“There is a very clear age divide going on through social media platforms”

Football does inspire a range of emotions, and there’s nothing worse than feeling you’ve been duped by a poor refereeing decision. I follow Truro City FC, and I get that feeling a lot. I know it is hard to believe, but there are video cameras at some of our games. Many is the time that I will swear blind that we have been robbed on the pitch, only to watch the footage later on in the week and realise things weren’t quite as I had seen them in real time. So I would like to formally apologise to the ref at Poole Town a couple of years ago. It wasn’t actually a penalty, after all.

Good job that I don’t take to social media to rant – because quoting something as fact without the whole story is a dangerous thing. That doesn’t seem to stop some racing and rally drivers. Many is the time I have read a post or tweet that later only serves to make that participant look foolish when all the investigations have been completed.

As you have read, there are a whole raft of dos and don’ts when it comes to social media, and there is a very interesting divide going on. The younger competitors seem to actually be much more aware of the drawbacks than some of the longer-in-thetooth racers when it comes to the positive uses for social media and the pitfalls that lie in wait for those who aren’t savvy enough. It is clear that some of the more senior generation believe it is fine to swig a gin and tonic and then get to grips with a keyboard. Ill-tempered posting can be just as dangerous as getting behind the wheel drunk, and they wouldn’t do that...

Of course, a lot of the more established names grew up before social media was key, and therefore either don’t take it seriously or are so well established that they don’t need to populate these platforms as a way of spreading their brand or message.

For the up-and-coming racers and rally drivers, when used properly, it is fast becoming the major tool when spreading the word. It is a lot less labour-intensive than sending out mailshot after mailshot, be that begging for money or keeping fans up to date with the latest activities. And also, it is free, which makes it perfect for those trying to count the pennies. The advice given in this piece is a very good summary of how to engage. It is a message that is being listened to and being learned, which makes social media more powerful than ever...