Social success for the Otters

Social media is a part of life and football that will only get stronger as time goes by.

Embracing the phenomenon has been a cornerstone to the success of Ottery St Mary Football club.

The Otters use all social media platforms to keep players engaged, supporters informed and the community enthused with events at Washbrook Meadows.

“A football club should not just be about what happens on the pitch, it is a community experience,” said Otters Chairman Mikey Ringer.

“A vibrant social media keeps people interested, lets them know what is happening.

“We are active on all platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, plus a Youtube channel that we’ve started.

“It is the way we are able to share our success with others.

“If people are not able to attend games or even just want to keep up with the news, social media allows us to spread the message.

“The Sidmouth Herald has also been a big help, especially for the older generation, allowing us to connect with people.

“For the players, it is about being part of the Ottery family and knowing the club cares about them.

“A lot of other clubs don’t use social media in the same way and all the things we do comes from experiences we’ve had in the past.

“We aim for the highest level possible, while always retaining that connection with the community.

“We’ve got a long-term plan in place and interaction on social media is part of that project.

“It is a platform that the world is using, it is how you quickly relay information and keep people engaged.

“Our hub is the Facebook page, everything else springs from that.

“Twitter is our match-day feed, Instagram brings fun pictures and videos, and Youtube is just starting for us to look back on previous footage.

“We use social media to keep people involved and the players love sending in stuff.

“If you visit our Facebook page, we run a series called ‘Well, I didn’t know that’.

“It is a bit of fun with the players, getting them to answer questions and I know people enjoy reading the regular updates.

“Social media is our way of staying connected, especially during these strange times.”