Growing a Soccer Club with Influencer Marketing | Prerna Aneja, San Jose Earthquakes

How can professional soccer clubs connect to new potential fans, maintain relevance, and foster local community pride? San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS have an idea - influencer marketing deployed across their digital channels. In Episode 101 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Prerna Aneja, the Bay Area club’s Digital and Influencer Marketing Coordinator. Her innovative approach plays a vital role in connecting the team with its supporters in dynamic and authentic ways.But the origin of Prerna’s story with the Quakes isn’t what you’d expect - and actually paints a picture of how far the club has come in her 5 years with the team. Prerna Aneja's interview for the Quakes internship took a wild turn when the president asked if she'd ever been to a game. Her honest answer: "I didn't know the club existed." Then she told him why and what they could do better. That candor launched a career in influencer marketing that's connecting the Bay Area's oldest soccer club to a new generation of fans.In this conversation, Prerna breaks down how to find influencers who actually fit your story, how to measure the success of a campaign, and how to tell one story ten different ways across platforms. She shares her approach to crafting creative campaigns that amplify the club’s online presence and engage fans across digital platforms. She cites successful partnerships with local influencers and how she has leveraged social media trends to help the Quakes "grow the game” in the Bay Area - something they’ve been doing since 1974.Whether you're running social for a club, building influencer partnerships, or trying to understand how to reach fans outside the soccer bubble — this episode shows you how.Connect with Prerna here:https://www.instagram.com/prerna_aneja/www.linkedin.com/in/prernaanejaConnect with Because Football here:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BecauseFootball_⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/because-football-media/⁠Need help with your content strategy and production? We can help.To get in contact with us, email becausefootballmedia [at] ⁠gmail.com⁠