Global fútbol clubs should use every opportunity they have to encourage fans to download their official mobile app.

Fútbol fans around the world are more connected than ever.

FC Barcelona official Facebook page, for example, has received 83 million ‘likes’ while their official Twitter account @FCBarcelona has 14 million followers. The@fcbarcelona account on Instagram is followed by 7 million users.

Similarly, Real Madrid’s official Facebook page has almost 83 million ‘likes’. The “merengues” Twitter account @realmadrid has nearly 14 million followers, and the number of followers on Instagram went from 4.9 million in December of last year to today’s 7 million.

Manchester United’s official Facebook page has received over 65 million ‘likes’, its Twitter account @ManUtd has 4.5 million followers, and 2.7 million users follow the ‘Red Devils’ through their @manchesterunited Instagram account.

However, and according to Google Play, Real Madrid App has been downloaded between 1 and 5 million times, while FC Barcelona’s official mobile applicationFCBWorld has only been downloaded between 500,000 and 1 million times. Manchester United’s official app Manchester United is the one with the least amount of downloads on Google Play: between 100,000 and 500,000.

That’s only about 5% of their social media followers.

This is also true for other global clubs such as Juventus (16.8M likes on Facebook, 1.6M followers on Twitter), Chelsea FC (41.8M likes on Facebook, 5.2M followers on Twitter), AC Milan (24.7M likes on Facebook, 2.4M followers on Twitter), Arsenal FC (32.7M likes on Facebook, 5.4M followers on Twitter), or Atlético de Madrid (10.5M likes on Facebook, 1.4M followers on Twitter).

They have tens of millions of followers on social media but none of the mobile apps have been downloaded more than 500,000 times.

Focusing on Mobile Apps Make Sense

Since we know there are currently 1.91 billion smartphone users across the globe, it is not unreasonable to assume that a significant number of these fans that engage with global fútbol clubs on social media own a smartphone, or very soon will.

Therefore, fútbol clubs should use every opportunity they have to encourage fans to download their official mobile app.

The reason is simple: once fans have downloaded the app, brands will have an ideal platform to promote their products and tell their stories, since they will be able to reach fans 24/7.

Literally.

Here are some key facts when it comes to smartphones and mobile apps:

  • Smartphone users will increase another 12.6% to near 2.16 billion in 2016
  • App usage grew 76% in 2014
  • Mobile apps could hit $70B in revenues by 2017.
  • Mobile usage took over in 2014 (52% vs. desktop)
  • In 2014, mobile ad spending increased by 75%

Fan loyalty, Brand Engagement, and Access

Fútbol clubs enjoy the type of loyalty that brands can only dream about.

Once a fan downloads their favorite fútbol club mobile application, the app is in their phone to stay. And if the app offers products they want, soccer fans will consume.

In fact, according to the 2014 Sports Fan Engagement Study conducted by Catalyst on behalf of Sports Business Journal, “avid soccer fans in the United States are more likely than fans of other sports to engage with brands that are aligned with the sport”. Moreover, 84 percent of soccer fans said that they, in fact, had connected and then taken action with a brand that was involved with the sport.

Last year was the first time in the survey’s history that this question generated an affirmative rate of more than 80 percent among any sport’s fan base.

And this is true for most fútbol fans, regardless of their location in the world.

So, here is my simple advice: clubs and brands unite! Fútbol fans all over the world are more connected than ever.

And they are carrying smartphones, everywhere they go.

Capitalize on it.

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José Miguel's extensive experience in international sports business includes Latin American, European and Asian relationships with influential sports organizations and individual leaders. José Miguel is also a writer and translator. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois.

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