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Do deals that make sense for you

And why this is important

If you follow college athletes on social media, you may have noticed some of them have done an NIL deal with a company. (Or multiple deals.)

Some partnerships look and feel authentic.

Some deals, not so much.

And others feel like a double standard.

If you are a student-athlete, only do partnerships that make sense for you.

Why?

• Relatability

  • You can tell when a partnership is good for an athlete: The athlete is excited to use the product, they create good content, and is something they regularly use in their daily lives.

  • Because of this, athletes are more likely to partner with a brand they like and trust.

• Inauthenticity shows

  • It’s also easy to see when an athlete is not invested in the deal: Minimal effort on content creation, no excitement in their voice, they just want to get paid for something they don’t use, etc.

  • Additionally, people close to the athlete can spot this easily. (ie., athlete is promoting a dairy product but said athlete is lactose intolerant.)

• How do you know what’s a good fit?

  • As noted above: If it’s a product or service an athlete uses regularly, they will most likely create better content (and deliver better results for the brand).

  • Favorable terms: Is the brand offering a fair value on a proposed partnership? It’s always important to review the terms of any deal first before agreeing to it.

• Are you showcasing brand products on your accounts regularly?

  • Athletes featuring products they like on their social media regularly without a partnership is a good way (albeit not guaranteed) to earn a partnership with said brand.

  • Therefore, shoot your shot with your content - it could turn into a great opportunity for you in the future.

Thank You for reading today’s newsletter

^{I discuss insights and news related to NIL and personal branding for athletes every Wednesday at 12p ET/9a PT.}

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