Amateur athlete sponsorship and social media are becoming increasingly intrinsically linked.
Many athletes are limited by their National Sport Federations on the placement of personal sponsors branding on their race gear. As a result, they must great creative to unlock value and solicit additional supporters.
But how does an athlete, after building up an online network of friends, family, followers and fans, monetize those platforms?
Facebook Cover Image Sponsorship
Canadian Olympic speed skater Brittany Schussler provides a great example for other amateur athletes on organically carving out sponsorship space within her Facebook fan page. Brittany leveraged her fan page cover images to have a featured “powered by” monthly sponsor.
Supporters, for the cost of $250, can have their name or business featured in Brittany’s cover image along with a calendar of events for the month.
“Limited by only having one spot on my speed suit to recognize a personal sponsor by Speed Skating Canada, I looked at my online platform to see if there were other areas to promote my supporters. Since my Facebook fan page is something I keep constantly updated and where my strongest followers turn for updates it was a natural venue to showcase supporters” Schussler said.
Call it ‘bite-size sponsorship’. Instead of going for the home run in her sponsorship outreach, Brittany started small and built up both her confidence in sponsor outreach and her portfolio of supporters.
Her sponsors have not remained small as she has, subsequent to launching her Facebook campaign, landed full year sponsorship deals with Calgary-based energy players Newalta and Crescent Point Energy as well as Winnipeg-based retailer, Boes Inc.
Congrats Brittany and thanks for setting a great example for other athletes. All the best on the road to Sochi!
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