Social Media: TSG in the top five for follower growth

It is not only on the pitch that TSG Hoffenheim work hard to achieve success. In its current issue, the magazine SPONSORs paid tribute to the Bundesliga club's media work: in terms of audience growth, the respected magazine listed TSG in fifth place in Germany between August 2021 and January 2022; only four football clubs gained more followers in percentage terms than TSG Hoffenheim during this period. This top-five ranking is a great accomplishment, especially given that, according to SPONSORs, digital channels are "taking on an increasingly important role in the Bundesliga - especially in light of the rapidly changing media behaviour of the young target group".

The significant follower growth rate of 10.7 percent put TSG behind just VfL Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig, SpVgg Greuther Fürth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the European digital rankings. The club gained a particularly large number of new followers on TikTok (from 131,500 to 207,500) and Instagram (359,000 to 369,000). Achieving growth of around 60 percent on the trendy TikTok platform is an outstanding result. But the Instagram growth rate is also remarkable and particularly valuable: according to SPONSORs, the popular photo platform "has now replaced Twitter as the biggest platform for many Bundesliga football clubs". TSG's media department recognised this trend early on and gradually expanded its service and content. As recently as August 2019, the number of followers was 190,000 and has almost doubled since then.

TSG's record figures are no coincidence here; in addition to the club's long-term social media strategy, the additional platforms the club has started to use since the beginning of the Covid pandemic also form an important part of its recent development. TSG Hoffenheim managed to maintain contact with fans, despite the imposed distance, through several campaigns and a complete change in its working approach: "Wir mit Euch" (Us with you) - this is more than just a slogan at TSG Hoffenheim. At the Bundesliga club, the slogan stands for the close connection with the fans and has become a driving force to maintain contact even in difficult times. The social media channels play a key role in this. Holger Kliem, head of TSG's media department, provides insights into the changed way of working in the latest issue of the club magazine SPIELFELD, published on 4 February. "More than one million people follow TSG through our channels. In order to give them virtual access to TSG, especially during the Covid period, when contact and exchange became increasingly difficult, we have once again increased the number of hits in recent months and adapted our offering to suit the target group," says Kliem. "This was accompanied by new formats such as fan evenings with coaches or players via video link, web radio on match day or live streams," explains Kliem, whose department offers news around the clock on more than 15 digital channels 365 days a year, from the youngest academy talents to eSPORTS and the women's and men's Bundesliga teams. "As a basic concept, social networks are a digital meeting place for people to make and maintain contacts, share interests and discuss. This is exactly why we are constantly developing our digital channels. We don't see them as a one-way street where we send out our information. Above all, they also serve to engage in an exchange with fans and people who are interested in TSG."

The SPONSORs ranking proves that this exchange is proving to be a success.