We like examples of how sports can use social media well and I wanted to highlight this one from Liverpool FC – spotted by our own, ever resourceful Sean Walsh.

It is a club who we have mentioned on numerous occasions but they keep adding strings to their bow that just say that they get it more than many others do.  This example is how a club can do something that is of a benefit more to the fan than it is to itself.

One of the problems many sports and company find is trying to distinguish to fans/consumers what are real accounts on Twitter and Facebook and what are fake.  We some very amusing fake accounts which do no real harm, for example the ‘Big Sam’ twitter page under West Ham managers Sam Alladyce’s name.  It has over 78,000 followers but sets out in the description that it’s a parody account and not trying to be a real one.

Others are not so harmless and can spread false rumours about if people believe that is is actually that person.  Unless they go to Twitter and get their account verified (with the blue tick on the left of the name) then it is hard to tell.

What Liverpool has done is to list all the accounts they know to be true.  This includes present players (and manager), past players, Fenway Sports Group (the chairman) and LFC TV and web staff.  This way they are acting as the verifiers and can help fans follow their favourite people knowing that they really are them and also others who can supply the latest club news.

This is something that is easy for any club, NGB or company to do.  Have an area on their website where the accounts are listed and you can also set up a Twitter List.  Enabling fans to follow that list rather than having to follow each account individually, providing another useful service to them.  Once it is set up, do ensure you tell people about it.  Expecting people to just stumble across your list is not going to happen.  Publish it, push it out via your Twitter and Facebook accounts, let people know on newsletters and anywhere else may feel appropriate.

If you run a club/business then why not give this a try.  It helps in finding out who within the organisation is on Twitter (useful research exercise) and put a list of your own and let people know it is there.  Easy!