Social media is becoming a crucial instrument for the expansion of any organization and is no longer only something to pass the time, unwind, and chill out on. One of the foundational elements of any business, or even job, these days is having a strong online presence. “Never underestimate the power of social media,” advises the wise. Like any large corporation, an individual may do some amazing things to advance their career significantly and quickly through their digital presence. For athletes to stay in contact with their supporters, social media and digital media presence are also essential. These days, athletes use social media to supplement their revenue from sports with a side source of income. Scroll down to read Do You Know Athletes Can Earn Money From Social Media?
Do You Know Athletes Can Earn Money From Social Media?
Steps to earn money from social media
- Build a Long-Term Following
- Gain More Sponsorships
- Improved Game Attendance
- Create a Brand That Grows with You
- Hire PR agent
- Publish consistently
- Collaborate with other influential channels
- Attract attention, but deliver value
Build a Long-Term Following
Obtaining followers and following others is the primary step towards becoming active on social media. For an athlete, more so than for any other person, gaining followers and keeping a positive relationship with them becomes crucial. This is so because athletes are public personalities and celebrities. Thus, supporters are curious about a player’s activities outside of athletics on a daily basis.
The audience feels more intimate and a part of them as they get to know them better. The first scenario has a higher level of popularity than the second when comparing athletes who are active on social media with those who are not. It’s really easy, isn’t it? When a player uploads images regularly, fans view those images regularly, and people talk about that athlete more often than they do about inactive athletes, it is evident. A sportsperson can have behind-the-scenes stories, fan interviews, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and other live content. You only need to look a little on social media to find plenty of creative content.
As a result, fan support grows as you can sell them more tickets, merchandise, and other goods.
Gain More Sponsorships
From an athlete’s perspective, sponsorship offers a multitude of advantages. First off, you don’t have to pay anything to secure the sponsorship deal. Secondly, you are not held accountable if the sponsor doesn’t receive the expected outcomes from the arrangement. Ultimately, avoid controversy and make money by participating in small-scale projects like picture shoots or commercial acting.
Businesses are prepared to spend millions of dollars on a single sponsored post on social media platforms. A sports figure is a celebrity, and when they endorse a certain product, the sponsor sees the desired outcome.
The athlete merely needs to be mindful of how they come across to the general public. Sponsors will only approach a player who maintains a spotless reputation, is well-liked by the public, and is loyal, honest, and trustworthy.
Improved Game Attendance
Even though they make millions, athletes depend on the fans who come out to watch and participate in the game. Stakeholders such as boards, sponsors, organizers, clubs, owners, and stadiums will be too reluctant to carry on with the activity if people are unwilling to watch the match. As a result, the stakeholders’ financial structure collapses, their revenue declines, and athletes’ salaries follow suit. Therefore, increasing game attendance is essential.
Consequently, an athlete should continue to play at a high standard to increase game attendance. To keep more people informed, there are additional factors to take into account, such as sending out emails, modifying calendars, and ensuring that social media outlets display the dates of significant events. Additionally, more individuals will be able to schedule tickets, take time off work, and attend events when they are aware of them in advance.
Create a Brand That Grows with You
We are not discussing any material objects here. We are discussing intangibles like the player’s brand, reputation, etc. To put it simply, “Virat Kohli” is now more than just a cricket player’s name; it has a brand value that rises and falls based on his actions both on and off the field. Therefore, an athlete’s reputation and personality determine how well his brand performs.
An athlete can thus build a brand that develops with them by staying clear of scandals, conflicts, and legal troubles and projecting a favorable image of themselves. Smaller things like interacting with followers on social media, honoring their opinions, sharing personal moments with them, utilizing a social media trend, getting sponsorships or paid posts, volunteering your time, giving to charities, and other similar endeavors may all help your business develop alongside you and help you achieve your goal.
Hire a PR agent
One of the more costly jobs is hiring a public relations representative, particularly for an athlete who is still fighting for recognition. Nevertheless, it is really important. The majority of your time as an athlete will be dedicated to practice, the gym, skill development, meetings, analysis, and extensive travel. You just cannot continue to be active on social media after all of the demanding work. In the end, your performance on the field is what counts most; therefore, you should unwind.
PR representatives are the best option in this situation. They will continue to manage your social media accounts, assist you in obtaining sponsorship and endorsement opportunities, foster positive publicity for you and your company, and stifle negative comments. A press conference, press release, and other similar tasks can be handled by the PR agent. Therefore, using a PR agent can not only help you save time but also enable you to fully concentrate on your performance, as the PR agent will handle all other tasks.
Publish consistently
Similar to a player’s consistency on the field, social media consistency is crucial. Regular participation in social media platforms can bring in a substantial income for athletes. So please do share regularly with the audience your workouts, practice sessions, meals, and dietary supplements. This will result in a massive volume of views, elevating your profile to new heights.
Collaborate with other influential channels
Working together on social media will benefit both accounts. Everybody will have a fan base, and when you work together, the views and total engagement will soar beyond anything you could have imagined.
Attract attention, but deliver value
In the end, viewers care about the caliber of the content. Therefore, prioritize content value over attention-grabbing elements. A small drop in quality can hurt you. Since negativity spreads easily, it is important to address it above anything else.
Conclusion
As previously mentioned, social media is an excellent means of achieving rapid growth for your company and its popularity. The key is to avoid getting involved in any issue. As was previously mentioned, bad press travels faster, and repairing a reputation after it has been damaged requires a great deal of work. Thus, the athlete may use social media to make a ton of money just by sharing encouraging content and by using the previously described tips.
Also read, Sports Data Analytics Helps Create Better Sporting Strategy
