Social media has fundamentally changed the way we interact with our public at large and, even more, in our sport. What started as an innovative way to approach our target has become an essential tool for marketing, public relations and services. But as easy as social media has made it to connect with our customers and friends, it does come with some drawbacks.

There is no control on social media. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow anyone and everyone to share opinions which makes for interesting conversation, but it can be very dangerous. Social media must be continuously monitored to maintain a positive content.

Cyberbullying can be a problem as people can take advantage of the fact that there is no one who can effectively stop the bullying when it happens, due to everything being performed behind a screen. The only way for a bully to be stopped is by reporting it. Victims may be too intimidated to do so.

Never forget that social-media users have free rein to post whatever they want. This means that satisfied people can leave glowing reviews on your pages, but that unhappy ones can leave angry rants about you in general. Be aware that some of this negative feedback could also come from within your own organisation.

It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain an interactive social media presence. If you have a small team or limited resources, it is sometimes difficult to devote the needed resources to social media.

In our sport we must invest time into social media, in a positive way, to create lasting relationships with followers and educate about our sport, never to damage reputations or hide behind a screen to cyberbully.

Rafael de Santiago
FCI President