FC Barcelona emerged as the undisputed leader in social media interactions in 2018, surpassing even their fiercest rivals, Real Madrid. The club’s dominance spanned across multiple platforms, showcasing their global influence.
According to data from CrowdTangle, Barca achieved over one billion interactions across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, setting a benchmark in the digital landscape.
FC Barcelona’s Dominance on Social Media
In 2018, FC Barcelona topped the social media interaction charts, surpassing one billion interactions. The club led on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, showing their digital prowess.
Over the year, Barca had a total of 1.189 billion interactions on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, according to data from CrowdTangle. This achievement made them the only sports club to hit this milestone in 2018.
Instagram Success
Barca’s success on Instagram was significant, with 989 million interactions—30 million more than the previous year. They surpassed major clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Their Instagram account saw remarkable growth, gaining 9 million more followers, reaching a total of 66 million followers, and achieving 873 million video views in 2018, a 245% increase from 2017.
Twitter Engagement
On Twitter, Barca continued to excel, being the number one football club in the world with 70 million interactions in 2018. This was nearly double the interactions from the previous year.
Barca’s dominance on Twitter extended across nine different language accounts, including English, Spanish, Catalan, and more, showcasing their global reach.
Their engagement figures outperformed rivals such as Real Madrid, which had 47 million interactions, and Liverpool, with 46 million interactions.
Performance on Facebook
Facebook was another platform where Barca shone brightly. Although they ranked second, their interactions soared to 130 million, close behind the leaders who had 146.77 million interactions.
Barca’s strategic focus on video content paid off, with their videos gaining significant traction on Facebook, surpassing one trillion views.
YouTube Leadership
Barca’s YouTube channel was the most viewed among football clubs in 2018, with 271 million views, far ahead of the second-place Liverpool, which had 132 million views.
Strategic Video Content
The club’s approach to YouTube content included new formats and streaming videos focused on the first team’s matches, which drove their impressive viewership numbers.
Barca’s innovative strategy not only led to high views but also boosted their subscriber count to 5.8 million, making them the leader in this area as well.
Comparison with Real Madrid
While Real Madrid also had a strong social media presence, they lagged behind Barca in various metrics. On Instagram, they had 703 million interactions, significantly lower than Barca’s 989 million.
Real Madrid’s YouTube views in 2018 stood at 104 million, less than half of Barca’s total views, underscoring Barca’s dominance in video content.
In summary, FC Barcelona’s unparalleled success on social media in 2018 was a testament to their strategic use of digital platforms. Their impressive numbers on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube highlighted their dominance.
While Real Madrid maintained a strong presence, they were clearly outpaced by Barca’s innovative approaches and widespread engagement, cementing Barca’s position at the top of the social media league.