Latest Hot Topics

Friend or foe? 

Use of Twitter by athletes at the recent London Olympics has certainly highlighted some its benefits and pitfalls, which provide some important lessons for grassroots sporting clubs and participants.

Make no mistake - Twitter and other types of social media are not a craze or a fashion trend that will eventually phase out.  Even sport is embracing it . . . in a big way. For instance:

What if something goes wrong?  

What do you do when followers and fans complain or criticise you?  What happens if someone makes a mistake and sends an inappropriate message, or even the right message to the wrong people?  In part three of our series on social media, we look at how you can avoid being a Twitter victim.

Plenty of sports stars have put their foot in their Twitter mouths and even big corporations aren’t immune to social media gaffes (try Googling ‘social media gaffes’ for some classic examples). Or ask swimmer Stephanie Rice or Melbourne Victory’s Antony Golec about ‘mis-tweets’ and the damage they can do to reputations. 

The same rules apply for everyone using social media, including clubs, members, officials and athletes. You don’t want the first hashtag you read to be #yourclubstinks. 

Here are some tips for proper social media usage:

Social media may seem daunting, especially for smaller clubs, but the benefits far outweigh the risks. Get in and have a go. The best way to learn is by doing and it’s easy to set up your own account. Have a look at these links to help guide you through the process of setting up a Facebook or Twitter account:

How to set up a Facebook page

How to set up a Twitter account