Shark Jockey specializes on developing, managing, commercializing, and transitioning sports careers for college athletes, as well as forming influential brand alliances to maximize opportunities with leading national and international brands.
College sports are undergoing the most profound transformation in history. A combination of new state laws and NCAA regulation changes have given players varied degrees of new protections and chances to profit from the sale of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. This is groundbreaking since NIL rules previously barred athletes from accepting payment in order to keep their eligibility. The rules had maintained them in the NCAA’s “amateur” category, but that was no longer the case.
Needless to say, the name, image, and likeness (NIL) of a person are three aspects that make up the legal concept of “right of publicity.” In the professional sports industry, common examples of NIL include sponsored social media posts or advertisements, training lessons, autographs, and merchandise sales.
Starting July 1, 2021, all athletes in ten states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon and Texas, will be able to benefit from the modifications. Each of those states approved legislation or issued executive directives allowing student-athletes to profit from their NIL beginning July 1. Similar regulations and legislation were quickly enacted in other states.
Staying active on social media is essential for college athletes, who want to grow their following and reach new fans. Professional social media and sports marketing management can help with this. While each case is different, the appropriate plan can assist any athlete, professional or amateur, in effectively reaching new people. By having the ability to reach more people, a bigger opportunity is created for you to earn as a college athlete. Here are a few reasons how marketing can be beneficial to a college athlete’s career:
1. Develop a Stronger Fan Base: More than any other marketing tool, social media allows athletes to disclose more about themselves, their practices, and their aspirations. This allows both current and new followers to learn more about the person they admire. This establishes a long-term relationship between the player and their fan base throughout time, which can last for many years. This is crucial because the longer your fans support you, the more merchandise, tickets, and items you will be able to sell to them.
2. Boost Game Attendance: Most athletes’ careers revolve around performances, but those performances are only successful if people attend the game or event. This implies that consistent ticket sales and attendance are critical. With the help of marketing, college athletes can have the opportunity to boost the attendance in those events.
3. Secure More Sponsorships: Sponsorship is amongst the most effective ways for athletes to generate income. However, acquiring sponsorships as a college athlete might be difficult. In order to attract sponsors, athletes must have a high level of visibility. Brands are more eager to partner with athletes who have a large following. With the help of marketing, athletes can improve their online presence and, hence, their sponsorship potential.
Shark Jockey utilizes a unique process, in contrast to other organizations that offer generic solutions. Our customized digital marketing approach allows us to generate and create larger NIL Opportunities for you. Here are some of the options that Shark Jockey can offer to college athletes:
Branding: The first stage is to establish a strong and consistent athletic brand for you. This entails getting to know you better as an athlete so that you may be accurately reflected across all platforms.
Social Media: You must be present on social media to be acknowledged as an authority in your field. You’ll need dependable and innovative content that reflects your targets’ natural communication style. We will help you create and distribute relatable, enjoyable content that your audience will want to share. Being active on social media also allows you to communicate with your audience more effectively.
Marketing: This is where we look at your current marketing strategies, from platforms where you/re currently active to prior strategies you’ve used. We uncover pain issues and marketing opportunities that can be implemented immediately. From there, we can figure out how to improve your digital marketing strategy.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): We can help bring you to audiences who are likely to favor you through comprehensive SEO planning and execution. You have the option of using local SEO to market your business to local fans or using tactics like on-site optimization and link building to publicize your brand on a global scale. We actively measure fan activity on your website and other platforms, as well as evaluate the performance of your promotions.
Pay Per Click (PPC): PPC is a low-cost, highly targeted campaign that exposes your athletic brand to a large number of potential supporters. We make the most of PPC by creating ads with clear messaging that are targeted at people who are most likely to become your biggest followers.
Shark Jockey will be able to help athletes like you stand out and stay relevant by integrating Shark Jockey’s proven SEO and digital marketing strategies to help build bigger NIL opportunities. You can increase brand recognition by having a consistent and visible athletic brand, which can help you secure significant and long-term player contracts, sponsorships, and other revenue streams; preserve audience loyalty; and capitalize on and expand brand value.