EFL clubs lead fan engagement social media rankings, as Wycombe claim crown

(Picture: Action Images)

By John Lyons

EFL clubs have dished out a thrashing to their Premier League counterparts in terms of social media engagement with their supporters.

In a study of English football’s top 92, sports business consultancy Fanalyse Activate found that the top ten spots were comprised solely of clubs from the EFL’s three tiers – with League Two outfit Wycombe Wanderers topping the pile.

Only four top-flight clubs made it in to the top 30, based on calculations that measured metrics including relative engagement, sentiment and growth on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Wycombe’s levels of engagement across all platforms were consistently high, with Facebook standing out as the top social platform.

Their highest performing post was a live stream of the team watching the FA Cup draw when the Chairboys landed Tottenham in the fourth round.

Sheffield Wednesday led the way in the Championship, netting highest scores in Facebook engagement, while also ranking highly across Twitter and Instagram.

The Owls created some engaging content with interactive competitions and behind the scenes footage, capitalising on the January transfer window with some creative output.

Millwall put in an impressive social performance shift in January, winning the overall League One engagement stakes thanks to the highest score in both Twitter and Instagram.

The Lions built engagement around their ongoing stadium situation, with Thursdays their busiest day each week.

Fanalyse Activate has been created by former Cardiff City head of communications Barrie McAuliffe and commercial director Julian Jenkins, in partnership with Daniel Simmons of Cardiff-based social media agency Populate.

Fanalyse CEO Jenkins said: “Fans today are more digitally connected, socially networked and better informed than ever before.

“Barrie and I have worked in sport for 15 years each and we firmly believe that the key metrics for success are engagement, experience and how much the fan feels valued.

“Previously metrics concerned with social media have been based on follower numbers, irrespective of performance.  In our experience, engaged fans do more and spend more, showing true affinity and becoming long-term brand advocates.”

Fanalyse Activate top ten:

1. Wycombe 66.6

2. Plymouth 61.9

3. Millwall 58.9

4. Grimsby 57.9

5. Sheff Wed 54.9

6. Barnsley 54.2

7. Oxford 53.6

8. Morecambe 53.2

9. Barnet 50.4

10. Leeds/Wolves 49.1