Successful Influencer-Marketing in the Sports Industry

World stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Manuel Neuer, LeBron James or Roger Federer are not only brand ambassadors, but also successful influencers on social media and today often earn more money with posts on Facebook, Instagram & Co. than with their actual sport.

The platforms can now be used to reach 49 percent of the total population or 3.8 billion people in almost every country in the world. Whether a sports club, sports association or company in the sports industry, the opportunities for increasing reach and sales are great, not only because of the enormous range, but also because of low entry barriers and a central interface. People in the networks comment, evaluate, recommend and thus also influence purchase decision-making processes. Numerous companies have now recognized this economic potential.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing uses influencers or content creators with a wide-reaching community on social media for marketing and communication purposes. Because of their authenticity and the proximity to the community, campaigns on social media can go beyond simple product recommendations. Based on the trust of the followers to the influencers, the value and credibility of the brand message can also be increased.

The digital channels are a lever to quickly and purposefully address a large number of people who could not be reached with direct marketing. The platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and TikTok offer fans, sponsors and friends the opportunity to stay in touch with their content, to provide them with information, to thank them, to share victories and to market themselves and companies.

Athletes as influencers in the social media area

A comparison with other industries such as lifestyle, fashion and beauty shows that the sports industry still has some catching up to do in influencer marketing. The simple, fast and social communication option that emerges from the steadily growing social media world is also of great importance for the sports market and the associated players such as athletes, clubs and sporting goods manufacturers. Due to the increasing commercialization of sport, it is important for all actors to also benefit from social media, in which they can build their image and the brand more. The large loss of coverage, which is unchangeable especially with sponsorship presences on TV, can be mitigated by intelligent social media concepts and addressing.

Not only the big stars like Manuel Neuer are interesting personalities who have attractive and loyal communities. In addition to the “athlete next door”, who shares his workouts and fitness recipes with his followers on a daily basis, there is also great potential among competitive athletes. They post pictures and videos of themselves from the most recent sweaty training session or from everyday life - this is exactly where there is a lucrative opportunity for marketers and organizers to benefit from the reach of the athletes, because the athletes are seen as the figureheads of their sport and have one clearly higher radiance than associations or events. There are also some advantages for athletes, e.g. better marketing opportunities on the transfer market, additional earnings and proximity to fans.

Sponsors can be integrated into athletes' accounts in the form of postings or videos, in which:

The influence of social media in sports marketing will continue to grow in the future. Because the various platforms are constantly being developed and new functions published, the opportunities for brands, athletes and sports teams are unlimited.

Are you still missing the right influencer from the sports industry for your next event, the new product launch campaign, the brand relaunch, or the improvement of your brands image?

Sponsoo connects sponsors and thousands of athletes and clubs from more than 300 different sports. On our platform you can identify influencers who fit your brand perfectly to enable an authentic implementation of the partnership.

Register now for free and without obligation on Sponsoo. You get direct access to our large database with numerous sponsorship offers and then select the sponsorship offer that best suits your marketing strategy.

Of course, we support you in the handling of sponsoring, for example by sending you a free sponsorship sample contract and a free telephone consultation service.

the sponsor and / or its products or services are shown or mentioned
Involvement of athletes in campaigns
Links to the sponsor's social media presence (@sponsor)
creative images
Content from the accounts of the athletes can be shared from their own social media presences
Photos of advertising media, such as jerseys or gangs, are integrated, on which the sponsor name can be seen.
Hashtags with the sponsor name or products (# sponsor or # sponsor product) are placed a joint contest between sponsor and athlete is advertised

Are you still missing the right influencer from the sports industry for your next event, the new product launch campaign, the brand relaunch, or the improvement of your brands image?

Of course, we support you in the handling of sponsoring, for example by sending you a free sponsorship sample contract and a free telephone consultation service