Dual-market community & growth strategy (BUSA US & BUSA BR).
Project Overview
As Social Media Manager for the Brazilian United Soccer Academy (BUSA), I led digital strategy, content development, and community management across the academy's two markets — BUSA US (United States) and BUSA BR (Brazil). The mandate went well beyond content creation: the goal was to build a genuinely engaged soccer community connecting athletes, parents, coaches, and prospects, while strengthening brand awareness and supporting commercial objectives.
As BUSA approached a decade since its 2015 founding, the work focused on bridging high-level brand storytelling with community-centric engagement, and on positioning the academy as a leading pathway for soccer development and educational opportunity in the United States.
Two audiences anchored the strategy: parents of youth athletes, who drive enrollment decisions and seek trust, credibility, and real developmental opportunity for their children; and student-athletes and aspiring players, who engage with motivational, educational, and performance-oriented content. The communication ecosystem spanned the academy's key programs — Rise, Recreational League, BUC Camps & Clinics, Travel Experience, and Spirit Wear — keeping marketing efforts and commercial goals aligned throughout.
Approach
Data-informed planning
Content calendars, formats, and publishing schedules were built on continuous monitoring of performance, audience behavior, engagement patterns, reach, and conversion opportunities. Those insights guided editorial decisions and ensured the messaging reached the right audience at the right moment.
Cross-market brand management
I directed a single, coherent brand identity across the two distinct profiles, maintaining a consistent global narrative while respecting and adapting to the nuances of each regional market.
Community management
Proactive, daily interaction — responding to comments, direct messages, and inquiries, and actively fostering conversation — turned passive followers into engaged advocates, deepened relationships with existing families, and nurtured new prospects along the customer journey.
Commercial & program integration
Each commercial front received dedicated campaign support: BUSA Rise, BUSA Rec League, BUC Camps & Clinics, and BUSA SpiritWear were promoted through organic content, promotional storytelling, audience education, and conversion-focused communication, translating social reach into tangible interest and sales.
Strategic collaborations
To expand authority and trust, I developed new collaborative content formats — most notably with the academy's official nutritionist, coaches, and other subject-matter experts — diversifying the content ecosystem and reinforcing BUSA's commitment to holistic athlete development.
The Results
A consistent, audience-centered, and data-driven approach produced meaningful growth across both channels:
Built a combined, highly engaged community of nearly 10,000 followers across BUSA US and BUSA BR.
Sustained a strong average organic reach on Instagram — approximately 35K (BR) and 20K (US) — through optimized content distribution and active community management.
Strengthened relationships with existing families while expanding visibility among prospective athletes and parents in both Brazil and the United States.
Supported enrollment and awareness for BUSA Rise, BUSA Rec League, BUSA Travel Experience, and BUC Camps & Clinics.
Drove visibility and sales for BUSA SpiritWear merchandise — including a 35% conversion rate on a dedicated product campaign — turning social reach into measurable commercial impact.
Established new strategic collaborations, including educational and performance-focused content partnerships with the academy's official nutritionist.
Enhanced BUSA's digital positioning as a trusted soccer-development and international-pathway organization.
Through strategic planning, audience intelligence, community-building, and commercial alignment, social media evolved into a key growth channel that supported both brand development and business objectives across the organization.
