Arsenal’s fantastic use of Social Media ahead of the FA Cup final

On Saturday, Arsenal will be seeking to end their long trophy drought and win their 11th FA Cup. This could prove to be the best chance Arsenal get at ending that run, going in as favourites against Hull City. But they will be haunted by the shock results a few seasons back in the League Cup final against current Hull boss, Steve Bruce’s former side, Birmingham City.

Fans have been excited at the thought of Arsenal adding to the trophy cabinet and ending years of banter at the cost of rival fans. And one place where this constantly takes place is on Social Media, with Twitter being the most popular platform for banter. Social media is a hub of platforms that are used for a myriad of needs, so it is no wonder that they are flocking to it to express their opinions. It can also be a great place for a brand to get recognized with many looking to buy views and likes (more here on that) so they can get noticed, maybe even by their favorite team!

Fans of the London club have found it difficult to hold back their anxiety ahead of the cup, while some have even accused them of overconfidence. While that is debatable, given that embarrassing 2011 final, Arsenal fans and players alike will be quick to keep their feet grounded until the final whistle is blown.

Arsenal have used Social Media perfectly to treat the fans to some nostalgic moments in Arsenal’s history, helping them believe and dream of another cup success, one that above all, is deserved for their French manager and his efforts, Arsene Wenger. The man himself has a couple of FA Cups to his name, etched rich in the history of Arsenal folklore. Tweets like the one below have reminded supporters of glories past, and what potentially awaits on Saturday at Wembley.

Our 10th and most recent #FACupFinal victory. Can #Arsenal make it 11 tomorrow? #GunningForTheCup pic.twitter.com/5p4X2ZMIEx

– Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 16, 2014

Visual illustrations and graphics have long been a part of the internet movement in football, but it’s something special (and more ‘official’) when clubs themselves have dedicated departments to ensure the right message is communicated to the fans in the right way and in perfect timing. Of course, the social media teams for football clubs may have experts with years of experience who can navigate Twitter and Instagram like it’s their backyard. Hours of time spent researching popular and trending instagram niches; how different content types can be incorporated into the football scene; and keeping a close eye on emerging trends among fans all over the globe; these are some of the tasks involved in the effort to bring about a clear strategy and timing for social media updates. The fans want what they want, and the clubs want to give it to them!

Posting on social media and running successful campaigns aren’t as easy as they sound, though. Why else do many businesses and influences turn to services like Growthsilo overview in order to drive up engagement? With the throwback images and their perfect timing, it’s clear that Arsenal is on their game when it comes to engaging with their audience. They might even be using have got facebook automation tool or the best Instagram bot to get ahead with all their daily social media engagements.

In addition to the ‘throwback’ images being shared by Arsenal on Twitter, the club have also started the #GunningForTheCup campaign as the tweet above bears across its content. A simple search will show you how popular this hashtag has become among supporters, with even professional clubs like the Colorado Rapids wishing the team luck using it.

But the most innovative use of Social Media and that particular hashtag is seen below in the video where the club have made an effort to ensure the players realise what & who they’re playing for, even providing a medium to send across the fans’ good luck message directly to the players. With systems installed in the training ground, players have been reading fan messages on Twitter, leaving some of them clearly thrilled with the support being shown. Not only does it provide a source of inspiration to the players, but also helps the fans in having a sense of satisfaction and pride even if they can’t make it to the stadium, that they are doing their little bit to help Arsenal emulate past success and indeed insure a long-awaited piece of silverware is brought back home.

Fantastic work by the Social Media team at Arsenal.