From Babe Ruth’s favourite cigars to Tom Brady’s post-game glass of milk, athletes have made charming model companions for greater than a century. Nevertheless it doesn’t take a world champion so as to add worth to your roster.
TikTok has created a possibility for entrepreneurs to leverage athletes of each caliber and area of interest for relatable campaigns that give followers a contemporary perspective on their favourite sports activities and the merchandise that complement them.
With that mentioned, it’s time to search out your subsequent playmaker.
Why ought to manufacturers associate with athletes on TikTok?
The advantages of partnering with TikTok athletes
They’ve devoted fanbases.
Each metropolis has a hometown hero, and athletes are sometimes the commonest amongst them. These figures could be youngsters who grew up in an space and moved on to larger and higher issues, or they could be a star who got here to city and turned a staff round. Both means, followers are all the time prepared to go to bat for his or her favourite athletes, that means even these with out nationwide title recognition can elevate to celeb standing in a selected area.
The market is numerous.
Athletes come from all walks of life, and regardless of your audience, you must simply be capable of discover an athlete who identifies properly with them.
However athletes are simply as useful for numerous budgets as they’re for numerous audiences. In the event you’re prepared to pay high greenback, you possibly can associate with a mega-celebrity like Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, and so forth., and blast your message out to hundreds of thousands. However there are additionally loads of nano- and micro-level athletes who can be excellent for gifting and affiliate-based packages.
They’re consultants of their subject.
Athletes dedicate their lives to their crafts and know precisely which methods, tools, and diet will preserve them at their finest. If a product is sweet sufficient to assist their favourite athlete carry out, followers can relaxation assured it’s ok for them, too.
They attain hyper-targeted audiences.
From hockey and soccer to pickleball and spikeball, athlete pursuits are simply as numerous as their sports activities. And since there are sports activities followers all around the world, athletes make the proper companions for manufacturers trying to develop by tapping into new audiences.
They carry a excessive likelihood for earned media.
Sports activities reporters, bloggers, and podcasters (amongst many others) comply with athletes’ each transfer and are all the time on the lookout for extra content material—together with fascinating model offers. And a intelligent advertising and marketing marketing campaign throughout a gradual offseason can assist preserve an athlete within the dialog when there isn’t as a lot consideration on them as traditional.
The drawbacks of partnering with TikTok athletes
Fanbases could be fickle.
Devoted fanbases generally is a double-edged sword. An athlete may have the important thing to the town sooner or later and be public enemy No. 1 the subsequent in the event that they depart for a rival staff. In the event you’re partnering with somebody based mostly on location, there may be all the time an opportunity for an evergreen partnership to show seasonal in a rush.
Controversy can derail a partnership.
It looks as if nothing attracts controversy fairly like a vivid highlight. And since many athletes have media obligations labored into their contracts, the probabilities for a slip-up are all the time current. Some controversies could be simple to bounce again from, however others may imply the top of a previously fruitful partnership.
Your model won’t all the time be the precedence.
Athletes have full-time jobs requiring lots of journey and much more vitality. Entrepreneurs ought to perceive that an athlete’s high precedence will all the time be their sport, that means the model would possibly generally take the backseat.
What kind of athlete is hottest on TikTok?
Pupil-athletes
@aislynsdiary 12 hours of my busy day😝 #d1 #studentathlete #school #dormlife #d1athlete @olivia rickle ♬ authentic sound – 60 second sounds
Numerous student-athletes have helped develop their platform by creating content material round their every day lives and the struggles of balancing sports activities with being full-time college students. And since they’re of their teenagers and early 20s, TikTok student-athletes combine completely with the remainder of the platform’s person base.
Previously, newbie athletes would have been off-limits for entrepreneurs. However current modifications to call, picture, and likeness (NIL) legal guidelines have opened up loads of alternatives to leverage an entire new batch of creators.
Excessive sports activities athletes
@johnni.dijulius Human Catapult (I’m a professional- don’t try) #basejump #skydiving #adrenaline #journey ♬ authentic sound – Johnni DiJulius
Ever for the reason that X Video games introduced these area of interest sports activities into the limelight within the 90s, audiences haven’t been capable of get sufficient of maximum sports activities athletes. These creators even have lots of vary of their advertising and marketing potential, as manufacturers have leveraged excessive sports activities athletes to run profitable campaigns for the whole lot from streetwear to skincare.
