By Marianna Kazazi, The Sports Financial Literacy Academy
The emergence of social media and their continuous, fast-paced development through the years, have brought new levels of popularity and exposure for athletes. This allowed them to promote and market their brand with greater ease, increasing their reach and audience engagement. Due to the great influence they exert on their fans and the general public, athletes can be considered as highly effective influencers for potential endorsements and promotional campaigns. For example, ranging from sportswear to promoting social messages on current and prevalent issues such as mental health awareness.
Establishing social media strategy
To utilize their online presence effectively so as to create a generous additional source of income, athletes need to establish a well-thought-out social media strategy A strong presence on multiple social media channels and platforms is the best online marketing strategy. This is because, athletes with at least three channels, generate more income than athletes with limited social media platform use. A great example is Christiano Ronaldo, whose social media presence is massive. His Instagram account is the most followed account on the planet, with over 489 million followers, earning approximately $2,000,000 for each post.
Giving a more intimate background to their platforms
To increase profits, athletes must build a long-term online fan base by growing their social media followers consistently. Sharing behind-the-scenes moments helps athletes connect with their audience on a deeper, more relatable, and transparent level. Athletes can share event photos, game preparations, community service efforts, and daily moments to give fans a personal glimpse. Fans appreciate seeing an athlete’s life beyond sports, which fosters a stronger, more authentic connection and loyalty. Creating a balance between professional and personal content allows athletes to engage with followers on a more relatable level.
Social Media Algorithms
Social media algorithms support regular posting. Therefore, consistent social media posting is key to generating traffic to the social media accounts of the athletes. This will eventually lead to high earnings. Consistency in athletes’ social media posts, can be determined by regular posts that include their gym routine, inspirational quotes, healthy meals, videos with highlights after each game or photos from their practice sessions.
PR Agent
For advanced social media management, athletes may need to hire a PR agent. This may be expensive, but can prove to be really effective, especially if these PR agents specialize in sports. Sports PR agents understand the busy schedule of athletes and are aware that in order to maximize their performance on the field, athletes need to stay away from distractions; such distractions include excessive social media exposure in connection with dealing with endorsements, sponsorships, along with the general vulnerability of online use of their name, image and likeness. Sports PR specialists also contribute to guiding the outreach of the athlete’s brand.
The negative effect of high exposure
Athletes’ high digital exposure can improve engagement with fans and brands but may also negatively impact personal and professional lives. Since fans analyze every post, athletes must be cautious about what they share and how they communicate online. A single wrong move on social media could result in losing a contract, endorsement, or sponsorship deal for an athlete. Athletes must manage online bullying and hate comments carefully, ensuring these do not negatively affect their mental wellbeing or performance.
In conclusion, a strong digital presence can significantly enhance an athlete’s brand and sponsorship revenue, if used strategically and cautiously.
The Money Smart Athlete® Blog is established and run by the Sports Financial Literacy Academy® (SFLA). Through its education programs, the SFLA has the vision to financially educate and empower athletes of all ages to become better people, not just better athletes. For more information on our courses, our SFLA Approved Trainer Program®, and how they can benefit you and your clients, please get in touch with us at [email protected].