News aggregators on twitter will be a familiar site to most football fans these days, but back in 2014, @utdreport started the trend with a holiday hobby that turned into a full time job.
Manchester United supporters now flock in their thousands to check the latest transfer news, manager quotes, and match coverage from utdreport – a must-follow for Red Devils fans as they seek their 24/7 fix of all things Man Utd.
We spoke to the man behind the account – Elliott Gembler – to find out a bit more about running one of the most successful United pages on social media, and what it takes to stand out in a competitive field when so many others also want to cover one of the biggest clubs in world football.
Firstly, tell us a bit about how utdreport started…
utdreport began in 2014, whilst I was on holiday and very bored. I started a Twitter account to cure my boredom, with no expectations of what it could become. The account grew very quickly which motivated me to continue upping the standards day by day.
What do you think has made the account so successful?
I believe, at the time, there was a gap in the market for a Manchester United account which aggregated every inch of news relating to the club. The goal was to put all the news in one place, making it easier for fans on social media to keep up to date. I also love visualising ideas I have, and work with a number of graphic designers to create eye-catching content for the different social channels. Those pieces always go down well!
What’s a typical day like running the account?
Grab a coffee and get to work! I usually start by skimming through national and international newspaper columns, as well as any online sites which provide news about Manchester United. A surprising amount of news drops during the night and early morning so there is potential for some significant coverage as soon as I wake up!
What’s been your biggest day on Utd Twitter whilst running the account?
When the news broke that Cristiano Ronaldo was in-fact re-joining Manchester United, instead of Manchester City. The biggest player of all time combined with arguably the biggest football club in the world = match made in social heaven. We gained over 50,000 followers on Twitter in less than 24 hours. The news helped us gained over 530 million impressions during that month – our most ever.
How has your experience of running the account changed over the years?
With more competition coming into play since launch, I’ve had to adjust. I’ve worked on my copywriting skills and made sure I’m on the ball to provide 700,000+ followers with accurate and quick news. There’s not much time to dither when news breaks, and there’s definitely not much room for mistakes. I do research into recent trends and incorporate them into the content I post. Going the extra mile always helps the potential to come out on top in the busy landscape of social media news accounts.
Now that we’ve secured investment from Rocket Sports Internet, I’ve also got the support I need to continue to grow the account.
And finally, do any of the club’s players follow you?
A few of the players follow us, including Luke Shaw, Facundo Pellistri and Joe Hugill. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer used to follow us before he deactivated his account not long after he became manager. Former United players Chris Smalling, Norman Whiteside and Lou Macari also follow the account.