Football is one of, if not the most popular sport in the world, it is watched, supported, played and talked about by adults and children in all corners of the globe. Many people choose to support and follow a specific team, in the past this was often the club that played in their local area as well as the countries national team, but with the influence of worldwide media and television coverage people are choosing to diversify and support clubs from leagues around the world.  With this changing support there has been an increasing demand for purchasing official football shirts from not only local teams, but also international league clubs and worldwide national teams. With this changing dynamic there has also been a change in the buying habits of consumers, over the last five years Manchester United and Real Madrid have sold approximately 4 million replica tops, many of these have not been bought in high street stores but ordered online.

About two thirds of the worlds population have internet access, in the UK alone 43 million people are now online at home, and research has shown that over 85% of people use their internet connection to shop online. Over recent years the biggest sector of growth for online purchases was the clothing industry including football shirts, but what influences consumers to order from specific online stores. Along with the increasing phenomenon of shopping online people are increasingly connecting with friends and family online using social media sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Approximately 50% of American adults have a Facebook account, Google+ is the second most popular and Twitter third. Many businesses have seen the potential to reach a large audience by using social media as part of their business advertising.

For a great many years, long before the advent of the internet most businesses would have stated 'word of mouth' to be one of the most successful tools for generating new business. Today people are chatting online, and sharing posts, news or You Tube videos via social networking sites, therefore using these sites to promote a business or product is a great way of increasing 'word of mouth'. Soccerbox along with many other online companies write interesting and topical blogs that they share with their followers on social media sites, this is promoting the company and encouraging potential customers to engage and comment, and most importantly share the posts with their friends to create a domino effect, whereby hopefully you can reach a wide audience of interested potential customers. Rakuten an e-commerce marketplace has stated that 45% of people recommend and share product information with their contacts on social media sites.

Statistics for sales resulting from social media exposure are difficult to calculate however one company who surveyed 300,00 adults found that social media advertising influenced 18% of participants to visit a website. It has always been a known fact that repeat exposure to a product or company can influence buying habits, so by advertising official football shirts on social media sites repeatedly you are creating a brand awareness that will potentially influence future custom, by placing your company name within a persons mind. If people are interested in what you have got to say regarding their favourite football team they may comment and hopefully share the post with their friends who are then also being exposed to the company and may make future purchases. Social media also allows you to engage with potential consumers by offering incentives or competitions, by encouraging people to click through and visit the site, traffic and hopefully custom will also increase. Social media is growing phenomenon that will surely further influence the buying habits of football merchandise and other products in the years to come.

Do you share posts and comment on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter advertising posts?

Have you made an online purchase after following a link from a social network?

Check out the Soccerbox Twitter page https://twitter.com/soccerboxcom and buy your football shirts online today.