Page 6 - NGA NATURALmag 2017 ANNIVERSARY FALL Issue

Fall 2017
Marketing Yourself Navigating
the Social Media Landscape BY CHRIS MACKENzIE CHRISMAC365@YAHOO COM
Istarted my professional career in in in the fitness and and nutrition industry well before social media’s popularity and over incessant use Back when I I started companies purchased ads in in magazines
in order to to solicit future potential customers and athletes would shoot stock photos in hopes that their picture might be used During this time there was no forum that an athlete could use to be able to market themselves which is very different than it is today Because I I work in in the fitness industry I I am con- stantly contacted by athletes who reach out which is no different from when I I started in 2008 Generally I I I am contacted to to to get some advice on on how they may proceed to to to market themselves to to to the the the the public Often I I hear athletes say something like “People in in in the the the gym are always asking me me me me what what supplements I recommend ” which is is cited as as what what they perceive to to be a a a a a a a a a a potential sponsorship or or or request to to to use their their chiseled frames in in an advertisement to to promote their their business or or or or prod- uct Unfortunately none of of these gestures would have been considered quantifiable before the the the days of of social media because they didn’t equate to to sponsorship or or or marketability But today this may not be be the the case What’s changed is the evolving component
of social media Athletes no longer influence an an an unquantifiable market segment Today an an an an ath- lete’s value is very clearly and and publicly score carded by the number of “likes” and and “followers ” ” So the the question becomes how does an an athlete get to the the point where his or her her influence can be be valuable and marketable? The following three integral compo- nents are important when establishing marketability:
Total Reach: This refers to to how many follow- ers ers ers a a a a a a a a a a a person has It is is is also referred to to as as a a a a a a a a a a a “foot- print” and this number number reflects the aggregate number number of followers from all social media venues Integration: This refers to an athlete’s established presence on on social media forums like Instagram Face- book YouTube Blogs and and many others This is is how an an an an athlete keeps abreast on on new and and trending information Engagement: This refers to the amount of com- ments likes and and shares an an an an athlete generates The strength of engagement cannot be overstated and and correlates directly to to someone’s ability to to influence purchase decisions among his or or her community Marketability for an athlete is where your life as as a a a a a a a a a competitor pays off Everyone loves a a a a a a a a a a a a a winner as as as well as as seeing the the the journey journey on on on the the the road towards it it Sharing the the the the journey journey on on social media is is key in in in in being able to to establish a a a a a a a presence that can turn profits However the the 6 NGA NATURAL mag