Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ISSN(print): 2643-9840, ISSN(online): 2643-9875 Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 DOI: 10.47191/ijmra/v8-i12-36, Impact Factor: 8.266 Page No. 6892-6898 IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 6892 Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia Catur Supriyanto1*, Gigih Siantoro1, Aghus Sifaq1, Nur Ahmad Arief1, Made Pramono1, Apip Dwi Cahyono1, Fitri Fatimah Patmana Putri1, Ardima Rama Putra1, Dewangga Yudhistira1 1Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia Corresponding Author: Catur Supriyanto ABSTRACT: This study examines the social media management strategies employed by sports clubs (basketball, football, volleyball) in Indonesia, specifically regarding the comprehension of material kinds that captivate fans and the influence of social media on fan loyalty and engagement. Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, Data were gathered via a poll of 50 supporters and conversations with five sports club managers. The Likert scale questionnaire, ranging from 1 to 5, serves as a metric for fan engagement. At the same time, interviews provide qualitative analysis of content strategy insights and the obstacles clubs encounter in social media management. The integration of quantitative and qualitative findings indicates that information, including match highlights, athlete activities and daily life, and athlete engagement through quizzes, significantly enhances the interaction of sports club fans. Enhancing engagement on social media, such as fostering loyalty, is crucial. Nonetheless, the challenge for social media managers in clubs is the consistency and relevance of material, an issue that should not be regarded as insignificant. Social media serves as a tool to enhance the engagement and allegiance of sports team supporters in Indonesia. Nonetheless, efficacy is contingent upon strategic content management and sustained engagement. Clubs can tailor material to align with their supporters' interests and provide consistent, pertinent updates to cultivate enduring images and relationships. Future research must investigate a wider array of sports, focusing on the demographic and cultural dimensions of social media interaction within sports clubs in Indonesia. KEYWORDS: Sports management, social media, increasing engagement, sports game fans I. INTRODUCTION The development of social media technology has become a powerful communication tool today. Certain groups use social media, and sports club organizations depend on social media for communication. Social media plays an essential role in club and fan interaction, in addition to increasing engagement as a key part of current sports marketing. The use of social media is an exceptional opportunity to build relationships images and provide positive impacts (Barreda et al., 2020) In Indonesia, sports have experienced an increase in the use of social media (Code, 2018). Sports clubs such as football, basketball, volleyball, and other sports are increasingly at the forefront of utilizing social media such as TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms (Andreski, 2022). Each platform provides uniqueness and differences, offering feature capabilities and allowing sports clubs to interact with fans. In addition, it includes education about team development and promotes specific merchandise and events (Grand et al., 2016). In this regard, social media is a means of communication and is very effective in building closeness between fans and clubs (Thompson et al., 2018). Effective social media management is essential to achieve this goal. In the sports context, planned strategies include content preparation, platform selection, and optimal timing for fan interaction (Kaushik et al., 2025). An important thing in social media management is to improve fan engagement, namely the interaction between the club and fans through likes, shares, comments, and other interactions. The better the engagement, the stronger the relationship between fans and the club, which can increase support and loyalty (Pradhan et al., 2020). Fans widely love sports such as volleyball, soccer, and basketball. However, there are unique dynamics in social media management: different fan bases, other types of audiences, and various communication styles (Javani & Abdel-Milaji, 2021). Of course, the social media strategy implemented by sports clubs must be adjusted to the fans of the sport. In Indonesian football, it Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 6893 is more like showing match review content, interviews with players, and the latest news about the tournaments in which they participate. However, volleyball and basketball focus more on content that involves fans, such as quizzes or online games that increase the number of fans. An optimal social media strategy will encourage more interaction with the content shared by the club through comments, likes, and various information from friends. This has a positive effect in increasing popularity, thus influencing the potential for sponsorship in match ticket sales (Dilip Barve, 2023). The success of social media in increasing engagement can be seen in big clubs such as Manchester United or Barcelona. The club effectively plays social media as a product, thus maintaining close relationships with fans worldwide. Although the potential offered by social media is very positive, there are still sports clubs in Indonesia that