5. Lessons learned
The lessons learned from this research extend beyond the sports arena. Although our study focused on soccer players, the insights regarding social media and performance are relevant for general management (Korzynski, 2014). A large number of firms hire star CEOs with media coverage similar to that of sports stars. Our study opens the path to study the success of people such as Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, and Bill Gates, who engage constantly with social media. Sports managers, SEOs, media advisers, and stars themselves profit from the insights of this study. Excellence in sports is a necessary condition to negotiate a successful contract, but it is not the only ingredient for a recipe for success. In addition to a particular athletic skillset, sports stars need to use the powers of SM to maximize their market value: first by sharing with their fans some details of their private lives (power of informing); second by motivating discussions with fans and other players (power of interaction); third by posting regular and inspiring personal updates on SM using text, graphic, and video content (power of inspiring). Social media is also an excellent investment for retirement.
