Includes CD

Includes references (116-146 p.)

'Abstract Global competitive conditions lead companies to focus more on their marketing strategies. Furthermore, a real competitive advantage gives rise the companies to satisfy the customer needs more efficiently than their competitors. Nowadays, social networks are playing an important role in many the companies with the desire of employing the best strategy in their business. Changes in marketing communications about manufacturing and in services companies also lead to changes in sports marketing as well. Sport teams of marketing hints all marketing relevant activities that happen in the sports organization or administration of professional sport clubs. An effective social media platform (SMP) is an important source for the development of a company to improve its' competitive advantage. Moreover, an efficient social media network (SMN) practice is essential due to the competitive atmosphere in the service sector. Moreover, consumers practice the SM stations to interact with each other or companies, therefore many marketers establish the social media into their marketing strategy, and then it caused to develop the marketing strategy of the sport clubs. However, it is important to emphasize on the effective usage of the social media for the football sport clubs as a marketing tool in Northern Iraq. This can lead football sport clubs to understand how to increase their relationships with their fans so as to develop their marketing strategies more efficiently. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to understand the effectiveness of social media for the football sport clubs marketing strategies. So, this study plans to know about the method by which the football clubs can increase their relationships with their fans through an effective use of the SM. Most of the world football teams believe that using social media networks makes a brighter future for them. They can improve their businesses for marketing purposes or communication with their fans. Thus the football clubs can understand the effectiveness and efficiency of the usage of the social media to increase their relationships with fans. The data were collected by semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Sampling strategy used in this study is maximum variation sampling. The outcomes of this study reveal that developing the social media tools are significant for the football sport clubs to thrive the sports marketing strategy and increase their relationships with the fans in a professional way. The football sport clubs need to adopt the social media as a strong channel for developing the sports marketing strategy and grasp the fans as a key product. They should have the ability to use different types of social media tools. Through this development, football clubs will be able to make important progress in the advertisement, expand the number of fans, develop their marketing strategies, and improve their financial ability. Keywords: Social media platform, Traditional media, Sports marketing strategy, Football sport clubs, Facebook.'