Manchester United takes Twitter by storm

Reigning English Premier League champion Manchester United, one of the best known sports franchises in the world, is no stranger to success.

Whether on the field where the club consistently stocks its trophy case, or off the field where United jerseys are seen on fans around the globe, the team tends to do things with a bang. And the Red Devils’ recent launch of its official Twitter account has been no exception.

Thanks to an aggressive and successful Twitter strategy,

Manchester United (@ManUtd) has racked up nearly half a million followers less than a week after joining Twitter.

Their first tweet went live at 8:30 a.m. UK time on July 10, acknowledging the new era under new manager David Moyes, who this season replaces the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.

Since then, the team has given followers a steady diet of inside access as it embarked on a pre-season trip to Asia and then Australia. The official hashtag the club will use is #MUFC, but for Tweets about the pre-season tour specifically, the club has used #mutour.

To grow its follower base and engagement, the team has already used several very prominent Twitter strategies in its first week.

Breaking official news on Twitter

The team released news of the injury to one of its top stars, striker Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney), in a July 11 Tweet.

Player Q&As

Longtime United star Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) hosted a Q&A with supporters on July 16, taking questions ranging from his workout regimen to life under new manager David Moyes. The hashtag #AskRio was mentioned nearly 30,000 times in less than a day.

Behind-the-scenes photos

Sharing behind-the-scenes photos, like this one of the media attention the team garnered on a pre-season trip to Thailand, was a great way to give followers exclusive sneak peeks.

Share press coverage about the team

The team shared the front page headlines it saw in Australia during its pre-season tour, this time in Australia.

Of course Twitter users have long had access to Manchester United players, as United already boasts the two most-followed sportspeople in the UK: Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) and Rio Ferdinand (@RioFerdy5), with 6.7 million and 4.4 million followers respectively. But with the @ManUtd account, fans can now get official news as it breaks, as well as exclusive content, straight from the club.

All of the Premier League (@PremierLeague) teams are now on Twitter — from the champions @ManUtd to the last team to qualify for the Premier League this season, Crystal Palace (@official_CPFC). To follow any or all of them, click here.