Taekwondo championship participant’s social networking sites usage profile: a descriptive study

Abstract

The use of social media within the sports sector is increasingly gaining importance. Purpose: Therefore, the main aim of this article is to show the different motivations and perceptions of the usage of social networking sites, as well as the used types of social networking sites relating to a sports event. Approach: A twofold methodology was carried out. First, a descriptive study, resulting from a survey carried out at the Spanish Taekwondo Clubs’ Championship 2021, was performed. Secondly, the posts of the official social media sites of the Spanish Taekwondo Federation were analysed and the engagement was calculated. Results: This work, based on qualitative information of the participants of the beforehand mentioned championship, reveals the different areas of the use of social networking sites regarding the event and its destination from a sports touristic and marketing communication perspective. Findings indicate an elevated usage for interaction with other participants and information seeking about the event and activities, and well-created expectations and perceived images on social networking sites. Nevertheless, those platforms mainly did not affect the decision on whether to assist in the championship. Posts with visual support on Facebook and Twitter obtained more interaction, with Facebook being the one with the highest engagement. Conclusions: Social networking sites were used for a wide range of motivations, which were mainly based on the importance of social networking sites as an information source, for social interaction and interpersonal communication exchange. The results of this study help explain the motivations and perceptions of the usage of social networking sites before, during and after a sports event and allow the understanding of their influence on the participants.