Despite being relegated from the Super League at the end of last season, Hull KR have been ranked top of the fourth annual 146-team Sport Social Media Index which grades British professional football, rugby and cricket teams according to performance by their official club channels.
Hull KR climbed from 29th last year to take the top spot, scoring an impressive 75.5 out of a possible 100, narrowly nudging Sheffield Wednesday (75.25) into second. Data for the Sport Social Media Index was analysed up to 1st September, 2016.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club is the first cricket team to secure a position in the top ten of the overall league table, ranking 6th this year, up from 128th the previous year.
Scottish Premiership side Ross County continued its impressive rise, climbing to 18th this year, up from 75th last year and having being bottom in both 2013 and 2014.
The annual Index is compiled by measuring the social media performance of each team based, not just on an algorithm, but research from a team who looked at eight social media networks.
Four months in the making, the data was then analysed by a panel of three judges who presided over the final results, creating a league table which benchmarks social media success among professional British sports teams.
The Index, produced by social media agency Umpf – and partnered once again by William Hill – includes an overall table of all 146 teams ranked top to bottom, plus nine additional tables showing rankings based on each sporting league.
Rachel Clayton from Umpf, one of the Sport Social Media Index judges, said: “Hull KR achieved an excellent quantitative data score, largely due to high levels of on-page engagements in relation to the size of their social community.
“They demonstrated a tailored approach to both social media asset design and channel-specific content and produced excellent behind-the-scenes footage, such as exclusive Snapchat content. They are well-deserved winners of this year’s overall table.”
Michael Sheehan, Head of Social Media at William Hill, added: “Hull KR are a shining example of great community management. Through tailoring their content across all platforms, they have gained huge engagement scores when you consider the size of their communities.
“They clearly resonate with the local community and deliver more than just club news for their fans. They also engage with the local community both online and offline. A well-deserved winner of this year’s Index and great example for other clubs to follow.”
