Use Social Media to Provide Value, Not Just Sell Products
I follow lots of athletes and celebrities on Social Platforms. There are some that post once a year, some everyday, some who are brilliant and some who are just plain boring. The biggest thing though that I cringe at is Athletes, or Celebrities that post sparingly and when they do its a plug for a brand.
“There’s a reason Rickie Fowler has more Instagram followers than Tiger Woods”
One of the times that I see this mistake is in the golf world across Social Media. As a golfer myself, I follow golfers from the beginner level right up to PGA tour pro’s. The ones that have the most engagement and are gaining fans, are the ones who provide value. Value can mean different things, depending on who you are. For example if you are a local club pro, posting tips online and answering questions could provide great value. If you’re the worlds number one golfer just liking a comment would be enough to provide value.
One of the pro’s who is doing really well with his Social game is Rickie Fowler. He posts regularly on his Instagram, Twitter and also has Snapchat (if you want fans under 25 you should have a public Snap!!!!). What he does well is shows behind the scenes on the PGA tour and also shows his life away from golf. He posts pictures of his downtime, he shows what he’s doing in the gym and I genuinely think he’s being himself. The thing that amazes me here is that Rickie has now got more followers than Tiger Woods on Instagram. Tiger Woods, at one stage was the biggest and richest athlete on the planet, but if all you put on your Instagram is posts that sell things, people are not going to follow you.
If you are in the public eye, or potentially going to be in the public eye i’d suggest doing this on social media; post as much as you can and post like a normal person. Sounds simple but i’m amazed how many people don’t do this. Documenting what you do on a day to day basis is a great way of providing value. If you’ve just made it on tour, just post what you do on you’re Instagram story; what did you do in the gym? What did you work on, on the range today? What did you have for Lunch? You’d be amazed how many people appreciate looking into the life of someone who is successful in something they love. The next level from that is a vlog. If you can do it and produce a weekly or daily vlog for youtube your personal brand could go from strength to strength.
But why spend all this time in putting things on Social Media? Before it was in the hands of the media who was a public figure in a sport. You needed Sky Sports to interview you after a good round, or a local newspaper to feature you. Now you can control it.
If you are lucky enough to have had your talent get you to have some followers on Social Media; don’t waste it pushing brands — provide value to your following, you never know when you’re going to need them.
Thanks again for reading and giving me your time. Always looking for any feedback or opinions. You could always send me a tweet https://twitter.com/Baggers_Alex
