It’s quite common in the approach to the online world to adopt a certain technology without first really evaluating if that specific tool or platform is what my organisation needs.
Does it support my strategy? Can it help us in achieving our goals? Is this choice consistent with the profile of my online audience?
Tools and platforms go through a typical first phase where the adoption is not driven by strategy but rather by buzz, curiosity and, let’s admit it, a certain degree of superficiality: “they do it, we should do it too!”.

Michael Jordan

Let’s take for example Facebook and Twitter, nowadays with no doubt two of the most used (and abused) platforms and let’s imagine again the above conclusion: “they do it, we should do it too!”, with company A deciding to copy company B and create their own Facebook page.
Probably, before taking this decision, Company A should have spent some time reflecting on the fact that while Company B is a volleyball club with a young audience profile, typically spending time online and actively connected via social networks, Company A is a chain of golfing resorts whose clients are in their majority wealthy professionals, over 30, technology savvy but with a lower grade of active participations to social networks.

On the other hand, Company A’s audience would probably enjoy a much greater benefit by receiving a weekly newsletter on next weekends tournaments and time sensitive discounts on luxury merchandising.
Bottom line, technology is just a tool, an instrument at the service of Sport Organisations, key in supporting their strategies and achieving their goals, but last in the steps of their online presence’s definition:

1. Audience profiling.
2. Goals setting.
3. Strategy definition.
4. Choice of technology.

Michael Jordan, probably the best basketball player of all times, did very poorly when trying his luck in baseball.
So will likely Facebook or Twitter or any other platform matched to your online fan base if you don’t know their profile and/or haven’t got goals and a strategy behind.

Alessandro De Zanche