Olympians
@sagewatson7 Love your physique, preserve it wholesome and be type to it! #well being #health #wellness ♬ kodak catching paper planes by vatolocz – vatolocz !
Due to social media, Olympians don’t have to attend 4 years for an viewers. These are the best-trained athletes on this planet, and TikTok is the proper platform for them to indicate what it takes to turn into the very best. It additionally provides them an opportunity to let followers get to know them extra personally, resulting in extra title recognition when manufacturers come on the lookout for companions through the subsequent set of video games.
NFL TikTok
@juju Stroll in your lure and take over your lure 🤩😁
Of all of the mainstream sports activities, NFL gamers appear to attract probably the most consideration on TikTok. Following a professional soccer participant on TikTok is the closest most followers will ever get to an NFL locker room, making these creators a must-watch for behind-the-scenes content material about their favourite groups.
However NFL TikTok isn’t only for the gamers. An entire subgenre of NFL wives, girlfriends, and members of the family exhibits a special aspect of the sport that appeals to all audiences—not simply the diehard followers.
Health influencers
@annabel.lucinda it’s a tough one however a GOOD one 😅 be happy to start out with decrease reps and work your means up! outfit is @aybl #abs #abday #abexercises #gymtok #gymgirls #girlsoftiktok #health #gymmotivation #fypシ゚viral #gymtips #workoutinspo ♬ It’s Givin – Latto
Increasingly individuals are turning to health influencers on TikTok for well being and way of life inspiration. Irrespective of your age, gender, or skill, you shouldn’t have any hassle discovering a health influencer you possibly can relate to.
Learn how to discover the fitting TikTok athlete on your model
Establish your audience.
Decide precisely who’s most thinking about your merchandise earlier than you begin reaching out to athletes to assist promote them. Be sure you ask your self the next questions on your viewers earlier than filling out your creator roster.
- What sports activities do they watch?
- The place do they eat their content material?
- The place do they stay?
- What are their pursuits outdoors of sports activities?
Know what you possibly can afford.
A number of the greatest names in sports activities command over $1 million per sponsored submit. The overwhelming majority of manufacturers on the market gained’t be capable of foot a invoice that steep, so it’s finest to mood expectations on the superstars. Nonetheless, loads of athletes with smaller followings have tons of avid followers and are way more inexpensive to associate with.
Search related hashtags.
Search some related hashtags to get an concept of the kinds of creators making content material in your area of interest. In accordance with TikTok, the most-viewed sports-related hashtags are:
- #motivation
- #health
- #health club
- #soccer
- #basketball
- #soccer
- #exercise
- #sport
- #nba
- #baseball
Attain out to related athletes.
Is your product utilized by individuals who play sports activities or by those that watch sports activities? In the event you’re advertising and marketing to athletes, you would possibly steer nearer to elite performers. In any other case, you is likely to be higher off partnering with athletes who’re extra relatable to the “common” fan.
Observe the outcomes.
Ideally, your creator roster has multiple kind of athlete. Hold an in depth eye on their outcomes to find out which performs finest, so that you could be looking out to recruit comparable creators on your subsequent marketing campaign.
You’ll additionally wish to monitor the place your gross sales and conversions are coming from. By finding out what made your creators profitable of their space, you’ll be capable of duplicate your model and technique to optimize in different areas.
Repurpose the content material.
If one thing works properly on natural social media, give it a shot elsewhere within the advertising and marketing funnel. Some areas the place repurposing creator content material works finest embrace:
- Branded social accounts
- Paid advertisements
- Electronic mail campaigns
- Firm web site
- In-store shows
High 10 athletes to comply with on TikTok proper now
1. Allison Kuch
@allisonkuch he mentioned he’s sore from crunching numbers… #werk #businessproposal ♬ STAY – The Child LAROI & Justin Bieber
Allison Kuch is a way of life creator and the spouse of Cleveland Browns defensive finish, Isaac Rochell. Allison posts comedy movies concerning the day within the lifetime of a soccer spouse and commonly provides followers a behind-the-scenes take a look at the “softer aspect” of her NFL husband.
You may also comply with Allison on YouTube and Instagram.
2. Justtrain
@justtrain Why do folks race me? #quick #health #MyBFF #exercise #well being #wellness #run #common ♬ Woah – Lil Child
Ron “Boss” Everline is a star coach and health teacher. He combines wholesome routines with motivation and a little bit comedy to present his content material one thing for everybody. Plus, with a consumer checklist that has included stars like Kevin Hart, Diddy, and Russel Westbrook, you by no means know who would possibly make a cameo look.
