COLLEGESTUDENT ATHLETES

Building Your Professional Brand as a Student-Athlete

Your brand is personal to you. It enters the room before you do. As you think about what your personal brand is, consider what you want people to know you for. This is especially key for student-athletes. You'll want to start by setting your branding goals. These goals should reflect how you see your brand and the channels you will use to display it. Think of three adjectives that represent your goals for your brand and what you stand for. As you continue to build your brand, refer to these adjectives to ensure all your outlets are representative of them.

Formulating the Vision

The first step to reaching most goals is figuring out the intention — or the “why” — behind the goal. It’s the same for brands. When creating this vision, think about your core values or the guiding principles by which you live your life. Next, try creating a vision statement for your brand. Your vision statement encompasses your goals, core values, and qualities you strive to embody. This is also a good time to research other individuals with brands you admire. Your vision and brand will always be personal to you but can also include inspiration you may get from others.

Update Your Branding Outlets

Your social media outlets share your digital brand and likeness with those who are not physically connected to you. Those platforms are often the most important facet of your brand. Your profiles and content on those outlets should convey a unified message of who you are and what you stand for. Use your core values as a guide to ensure your branding outlets are conveying your intended message. You can also use the vision statement you created in the bio spaces provided on social media websites.

Use Your Visibility

One of the superpowers of being a student-athlete is your visibility. People show up to games to support you and your teammates. These events create networking opportunities for everyone via social media or word-of-mouth promotion. You can use these platforms to bring attention to the things important to your brand, whether it’s a student group you belong to, an event, or a cause important to you. To ensure your brand visibility, share your success with your social media following as well as any awards or honors you may earn. Being consistent with updating your network will keep you at the top of timelines, allowing for opportunities to increase visibility and continually grow your brand.

According to leadership expert and author Simon Sinek, “Vison is a destination, a fixed point to which we focus all effort. Strategy is a route, an adaptable path to get us where we want to go.” Both vision and strategy help formulate your brand. Authenticity is important — no brand is identical because it is personally and professionally yours.

Sources:

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/personal-branding-how-create-your-vision-statement-4-easy-kossen/
• https://www.coachesclipboard.net/personal-branding-in-college-sports.html