncos | Broncos on facebook |
| Canterbury Bulldogs | @NRL_Bulldogs | Bulldogs on facebook |
| North Queensland Cowboys | @NthQldCowboys | NQ Cowboys on facebook |
| Cronulla Sharks | @SharksOnline | Sharks on facebook |
| Melbourne Storm | @MelbStormRLC | Storm on facebook |
| Gold Coast Titans | @GCTitans | GC Titans on facebook |
| Manly Sea Eagles | @ManlySeaEagles | Sea Eagles on facebook |
| Penrith Panthers | Not on Twitter | Not on Facebook |
| Wests Tigers | @Wests_Tigers | Tigers on facebook |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | @SSFCRabbitohs | Rabbitohs on facebook |
| New Zealand Warriors | @TheNZWarriors | Not on facebook |
| Parramatta Eels | Not on Twitter | Not on facebook |
| St George/Illawarra Dragons | Not on Twitter | Dragons on facebook |
| Sydney Roosters | @SydneyRoosters | Roosters on facebook |
| Canberra Raiders | @RaidersCanberra | Raiders Friend Profile |
| Newcastle Knights | Not on Twitter | Knights on facebook |
NRL SSMI findings – Club by Club
About SSMI
Sports Geek has developed the Sports Social Media Index (SSMI) to rate the performance of sports franchise using social media. The SSMI cover the key platforms of sports social media, how each platform is used and how they engage their fan base.
SSMI rates teams on execution on social media platforms, are they using best practices exhibited by teams leading the way in digital sport marketing like the Dallas Mavericks, LA Kings & New York Knicks.
If you want more information on SSMI please contact Sean on 0407047200.
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