Yesterday we covered the social media activity and engagement of Sport for Business Members on X and today we turn our attention to Facebook with Instagram and Tik Tok to follow over the next 48 hours.
Our analysis from Olytico this month includes the addition of Shamrock Rovers FC to the mix, bringing the number we are tracking now to 40.
Here is how our coverage of the monthly report will shape up during the week.
X Analysis – Monday
Facebook Analysis – Tuesday
Instagram Analysis – Wednesday
TikTok Analysis – Thursday
SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division Analysis from the League of Ireland – Friday
In the infographics below, we have ranked each of the organisations across a range of metrics on each network, including the most active, the most engaged with, and the most engaging content as well as engagements per 1,000 followers where possible.
It is important to note that this analysis is based on publicly available data. It does not include any analysis or insight on paid or promoted content. When % figures are used (unless otherwise stated), they refer to the previous month’s figures.
January 2024 Highlights on Facebook
Facebook activity rose 2% in January, with 2,780 posts generating 375,851 public engagements, an 8% increase on the previous month.
In keeping with what is becoming a trend though while the number of posts was up on the same period in 2024, the number of engagements was down from a highpoint of 657,857.
Let’s keep an eye on that but also keep on highlighting the positives in this important channel of how sporting bodies engage with their audiences.
The activity charts were once again topped by the Ladies Gaelic Football account with 319 posts (-3%) as they remembered Katie Rose McKeown.
In second, the League of Ireland (317, +9%) congratulated Julie-Ann Russell on a brilliant career after she announced her retirement.
In third, the GAA (309, +52%) showcased the finish by Peter Harte for Errigal Ciarán in the AIB GAA Senior Club Football Final, to date the footage has been viewed closed to 150,000 times, though I might just add that Cuala did go on to win the Final…
Irish Sailing (16, +60%) celebrated history being made as Chris Bateman and Lucy Loughton won the B14 World Championship, becoming the first mixed crew and the first non-GBR & non-AUS boat to claim the prestigious title.
Golf Ireland (26, +53%) wished Beth Coulter and Áine Donegan well as they flew the flag for Ireland as part of Team Europe at the Patsy Hankins Trophy in the UAE.
Irish Rugby (1,547, +54%) topped the average engagement per post charts, as they took us behind the scenes in Portugal as the Men’s team prepared for the Guinness Six Nations.
In second, Cricket Ireland (357, +22%) arrived in Borneo for the Women’s U19 World Cup.
The BKT URC (343, -13%) in third showcased the talents of Werner Kok, with the footage of the South African speedster having been viewed 289,000 times.
The Gaelic Players Association (25, +150%) wished Jack Kavanagh and Conor Lawlor well as they announced their inter-county retirement, and the Camogie Association (70, +106%) launched the Electric Ireland Camogie Third Level Championships and the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships.
Squash Ireland (540) topped the average engagements per 1,000 followers metric as Conor Moran won the Old Belvedere Open.
The IRFU generated the most engaged with content on Facebook in January in the lead up to the much anticipated Six Nations fixture against England, content from which we expect to feature highly in February’s analysis. This post with Bundee Aki generated over 5,000 public engagements.
X Analysis – Monday
Facebook Analysis – Tuesday
Instagram Analysis – Wednesday
TikTok Analysis – Thursday
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and be added to the list, email us today and let’s see what is possible. If you would like a more detailed analysis of your social media activity, contact ross@olytico.com
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
The declining engagement numbers are becoming indicative of a wider retreat of users from the service. Sport is still one area on the service that continues to attract content and comment, but the trend is worrying.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Each of the other Social Media Channels will be covered over the next two days. Olytico presented at our Annual Sport and Data event taking place on February 27th.
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS
All of the sporting organisations listed in this analysis are full members of the Sport for Business community.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises over 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