You may also comply with Boss on Instagram.
3. Sedona Prince
@sedonerrr #sew with @sedonerrr ♬ authentic sound – Sedona Prince
Sedona performs basketball on the College of Oregon and first made a reputation for herself on social media when she uncovered the inequities within the ladies’s and males’s exercise services through the 2021 NCAA event. She has continued to advocate for equality in sports activities and is the proper associate for manufacturers on the lookout for an outspoken spokesperson.
You may also comply with Sedona on Instagram.
4. Juwan Johnson
@juandchan No excuses, these payments aren’t gonna pay themselves! #juandchan #nflwife #footballwife #footballcouple #nflcouple ♬ authentic sound – HumorDarius
When Juwan isn’t catching balls on Sunday, you possibly can most likely discover him posting new content material on the TikTok account he shares together with his spouse, Chanen. The couple principally posts skits and antics from their on a regular basis life, so don’t tune in anticipating to see a lot precise soccer.
You may also comply with “Ju & Chan” on their YouTube channel.
5. Sky Brown
@skybrown Thanks @Dew Tour and Thanks Des Moines. That was actually enjoyable!! I used to be hyped to get the win 🥇 and hyped to skate with my pals. The extent of skateboarding that went down in each road and park was loopy 🔥🔥❤️🙏 🛹 it’s so thrilling 👏 🙌🙌 congrats to everybody. Congrats 💥 #skybrown ♬ authentic sound – Sky Brown
Sky Brown is an expert skateboarder who exploded onto the scene as an 8-year-old prodigy in 2016. She pulled a gold medal on the 2020 Summer season Olympics and has loved loads of model offers—from Invisalign to Nike—ever since.
You may also comply with Sky on Instagram and YouTube.
6. Fan Up Peighton
@fanuppeighton Greatest NFL Moments pt. 1 #nfl #soccer #eagles #giants ♬ authentic sound – Phoebe
Peighton Tubre posts every day soccer and basketball movies for her 450K+ TikTok followers. Her account is a good comply with if you happen to’re into highlights, predictions, and a little bit trash speak.
You may also comply with Peighton on Instagram.
7. Omar Raja
@omar @Jake Paul simply beat #andersonsilva @Showtime Boxing #jakepaul #boxing ♬ Evening Hassle By Petit Biscuit – Tyler
Omar based the Home of Highlights Instagram account and is now a content material commentator for ESPN. His TikTok focuses on breaking down present occasions in sports activities and telling the tales of well-known athletes past their aggressive accolades.
You may also comply with Omar on Instagram.
8. Tessa Maud
@tessamaud_ lunch in beijing with @hbfskier #winterolympics #snowboarding #foodtok #chinesefood #snowboardhalfpipe #TeamofTomorrow #olympicspirit ♬ That’s Not My Title – The Ting Tings
Tessa is a United States Olympic snowboarder. She was a fan favourite through the 2022 video games for sharing behind-the-scenes coaching pictures and clips from the Olympic Village. Meet up with her now to learn how she’s preparing for her subsequent competitors!
Tessa can also be lively on Instagram.
9. Masai Russell
@masairussell You do make a distinction💖
Masai is a hurdler from the College of Kentucky. With skincare recommendation for athletes, exercise routines, and a day within the life of a school athlete content material, Masai is a powerhouse on and off the observe.
You may also comply with her on Instagram and YouTube.
10. Bat Boys
@batboysbaseball It’s all the time in Yankee stadium 🤣 How do you suppose Verlander will do tonight? 👀 #astros #phillies #mlb #playball ♬ authentic sound – Bat Boys
The Bat Boys are two DC-area school college students vying for a job with the MLB sooner or later. Baseball followers may get misplaced of their TikTok feed for hours watching the duo grill their favourite gamers about each matter below the solar.
You will get extra from the Bat Boys on YouTube and Instagram.
Key takeaway: Partnering with TikTok athletes may give your model the social proof wanted to make it within the massive leagues.
Athletes have made high quality model companions for many years. With devoted fanbases and the power to succeed in hyper-targeted niches, those who know find out how to play on TikTok will make the proper addition to your creator roster. Simply make certain to do your analysis earlier than you begin recruiting.
Regularly Requested Questions
