We identify ten of the most active and influential individuals operating in social media in the sporting and sponsorship area, and find out a little of what excites them in terms of what they do. Today we sit down with Trevor Keane, the man behind Sportego…
Who is Trevor Keane and what do you do that has secured your place as a Social media Maven for 2016?
I am the founder of Sportego, a fan engagement company in Kilkenny.
2016 has been a huge year for me and Sportego. Starting as an idea in 2014, Sportego has gone from strength to strength; we have worked with major football clubs in the Premier League, not to mention huge names from the world of Rugby.
It has been exciting and challenging. Since July 2015 on a monthly basis I have tracked and acknowledged the hard work being done by Irish national governing bodies from the world of Sport. We publish that first each month through Sport for Business and those we have yet to include are always quick to ask can they be. It adds value.
Check out the November 2016 Irish Sport Social Media Review
This year in particular has been great as that work is being recognised by peers in the industry. Life can be funny at times and it took the birth of my third child to help me create what was the biggest achievement for me in 2016, Feckk.
The Fan Engagement Conference Kilkenny was organised with four weeks preparation and included attendees from Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, UK and Ireland. It featured excellent speakers from the world of commercial and digital sport in Ireland and managed to trend on twitter at number 1 for 8 hours, beating water charges and Paddy Barnes!
What is your personal favourite Social Media Channel?
I really enjoyed Linkedin. I love their ‘Published posts’ section and as an individual and business trying to grow I find it has helped the most.
Twitter is a great platform for breaking news and allows me to keep up to date with the world of sport. From a professional perspective both these channels have been excellent in helping Sportego grow.
What do you think is the best thing about being able to communicate directly to fans or customers?
It’s a two-way channel that is here and now. Historically communication between sports stars and players was one way but social media has really opened up that and made mainstream sport more accessible.
Of course two-way communication only works if the content is good and the organisation is listening. The key thing for me is to ensure the right content is being created and shared and the conversation is open with those you are engaging with.
How much a part of your overall approach to marketing is geared towards social?
From a business perspective, Sportego focuses a lot on social media. Mainly other peoples accounts. Our core business is to analyse sports clubs social activity compared to peers and rivals to enable opportunities for them.
Producing an infograph comparing Lazio and Roma on social and seeing that reproduced on the Roma website shows just how social can be used to highlight abilities. We look at planning our strategies for the next 12 months, social is a huge part of it.
For most the distinction between marketing and digital marketing has stopped, it is all marketing now, with social a strategy within that.
Broadcasting or engagement, if you had to pick one which is the most important?
Engagement. 100%. We are seeing a shift in the broadcasting model and how people digest their favourite’s shows and sports. People want to have interactive experiences at almost every juncture and social media provides that.
What are three social media accounts that you enjoy following?
I follow a lot of accounts; a real mix. Some I follow for trusted sports news, while others are fun.
However when it comes to Sportsbiz, I like @FutureSportCo @sportforbusines and @resultsports. I like to know what is going on in the world of sport from an Irish and international perspective and these three accounts help me daily.
Finally give us a social media post that you were pleased with the response to…
That’s a hard one I love them all. I spend a lot of time reviewing the social posts others from the world of Irish sport and with the Euros, Olympics and Paralympics there have been some wonderful moments.
However for me, I loved the fact that Pundit Arena using just an iPhone created a legendary Irish tune and turned Kildare singer Mick Konstantin into a star.
