Positive Engagement: Joey Barton's Google+ Hangout

Ladbrokes relegation favourites QPR, is one of the best at using social media for self-promotion. With a Twitter following of over 1.7m, he has captivated and irritated football fans in equal measure, but he took a big step towards engaging with fans by hosting a Hangout on Google Plus. In it, he spoke to fans in both English and French. Many sportspeople are turning to social media in order to communicate with fans as well as boost their brands. In Barton€™s case, social media has been both a blessing and a curse. While on Twitter, he has gained an army of fans who feel there€™s more to him than the €˜bad boy€™ façade he stands behind on the pitch, while others ridicule his quoting of philosophers like Nietzsche and his spats with other famous people like Piers Morgan. Social media has advantages and disadvantages for any athletes, sports teams and sporting bodies. While it allows fans to see what they€™re up to and contact them by asking questions and the like, it has its flaws. By using social media, athletes and teams open themselves up to criticism. Barton is someone who receives a lot of offensive Tweets, and while he refuses to respond to most of them, it can be all too tempting for him to take the offensive Tweeter on. The media often pick up on what happens on Twitter, Facebook et al too, and they sometimes find a news story about it. If sports personalities want to portray themselves as willing to listen to their supporters, they should talk with dignity while also informing and entertain them. Barton, for the most part, has managed to do that via the Google Hangout and through Twitter, while other sportsmen from cricketers to darts players have done the same.