Catch-up: The Online Rule Live 2023
Find out how the first ever The Online Rule live event unfolded.
The first ever The Online Rule Live took place on 19 June 2023. If you were there, thank you for taking part in what I think was a fantastic day. If you were unable to make it, you'll be able to catch up on some of the talks below.
If you have any feedback from the day, good or bad, I'd love to hear it. You can either email me or find me over on Twitter.
280 people signed up to hear from our incredible line-up of speakers. We heard from:
- Mark Bradley, Director of The Fan Experience Company
- Chris Cairns, Sports and Media Partnerships at Meta
- Chris Samson, Digital Marketing Manager at Southampton
- Christian Harrall-Baker, Social Media Lead at Two Circles
- Jim Lucas, Managing Partner at Ten Toes Media
- Josh Elliott, Co-Founder of GMGN Labs
- Sanjit Sarkar, Strategic Partner Manager - Sport at TikTok
Topics included community management, social media marketing, email management, content strategy, and also included tips from network representatives on how to use their specific platforms.
How the day unfolded
The day's structure is below. Some of the talks were recorded, and you can watch the clips on YouTube.
0930 | Welcome and introduction
I introduced the day, along with some general housekeeping.
0945 | Session 1 | Building and managing online communities, Josh Elliott, GMGN Labs
As part of the team that helped Man United launch their Discord community, Josh shared practical insights into launching and managing your own online community.
The team have also published a fantastic white paper on building communities that you can get hold of over on LinkedIn.
1030 | Session 2 | Lessons in fan engagement, Mark Bradley, The Fan Experience Company
Mark shared stories from more than 20 years of helping sports clubs to improve the experiences they offer to fans and to grow attendances as a result. He explored the topic through the eyes of the supporter and shared specific ways in which clubs can connect and add value to the matchday experience.
1115 | Break
1130 | Session 3 | Making the most of your owned channels, Chris Samson, Southampton
This session looked at how Southampton have built up their own databases and targeted fans through email, SMS, and paid marketing to hit ticket revenue targets across the season.
1215 | Break for lunch
1300 | Session 4 | Developing a fan-focused content strategy, Christian Harrall-Baker, LiveWire Sport
Christian gave an overview of content strategy and the role it should serve within your company. He demonstrated how to put fan insights at the core of what you're doing, and gave practical tips to help you develop content frameworks and fan engagement.
1345 | Session 5 | Making the most of TikTok, Sanjit Sarkar, TikTok
Sanjit joined us from TikTok to talk about best practices when using the channel for fan engagement. He provided examples from successful clubs, and explain how you can maximise your reach and engagement.
1430 | Break
1445 | Session 6 | How social media can help your team win - on and off the pitch, Jim Lucas, Ten Toes Media
Take a look at how a refreshed digital strategy helped the England national team reconnect with its supporters, with some lessons on how your work can help your club achieve success.
1530 | Session 7 | Using Facebook and Instagram to grow, engage, and monetise your audience, Chris Cairns, Meta
Chris gave an overview of the tools Meta makes available for you, including tips on how to grow and engage your fan base, how to create a robust content strategy for informing and entertaining your audience, and how to enhance revenue opportunities through your social channels.
1615 | Closing remarks
This is the last time you'll hear from me as part of The Online Rule Live mailing list. At least until I announce the next event.
If you want to stay subscribed for articles and news about the upcoming podcast series, head to the website and use the subscribe button to update your preferences.
Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who attended and our panel of speakers for making this such an incredible day full of fantastic insights.
