Pittsburgh River Hounds Social Media Strategy

By: Tristan Huyett

The Pittsburgh River Hounds have quickly become a must-see sporting event for sports fans of all ages. However, we know there are so many soccer fans in Pittsburgh that do not attend games. However, with the right social media digital strategy, the River Hounds will easily be able to expand their outreach to soccer fans in Pittsburgh.

Establish an Identity

Riverhounds fans celebrate during a game.

In order to attract soccer fans to games, they need to be made aware of the team in the first place. In the current marketing environment, social media is the main way brands are getting exposure on their product. This is not by chance, as Forbes states “there are currently 4.9 billion people who use social media platforms worldwide”. Currently, the Riverhounds are active on:

X (twitter)
Instagram
Youtube
FaceBook
TikTok
This is amount of prescence on social media is a good start, but posts need to be more frequent. If they are ablt to branch out into the Pittsburgh community, and do posts about Pittsburgh, or posts that interact with businesses in Pittsburgh, people will associate the Riverhounds with the city of Pittsburgh itself.
Associating with notable brands or companies in Pittsburgh is a form of influencer marketing, which is a great way to grow on social media, can be read about here.

Create a Consistent Environment

A Riverhawks player high fives a row of children.

Knowing that the people we are trying to attract are soccer fans, is a good first step. But, you need to consider the location of the team as well. Pittsburgh being a tight knit city known for its togetherness and family ideals, is key.

By creating an atmosphere and games that soccer fans feel consistently safe bringing their children, not only are you getting the soccer fans, but you are also given the chance to create new fans in the youth. In her book, “Webs of Influence” Nathalie Nahai says, “if you can establish a sense of warmth, trust and connection with your customers, they’ll be more likely to want to engage with and help you”. In this case, by connected with fans on a personal level, by allowing them to create memories with their children, you are making them more likely to keep coming back.

Take Advantage Of Mobile Use

Mobile devices have rapidly become the main way people take in digital information. According to the Pew Research Center, 90% of people own a smartphone, “up from just 35% in Pew Research Center’s first survey of smartphone ownership conducted in 2011”. Knowing how many eyes are constantly fixated on mobile screens, the Riverhounds need to take advantage.

The Riverhounds have a mobile app, however it is very barebones, and users can see scores, read articles and buy tickets. The app can be optimized and become a driving force in the teams growth, by following our Marketing Strategy for Mobile Apps.

Overhaul Youtube

The stadium in which the Riverhounds play in holds over 5,000 people. Their YouTube channel only has 2.3k subscribers. Take a look at this video:

This video revealed the logo the Riverhounds would be using to commemorate their 25th season, a monumental occasion.

The video currently has under 400 views.

According to Statista, YouTube has just under 3 BILLION users. YouTube should be a goldmine for interaction and exposure for the team, instead, it is gravely underused. Videos showcasing the teams players and fans off the field could greatly improve exposure these videos are getting.

For more on Social Engagement and how to best take advantage of it, check out this article.

Promote Your Players

Fans come to see the players.

Give them the players.

It’s important to remember why fans are coming to the games, in the end they are there to see a soccer game, and the athletes playing. It is important for the team to showcase its players not just on the field, but off the field as well. By featuring players in their social media posts and campaigns, fans will see a familiar face and want to be a part of it, as the New York Times has said, athletes “create the connections between brand and consumer. Athlete sponsored advertising is not new and can be read more about here.

Conclusion

By revamping its social media approach and creating an atmosphere friendly to all types, will lead to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to seeing increase in soccer fans at their matches. While the Riverhounds have a good foundation in place, in regard to their social media presence, more needs to be done to fully utilize social media in there marketing.