Tips For Athlete Branding – Influencers, NIL, college sports, etc.

Jan 24, 2024 | Branding, Endorsements, Marketing, NIL

Every athlete has an opportunity to put their skills and talents to work in exchange for value. It doesn’t matter the sport, gender, popularity, division – you can do things others can’t, you can perform things others can’t, and that’s valuable.

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For decades, you could put your talents to work and go to college. Think about it, 30-40-50 years ago, going to college was rare.

You had to be really rich, or really talented and really lucky. (some might argue it hasn’t changed much)

And the value of a college education then was significant. It was a chance at greater opportunity professionally, socially, and financially – and if you were an athlete, your skills paved the way.

That part of it hasn’t changed too much – if you’re a great HS athlete with a chance at college – it’s still true your athletic ability is a lot of what’s getting you to an educational opportunity that millions of other high schoolers will never see.

And with this collegiate opportunity – in the 2024 era of sports and NIL – you’re able to reap rewards that just a few years ago you would not or could not, and still be eligible.

So here are some tips for any athlete looking to grow their brand.

You have influence, you want to be an influencer in new/other areas so you can grow your income and seize opportunity. These moments are temporary, you won’t be the athlete forever, so you need to invest in yourself now for maximum value.

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ONE
Realize you are a business.

Everything you do impacts the business.

Crush a workout to be better on the field or court? That helps your success, helps your business. Eat like crap so you don’t perform well? Negative business impact. Party too hard and don’t get good sleep? Don’t go to class? GPA drop too low? Wrong crowd around you?

Yep – all of that impacts your business whether you like it or not.

Every single thing you do – impacts your business. Everything.

We’ve used this image in other posts, but it sums up the most important consideration for an athlete’s brand:

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TWO
You are your brand.

But you need to know what a brand is or means, so you can build yours. A brand is what something is known for – watch this, I’m going to say a word and you’ll think of something:

Apple. They’re known for slick cell phones.

Nike. They’re known for shoes and athletic wear.

Starbucks. Known for bougie coffee drinks.

When someone says the name of something, what others think of in that moment – that’s brand.

So what’s yours?

What do you want people to think of when they hear your name? See your face? See your story? Talk to you?

What that is – that is your brand. You define it, you control it, and it’s yours and yours alone.

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THREE

Be creative, build it, work at it, and protect it.

You have to be creative. That’s the only way you’ll stand out in the crowd of ~15,000 athletes trying to get their piece of the pie. If you want your piece, you’ve got to do the things to get the right attention.

This means – you can’t do what everyone else does.

If you do what they do, you’ll just be more noise. So you have to stand out, be creative, be consistent. Do what others don’t want to do. Say what others think, in a way that builds.

If your voice is tearing down, that’s your brand – downward and negative. And heads up – nobody pays for negative brands.

It means you have to build. You didn’t just wake up and someone handed you a college sports opportunity. You worked your @$$ off to get where you are, and if you want to win with brand building, you’re going to have to work at it.

Consistency. Meaning. Value. Making an impact. Be creative. Stand out. Be positive.

Be the voice that people are drawn to – and be the voice, say the things that valuable people are drawn to. Think about it – if people are drawn to you and those people don’t have value, your brand is popular but not valuable.

Yep, you got to think strategically a little and consider who and how you attract people to you – and your brand.

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FOUR

Network & collaborate.

The easiest way to grow your brand is have someone else introduce you to their friends and followers. It’s why influencers get paid in the first place – someone has a new clothing line or cool sunglasses or awesome flip flops they want to get out to market. They need people who want to buy their gear to learn about their gear – and brand.

So an influencer who has attracted the right & valuable people – they get the $ opportunity.

This means you need to connect with others and get creative together. They introduce you to their folks, same as they hype a product or service. Then you introduce them to yours, collab, win-win.

You can go it alone and go slow, or you can team up and make money moves.

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FIVE

Energy.

Don’t be boring. Don’t be bland. Don’t be lame. Don’t be cheesy.

Don’t be bouncing off the walls crazy, but don’t be boring. Your energy will drive the success behind your content, because the delivery of the content matters just as much as what you come up with and say.

If you’re boring and monotone, if you’re another selfie video in the car, nobody will hear the message.

How you say it, how you package it, all of that matters as much as the topic or goal. You need to watch yourself, critique yourself, and get better.

When the camera is on, you need to be just a little more energetic than you think – and the tone/energy on camera will be just right to someone watching.

Practice this last bit a little. Record yourself a few times with video, then don’t watch your video and just listen. Is there energy in your voice? Too much? Not enough?

Find the right energy and that will fuel your message delivery, which is key to building your brand.

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You’re welcome.

This is some good stuff right here for any athlete needing some tips to build their brand, figure out how to do your branding, growth, etc.

It’s what we’re about here @ Impact Fans. 🫡