Pfahl (2011) stated that: “Social media is the latest development or categorization
of fundamental human communication. For centuries, human have been growing closer
together in terms of understanding other cultures and co-creating an understanding of
life. Technological developments have increased the speed at which these ties are
developed and have also provided numerous platforms from which to establish
relationships among people. However, social media is a complicated area for sport
managers mostly because it is a moving target that changes faster than some people
can even identify trends in the first place. Thus, sport managers need to think strategically
about the use of social media as a platform to communicate with various communities
within their fan base (e.g., support groups, ethnic groups) as well as facilitating
communication among the communities within the fan base. The introduction of social
media opportunities creates three key areas where strategic marketing opportunities
can be leveraged: brand development, individual involvement, and community
involvement. These three areas offer a sport organization the chance to diversify its
brand development and revenue generation options via its marketing efforts by