are experiencing challenges in managing social media strategies. This is related to the understanding of the importance of sustainable engagement, the selection of inappropriate platforms, and the use of irrelevant content (Kleinberg et al., 2024). Often, it becomes an obstacle to increasing fan engagement. It is essential to analyze how sports clubs in Indonesia, especially game sports such as volleyball, basketball, and football, manage social media and what strategies are implemented to improve more effective fan engagement. Seeing this phenomenon based on an observational perspective, the author strengthens it with several literature studies, such as studies from Milla et al. discussing video content in social media engagement such as Facebook and Instagram (Milla et al., 2020), Primorac et al. discussing social and demographic factors on fan engagement with sports clubs through social media (Primorac, 2024), Vale & Fernandes discussing football fan engagement via Facebook (Vale & Fernandes, 2018), Hussain & Naz debating the use of content in engagement on Instagram (Vale & Fernandes, 2018) Lopez discussing football club management strategies in various countries (López-carril, 2023). However, some literature is very relevant to the author's study. However, there are still some research gaps, such as focusing more on European elite football clubs(López-carril, 2023; Vale & Fernandes, 2018), so it is less relevant to game sports clubs in Indonesia. Although some platforms are used, they are still focused on general marketing and have not discussed specific types of sports (Hussain & Naz, 2022).. Then, concentrating on socio-demographics with limited results, such as basketball, football, and handball (Primorac, 2024), limits generalization for clubs in Indonesia, which may have different characteristics. Furthermore, although it covers more platforms, it focuses more on general marketing and has not discussed specific types of sports, such as game sports (Milla et al., 2020). Based on observational perspectives and literature reviews, there is a research gap, so the author will provide a solution by reviewing social media management strategies for improving fan engagement in sports clubs in Indonesia. It is essential to provide new insights into how sports clubs in Indonesia can utilize effective social media and find factors that influence fan engagement on social media. In addition, this study provides the potential to develop more relevant social media management strategies in sports clubs in Indonesia to increase sympathizers, loyalty, and ongoing active involvement. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Design and Participants The research method is a mix of quantitative and qualitative. The results obtained from the quantitative and qualitative methods are in the form of numbers and narratives that complement each other and strengthen the conclusions so that understanding the phenomenon being studied will be more profound (Rohmah et al., 2024). Respondents were 50 game sports fans and social media managers at game sports clubs, who used total sampling techniques. In contrast, informants, namely five social media managers at game sports clubs, included basketball, volleyball, and football. This research was conducted from January to March 2025. First, the researcher will conduct quantitative research by distributing questionnaires, then continue with qualitative research using interviews. Data Collection Techniques Quantitatively, we will take perspective data from sports fans about how social media strategies improve sports club fan engagement through distributing questionnaires. The statements are (1) I often see club post content on social media, (2) I often like club posts, (3) I often leave comments on club posts, (4) the content is relevant to my interests, (5) I feel closer to the sports club after following on social media, (6) prefer content that contains match highlights, (7) prefer showing the lives of players outside the match, (8) prefer content that involves fans such as quizzes or polls, (9) social is more interesting for watching matches, (10) I am more loyal to the club because of interactions on social media, (11) overall I feel the club has succeeded in using social media to interact with fans. The questions have previously been tested for validity and reliability. The questionnaire with a Likert scale of 1-5, (1 strongly disagree), (2 disagree), (3 neutral), (4 agree), (5 strongly agree). Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 6894 Qualitatively, the data collection technique used semi-structured interviews with questions including (1) what is the club's goal in using social media, (2) what types of content are effective in attracting attention, (3) how does the club measure the success of the content, (4) what are the biggest challenges in managing the club, (5) what content is often viewed on social media, (6) how often do you interact with the content posted, (7) does social media make you closer to the team. The interviewer actively participated by reflecting on values to convince the informant. It is essential to explore awareness and transparency to answer what the researcher asked. The research team reviewed the interview transcripts to check for unasked questions and collected data with tap records. Data Analysis Techniques Quantitatively, data analysis is calculated using the SPSS application to present the average, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation values, then considering the Likert scale categorization with percentage analysis assisted by the P formula. Qualitatively, thematic analysis includes (1) familiarization with the data, namely the author reads the entire interview transcript; (2) compiling codes, namely providing codes for the appropriate transcript sections; (3) grouping themes, the author will group the appropriate themes, (4) checking themes, the author will review the themes to support the data, (5) defining themes, the author will write the interview results in each code that has been compiled, (6) compiling reports and implications found. III. RESULTS Quantitative Analysis Results Table 1. Results of descriptive statistical analysis Question Mean Min Max Std. Dev P1 3.85 2 18 5,494 P2 3.87 1 19 5.151 P3 3.8 1 19 5.036 P4 4.0 2 24 4.184 P5 4.10 0 25 4.125 P6 4.0 2 22 4.220 P7 4.0 1 22 4,761 P8 4.10 1 18 4.394 P9 4.0 1 21 4.625 P10 3.87 0 23 4,792 P11 3.8 1 20 4.462 Based on the results of the descriptive analysis, although the mean value of each question is relatively consistent, there is quite significant variation in both the minimum and maximum values, which indicates differences in the views of the research participants. Participation in the Use of Sports Clubs on Social Media. Table 2. Results of the percentage of interactions with content clubs Question Percentage Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree P1 3% 9% 20% 36% 32% P2 1% 5% 25% 38% 30% P3 2% 4% 26% 38% 30% P4 1% 2% 19% 47% 31% P5 1% 2% 16% 49% 32% Based on the survey results regarding interaction with sports club content, it can be explained that respondents showed good involvement. When asked how often they see club posts on social media, 36% agreed, 32% strongly agreed, only 3% and 9% answered disagree and strongly disagree. In this case, a small number of respondents were not involved in the club. Regarding interactions such as likes, 38% agreed, and 30% strongly agreed, while 25% stated neutral, and 1% disagreed. This shows that respondents habitually support by liking interesting and relevant posts. Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 6895 Regarding interactions such as comments, 38% stated that they strongly agree, 38% agree, 25% are neutral, 4% disagree, and 2% strongly disagree. This indicates that although likes are more common, many also provide comments as a form of participation. The content that is widely posted looks relevant to the majority's interests; as many as 47% stated that they agree, 31% strongly agree, 19% are neutral, 2% disagree, and 1% strongly disagree. This indicates that most of the content is assessed according to the preferences of sports game fans. Finally, about social relations, 49% stated strongly agree, and 32% agreed, which means respondents feel more with the club after following the club on social media. Small is neutral 19%, disagree 2%, and strongly disagree 1&. These results show that social media is essential to create emotional closeness between fans and the club. Overall, the data explains that social media significantly influences participation, closeness, and involvement between sports fans and the club, with a high level of active participation in providing comments, likes, and emotional intimacy. User Preferences for Sports Club Content Types Table 3. Percentage results of interesting content types Question Percentage Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree P6 1% 2% 19% 45% 33% P7 3% 5% 17% 43% 32% P8 2% 3% 25% 35% 35% Based on the survey results related to the type of content preferred by fans, the first tendency is to contain competition and match highlights; 45% agree, 33% strongly agree, and 19% are neutral; the rest disagree and strongly disagree. This shows a relatively large attraction when content on social media is related to match highlights. Then, related to content that explains players' lives outside the match, 43% agree, 32% strongly agree, 17% are neutral, and the rest disagree and agree. In this case, most of them desire to be closer to the fans of the player icon in a club. Finally, related content that involves fans, such as questions or quizzes, is also one of the attractions; namely, 35% agree, 35% strongly agree, 25% are neutral, and the rest disagree and strongly disagree. This shows that active fan participation in quizzes and questions is in great demand to create direct involvement by the club and the match. The Role of Social Media in Club Fan Loyalty and Interaction Table 4. Results of the percentage of social media on loyalty and interaction Question Percentage Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree P9 20% 30% 10% 20% 20% P10 20% 40% 10% 10% 20% P11 0% 5% 0% 50% 45% Based on the survey results on the influence of social media, several findings vary; first, about watching matches through social media, 20% agreed and strongly agreed, 10% were neutral, 30% disagreed, and 20% strongly disagreed. This indicates that watching matches on social media and watching live can be said to be balanced, but what needs to be seen is that 30% of respondents disagreed, meaning that respondents prefer to watch matches live; this is possible because they can feel emotions such as joy and euphoria of the game. Then, about loyalty to the club caused by interactions on social media, 10% agreed, 20% strongly agreed, and 10% were neutral; this shows that social media interactions are essential for building loyalty, but 40% disagreed, and 20% strongly disagreed, it is possible that loyalty and interaction are not only built on social media but can be connected to the community directly or meet somewhere. Social media has a tangible impact on the loyalty and interaction of sports game fans. Finally, related to the effectiveness of social media users, 45% agreed, 50% strongly agreed, and 0% were neutral; this shows that sports game fans communicate through social media. While 5% disagreed and 0% strongly disagreed. Overall, social media not only attracts attention but provides essential benefits to improve communication loyalty, communication and ensure effective interaction between the club and fans of the sports game. Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 6896 Qualitative Analysis Results Theme 1: Purpose of Using Social Media Social Media Manager: "In this regard, the goal is to expand the reach of fans and establish more loyal and faithful connections, thus increasing awareness of our club." "In addition, we aim to reach new fans focused on a younger age group and more active on social media." Theme 2: Types of Interesting Content Social Media Manager: "Match highlights and dramatic moments prove they attract fans' attention." "In addition, we see good enthusiasm when content that involves fans such as quizzes and field practice, thus providing direct participation in the match event." Sports Fans: "I enjoy it when the content contains spectacular beautiful goals, smashes, and hard shots in the match." "I also like it when I see the match committee interviewing our field idols; this gives a harmonious and friendly impression." "In addition, we can also dig deeper into the lives of these athletes." Theme 3: Content Success Social Media Manager: "Content creators measure based on engagement levels such as the number of comments, likes, and shares on social media such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Then, we monitor the increase in the number of followers and how often fans share on our platform". "If there is a spike in interaction, such as a particular post, it can be identified that the content is successful." Theme 4: Challenges faced Social Media Manager: "The most obvious challenge is that the compiled content must be consistent, know when to upload it, and how to make it interesting." "The compiled content must be relevant to our fans." "Then, it is necessary to ensure that with the many different platforms, the content that will be posted is adjusted to the audience, and often requires a lot of resources and time." Theme 5: Fan interaction and engagement Sports Fans: "In our opinion, we often interact on social media by giving likes, and every time a shared post is interesting, we comment on the platform; sometimes, we also share it with our friends via social media or other communication tools." "Yes, of course, through social media, we feel very close and connected to the club we idolize." "We can see how the individual players or teams are playing, or many personal moments and behind the scenes of the match." IV. DISCUSSION The purpose of this study is to conduct an exploratory analysis of social media management strategies implemented in sports clubs, namely football, volleyball, and basketball, to increase the engagement of sports fans. The results of the quantitative analysis showed that most respondents had more emotions with their idolized clubs after following their social media platforms, then showed high active participation with the content that had been posted. This can be seen in fans' liking, leaving comments, and sharing with other social media users. In addition, the statement that social media has a crucial role in increasing loyalty and active involvement by club fans. In addition, qualitatively, it was explained that the club's primary purpose of using social media is to expand fan interaction and network and increase club awareness and strong connections. Social media managers identify types of content such as interesting things like match highlights and content involving fans, such as giving quizzes and so on, which are very effective in attracting game sports fans. Although there are positive impacts, there are challenges, namely that club social media managers must ensure the consistency of content and the relevance of the content to be shared so that a good strategy is still needed to get maximum results. Concerning this, a new research focuses on sports clubs in Indonesia. So far, research on this theme has not received much attention. Existing studies, as explained in the introduction, are still focused on the sport of football and more on social media analysis in general rather than sports. In addition, it offers a new nuance and understanding of how sports clubs in Indonesia can use social media as an effective marketing technique. Then, it can look for factors influencing fan engagement on social media. Another effect that can be felt in creating a social media management strategy and increasing loyalty and active fan involvement is related to strengthening relations and building a public image. This research also has the potential to increase ticket and merchandise sales through interaction and participation in social media. On the other hand, in the digital world, if you do not apply the sophistication of social media, it will undoubtedly be challenging to build a club image and fan loyalty. If there is no strategy, it is possible that you will not be able to create a strong