Not Just for Fun: Building an NIL-Ready Social Media Presence

Building an NIL-Ready Social Media Presence

The important role that social media has played in helping student-athletes generate income is undeniable.

As far back as February 2022, Sports Business Journal was citing my data that social media accounted for 72% of commercial activity by college athletes. Over the last two years later, I’ve seen that number fluctuate in my NIL Research Poll from 70% to as high as 85%.

Social media serves as a primary platform for student-athletes to accomplish three critical things:

  • Build Their Personal Brand: Showcasing their talents and personality, including sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses and personal stories, giving fans a deeper understanding of who they are beyond their sport.

  • Connecting with Fans: Interacting directly with fans, fostering a loyal following and increasing their visibility. Social media is the main tool to expand their reach beyond their local community.

  • Attracting NIL Partners: Demonstrating their market value, facilitating partnerships, launching content creation opportunities.

Understanding social media for fun is not the same thing as developing the social media skills to execute NIL as a commercial endeavor. Below is breakdown of the key steps a student-athlete can take to become a successful content creator and social media influencer, with a focus on generating NIL opportunities and income.

Step #1: Defining a Personal Brand

Social media for enjoyment allows complete freedom for a student-athlete to express their personality, interests, and hobbies without worrying about appealing to a specific brand or audience. There's no pressure to monetize or maintain a public image (aka personal brand.)

In contrast, social media for NIL is about defining a personal brand and includes three important elements:

  • Brand Alignment: A student-athlete’s brand should align both with their athletic identity and the values they represent. They need to consider how their sport, team, or university can be incorporated into their personal brand.

  • Niche Specificity: Many student-athletes find NIL success in choosing a niche that leverages their interests tied to their sports - things like fitness, nutrition, sports fashion, and mental health.

  • Target Audience: Student-athlete need to put the time in to identify brands and businesses that cater to their target audience and that could be potential NIL partners.

Step #2 Building an Online Presence

While social media for personal should is about authenticity, the content shared can include anything the creator enjoys. Personal social media isn’t rigid and allows posting spontaneously. And when it comes to connections, personal social media allows for the prioritization of friends and family over building a professional network.

But building an online presence for NIL should focus on:

  • Professionalism: While student-athletes should be authentic, maintaining a polished and consistent brand across all platforms is important.

  • Content Strategy: Student-Athletes need to develop a content calendar that aligns with their brand and targets their ideal NIL partners.

  • Engagement: Actively engaging with brands and potential partners on social media is a best practice for NIL success.

Photo by Rahul Chakraborty

Step 3: Growing an Audience

Growing an audience isn’t a main consideration when using social media for personal use. Most of us tend to let our audiences grow organically (or not) through sharing content we enjoy. And rarely, do we worry too much about follower counts or engagement rates - rather we just focus on having fun and connecting with others.

But growing an audience for NIL social media needs to include…

Step 3: Growing an Audience

But growing an audience for NIL social media needs to include…

  • Targeted Growth: Focusing on growing an audience that is relevant to a student-athlete’s niche and attractive to potential NIL partners.

  • Data-Driven Approach: Tracking a student-athlete’s analytics closely to understand what content resonates most with their target audience.

  • Collaboration: Partnering with other student-athletes or content creators / influencers to expand a student-athlete’s reach.

Step # 4: Monetizing a Student-Athlete’s Influence

Social media for personal use is free of the pressure to generate income. While content creation for NIL can seem like a good idea, it can quickly turn sour when it begins to feel like a time-consuming job.

For student-athletes who choose to develop an NIL-centric social media presence, they need to remain focused on their values and interests. This is best done by:

  • Proactive Outreach: Student-Athletes should seek out NIL opportunities by reaching out to directly to brands.

  • Negotiation Skills: Developing strong negotiation skills to secure fair compensation results in student-athletes remaining highly motivated.

  • Business Mindset: Treating a social media presence as a business, with clear goals and strategies.

Step 5: Staying Compliant

About 90% of student-athletes have at least one social media account. If they are just engaged in social media for fun, there is not much compliance to be concerned about.

But when student-athletes become content creators, they need to be very aware of regulations, policies, and laws including:

  • Institutional Policies: Many schools have additional rules and guidelines on top of the NCAA's regulations. These could cover things like prohibited categories of endorsements, required disclosures, or approval processes for NIL deals. If a student-athlete creates original content, they should understand their intellectual property rights and implications.

  • FTC Guidelines: If a student-athlete is endorsing a product or service, they must comply with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidelines for influencers. This includes disclosing any material connection to the brand and ensuring claims are truthful and accurate.

  • Tax Laws: Income earned from NIL activities is considered taxable income. Student-athletes need to be aware of their tax obligations and may need to file tax returns or make estimated tax payments.

About Bill Carter

Bill has advised brands on Name, Image, Likeness for 25 years—first in pro sports, now at the college level. He was the Co-Founder of the Gen Z sports agency Fuse, which he sold in 2019. In 2020, he founded Student-Athlete Insights and consults on NIL strategy with Fortune 500 companies and 30+ DI universities. Read more about Student-Athlete Insights.

Bill Carter