You can't spell storytelling without NIL

And why athletes should be doing more of this

Author

Tariq Ahmad
August 27, 2025

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You can't spell storytelling without NIL

And why athletes should be doing more of this

Storytelling graphic. (Photo Credit:

Athletes want NIL partnerships.

Some want it for the experience of building a relationship with a brand.

Others want it to build their network for when they graduate and enter the working world.

But a lot of athletes want NIL partnerships because they want free stuff.

And sometimes, said athletes will do the least amount of work possible on social media for their partnerships.

Don’t get me wrong: There is nothing wrong with getting cool stuff sent to you in exchange for some social media posts.

However, most athletes can (and should) do a much better job with their sponsored content.

Telling a story about the partnership is infinitely better than just posting a picture of you holding a product.

I’m not saying that athletes need to posting cinematic quality content for every single partnership. However, a little effort goes a long way into ensuring collabs stand out. (As well as potentially securing a longer term deal with the same brand, and lining up other partnerships.)

How to improve storytelling

  • Look to social media for inspiration

    • Athletes follow fellow athletes on social, as well as influencers and famous people. By observing how these people post content (angle, style, lighting, audio, etc.) the athletes can mimic some of these traits for their own content.

  • Use local talent around campus

    • There are plenty of student photographers and videographers on every campus. Partnering with them will not only give you professional quality content, but these people can also help you with storytelling as they work in these spaces and understand what works best.

      • Bonus: You are also doing them a solid by providing them content for their own portfolios.

  • Tap into teammates

    • If you’re stuck with how to best present your content, then athletes need to look no further than their locker room.

    • Asking your teammates for content ideas or concepts may get you out of a creative rut, as well as helping you think about your partnerships in different ways.

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