How Elite Athletes can Increase their Market Value Through Digital PR

Many star athletes are not just products of their talent and performance but also carefully crafted marketing strategies. Many athletes have figured out a way to stay relevant and popular during their career journey and even after that by harnessing the power of digital PR. Some even manage to transcend boundaries and create subcultures with their branding style. So, how can elite athletes increase their market value through digital PR?

1. By Building Influence

To get noticed and paid, one must assert their influence. The more your influence, the better your following and hold in the industry. One of the ways to build influence is through social media. Brands measure the influence of athletes by calculating various engagement metrics on social media. Additionally, an online presence attained through media exposure helps gain a strong digital foothold and increases their credibility, and value.

2. Through Personal Branding

An athlete’s branding includes three facets - athletic attributes and achievements, personal style and appearance, and marketable lifestyle – which they manage and magnify to build their brand equity and reputation. However, maximizing these contours of personal branding is impossible without the effective use of digital PR tools like SEO, social media, content creation, guest collaborations, email marketing, and much more. Athletes who can capitalize on these features, like Michael Jordan or Serena Williams, manage to make their brand more dynamic and earn more revenue. A professional online PR agency can help curate your personal branding strategy for long-term success and growth.

3. By Optimizing Content Marketing

Building a personal brand without creating engaging content is a challenging task. Thus, athletes can use content to portray and position their life stories in a way that reinforces their brand value. Fans connect with athletes for their aspirational value and authenticity of opinion, outlook, and perspective. Professionals offering social media verification for athletes can help build that authentication and credibility. This is done by securing media placements in top-ranking publications, which builds a digital footprint and increases the chances of getting verified on social media.

4. By Monetizing Online Presence

Your efforts are undermined if you are not making money from your online presence. In 2015, Forbes reported that NFL’s top 15 players took home a total of $351 million in 12 months. 13% of this amount or $44 million was generated in off-field activities. The potential for growth through an online presence is much more. And digital PR can aid an athlete in garnering brand associations that are not just monetarily beneficial but also complement their image. Brand associations can increase an athlete's influence two-fold. For instance, the association between Nike and Michael Jordan elevated both the athlete’s personal brand and monetary well-being.

If you are a sportsperson who wants to remain at the top of your game, both online and offline, find more income streams and stay relevant in the digital world. Partnering with a digital PR agency for athletes might prove beneficial for you.