A single idea

Mercedes Hit It with Fans

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Mercedes AMG F1 thank you to the fans header image from Twitter

@MercerdesAMGF1 Hit One Million Followers

This exceptional team – and I mean their social one – have hit a milestone today: one million followers on Twitter. The figure is astonishing, leaving McLaren (859k), Red Bull (arguably the team that should be leading the field (721k)), and Ferrari (978k) wondering how they’ve been outdone by the Silver Arrows in what is little over a year of exceptional marketing.

Number of Twitter Followers for F1 Teams

#BestFans

Arguably, it is the way they always engage with and are gracious towards their fans. It’s no small feat to instil such passion that followers are changing their header images to Mercedes’ own.
The social planning is far reaching: all their channels operate as one, with careful voicing to match the individual demographics. Take a glance at Instagram (218k followers) and Facebook (9.4m likes) and remember that this isn’t an exercise in brand affinity – they have separate accounts for their other commercial and sporting arms.
So what is it? Is it the Lewis factor? Perhaps it was the whole battle of Rosberg/Hamilton in 2014? Maybe. Personally, I think it’s just down to a lot of hard graft in the offices and in the field. Having a strong team of people generating content and driving conversation is vital to growing and keeping a following on Twitter. In the period 18th January 2015 to 16th February 2015, Mercedes AMG F1 were mentioned 27,600 times, compared with a mere 11,200 for Red Bull Racing.
But what about McLaren, you cry! They had 44,600 mentions in the same period, you point out. I agree; that’s a lot. So why haven’t they achieved the retention? Quality of content and tone of voice. There is something so mechanical about them, and it’s sad to say as a McLaren fan (sorry, JB). They don’t hashtag enough, refer to fans as “folks” (is that really the voice of an MP4-30 driver?), and are, dare I say, a little too conservative. I just can’t see Ron ever exuding the charm that Toto does, and social channel creativity starts with a bit of charm.

Follower growth for Big 4 F1 Teams

Are the fans drying up, though? Certainly, if the last month’s data is to go by, they are slowing down. The other big three teams are ramping up activity, seeing Red Bull Racing attracting almost 50,000 new followers in the same period Mercedes enticed a mere 20,000 odd. Perhaps they should let me loose with a Pinterest board for them? Honestly, if you’re on the AMG F1 social team and reading this, then you’re missing a huge female fanbase..!

My big tip for F1 Twitter accounts this year? Watch out for Williams! Claire may just turn out to be the social winner in the 2015 season. Her interviews are as technically sound as Christian Horner’s and we started to see a bit of the Wolff’s charm as the successes built. Here’s hoping their social strategy capitalises on it without hesitation.

To learn more about how AJA can help with digital marketing contact Tom or John on 01305 260606.