LUFC Finally Getting To Grips With Social Media? TSS December 6, 2011 Leeds United 17 Comments It seems Leeds United may – at long last – be getting to grips with the 21st century, starting with the launch of a YouTube channel. The first video on the official Leeds United YouTube channel is the Gary Speed tribute shown at Elland Road this weekend. Pure speculation here on my part, but one suspects the channel will be used to promote LUTV from here on out, and possibly contain the news updates seen on the official site. The move follows a heated debate between fans and Paul Bell on Twitter. Fans criticised the club, via Bell, for the poor state of the clubs official site, highlighting the lack of a social media presence as a particular concern. Fans cited Manchester City’s website as an example of what a 21st century professional football club could (and should) be aiming at. The new Man City site, like most of the bigger clubs, gives fans various opportunities to get involved with their own dedicated section. But it was Manchester City’s Facebook and Twitter presence that drew the most plaudits with the club using social network features to both interact with fans, and post news their supporters may be interested in, as well as updates during their matches. It seemed for a while that Leeds United had simply failed to see the benefits of a social media presence, both in terms of interacting with customers and the marketing benefits they can yield. Every big business, and most football clubs, have been taking advantage of social media to grab peoples attention and boost their customer base for many years now. It’s a proven strategy that has spawned new businesses dedicated to getting your brand noticed within the world of social media. Yet despite proven success for companies and football clubs alike, Leeds United have been incredibly slow on the uptake. How does a club expect to attract younger supporters when they have no presence on services today’s youth spend 90% of their lives on? Leeds United have been out-of-step with an entire generation for the last decade almost, and that’s noticeable on match days where the percentage of younger fans seems to have dwindled. Let’s hope the YouTube launch is merely the beginnings of a modern Leeds United FC, more in touch with the modern football supporter.