relationship with fans, and it is possible to lose popularity, and income will be reduced. Several relevant studies state as follows: optimizing platforms such as Facebook can strengthen fan engagement by providing entertainment, information and creating emotional bonds between fans and their idol teams (Vale & Fernandes, 2018) , exploring Social Media Management Strategy in Increasing Fan Engagement of Sports Gaming Clubs in Indonesia IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 6897 the use of social media Twitter for sports can create engagement and motivation because providing entertainment, information and fanaticism is the first factor this insight can help sports clubs in adjusting social media content to strengthen the relationship between clubs and fans (Dalen & Seippel, 2021; Witkemper et al., 2012).. Nisar et al. examined how clubs use social media to increase audience interest and interactivity; the results were that the use of the Facebook platform increased fan engagement (Nisar et al., 2018); in addition, the role of social media can build togetherness and cooperation between fans, then critical in marketing strategies that aim to increase active involvement for fans (Thorpe, 2016). The manager's strategy for marketing through social media is the right thing, like increasing revenue, and it is important to have structured social media management to improve sports fans' performance and involvement (Rothschild, 2011). Of course, not only that, the use of social media in a programmed manner can create a more personal relationship between sports fans, but it is also a reference for sports clubs in managing their image through social media (Green, 2015). In response to the above study, it is essential to note that success in building sports game fan engagement through social media is about providing engaging content and how clubs can interact with fans. Social media offers opportunities for clubs to interact with fanaticism, as well as establish two-way communication. Namely, fans can express themselves. In addition, they can share experiences, establish interactions, and create a sense of belonging to increase loyalty to each other. On the other hand, well-organized social media not only influences emotions but also generates financial benefits for the club. Through social media, clubs can brand and market products, promote sponsors, and increase merchandise and ticket sales. Therefore, social media is an effective instrument for increasing the involvement of sports game fans. However, strengthening the club's finances shows that managed social media is a good investment for the success of a sports club. The hope for the future is that sports clubs in Indonesia will be aware of exploring the great potential of social media in increasing sports fan engagement. Structured management and optimal use of platforms will have a tangible impact on the club. Clubs must innovate and create quality and engaging content while building sustainable loyalty. In this case, social media applications for sports clubs are for marketing and building a strong community and brotherhood. Therefore, club managers must pay special attention to understanding the characteristics of fans and adjusting social media strategies to the motivations and needs of fans. In addition, further research should not only explore social media on the engagement of sports club fans in Indonesia. Still, it can also explore sports globally, taking into account factors such as demographics and culture to enrich scientific studies academically and practically. It can also be a basis for how social media strategies can benefit clubs and sports fans. V. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that a social media management strategy is essential to increase the engagement of sports club fans in Indonesia. The findings obtained are exciting types of content: match highlights, daily content, athlete activities, and interactive activities such as quizzes involving sports fans. Social media functions as a communication instrument and has a role in building fan image and loyalty. However, the challenge faced is how social media managers in clubs can be consistent in managing content and relevance to target fans. Therefore, a planned strategy is needed to ensure that social media is utilized optimally in the long term to strengthen club finances and improve management. Then, this study contributes to sports clubs, which is different from other studies, such as focusing only on one sport. Of course, to expand the study, further research is needed to add elements such as demographics and local cultural contexts that may influence social media strategies in Indonesia. Hopefully, sports clubs in Indonesia will be more optimal in utilizing social media as an effective marketing and communication strategy. Of course, it can increase loyalty and interaction between clubs and sports fans. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to thank the participants in this research, as well as the State University of Surabaya agencies, for their assistance and permission to complete this research successfully. REFERENCES 1) Andreski, G. (2022). Game Changer: Identifying the Relationships between Teams’ and Leagues’ Social Media Presence on Fan Behavior and Engagement: Initial Study and Directions for Future Research. 1–47. 2) Barreda, A. A., Nusair, K., Wang, Y., Okumus, F., & Bilgihan, A. (2020). 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