College students, especially athletes, can use their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights to earn money through social media. By building a strong, authentic online presence, you can attract brand partnerships, grow your influence, and profit without sacrificing college eligibility.
With social media driving the marketing spotlight today, online presence can be a powerful career tool. Thanks to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, college students, especially athletes, can now turn their personal brand into income.
Your social media profile could be your next big asset. But as a student, how do you grow your online following in a way that sets you up for success? Let’s break it down together!
How College Students Can Use NIL to Their Advantage
College students can now profit from their brand without losing college eligibility. If you're a student-slash-athlete, influencer, or budding business owner, you can make money from brand deals, sponsorships, and partnerships. But to make that happen, you need a strong following first.
Why Is It Important to Have a Following Online?
The more followers you have, the bigger your stage and the louder your voice. That’s the name of the game for businesses, brands, and even colleges.
Sure, it’s not the only factor that matters, but your follower count gives a solid hint at the traffic, engagement, and conversions you can bring to the table. In other words? A strong following can open many doors and seal some pretty sweet deals.
But it’s not only about numbers. The right audience and engagement matter too.
Learn more: 6 Factors That Impact Influencer Rates
Using NIL to Make Money
Once you've built a strong following, you can begin exploring how to leverage it for NIL opportunities. Here are some ways to do this well.
1. Make Interesting Content
You need content that your audience can relate to for NIL to work. Make posts, videos, and stories that show your interests and personality, as well as how your audience can benefit from the products or services you're promoting.
If you’re an athlete, flex your training routine and inspire your audience. Bonus points if you pair it with a sponsored post for a protein supplement or fitness brand. It’s a win-win: you show off your grind, they get the spotlight, and your followers get tips to fuel their fitness journey.
Creating great content isn’t just about capturing interest; it’s also about maintaining professionalism. Ensure your posts don't have any grammar errors or plagiarism (meaning your content should be your own!). Using a free online plagiarism checker with percentage can help ensure your content is original and doesn’t accidentally copy others' work.
This tool is invaluable for schools and social media alike, where maintaining originality is key to protecting your reputation. Avoiding plagiarism is key to maintaining integrity and staying legal. Reviewing your work ensures delivery of original content while avoiding legal issues.
Your followers aren’t looking for ads; they followed you for entertainment, value, and connection. Find a good mix of real, personal content and sponsored content to keep them watching. If you promote too much, your audience may think you're only in it to sell them something. This approach can hurt engagement.
2. Create a Personal Brand
Your brand separates you from everyone else. Your personality, interests, and values make up your brand, and every post you make should show that.
Love working out? Cooking up a storm? Care about mental health advocacy? Whatever your thing is, let your followers know what you stand for. Don’t just share your passions. Show brands how you align with their values. The more they see your vibe, the more they’ll want to team up.
3. Get to Know Brands and Sponsors
With NIL, you don't have to wait for companies to come to you; you can also go to them. Once you have a lot of followers online, you can start contacting brands you like or whose products you use.
Don't be afraid to send a direct message or email to introduce yourself, highlight your stats (like your number of followers and engagement rate), and explain why you’d be a great partner.
Don't forget to check out NIL-specific platforms that link student athletes with brands like Opendorse and NIL Tracker. These sites can help you find possible sponsors.
Image source: Canva
Making Your Presence Known Online
Before you start making brand deals and partnerships, learn the basics of how to build a real and interesting online presence. Here’s what every student should do.
1. Pick the Right Platforms
Not all social media platforms are created equal. Some shine brighter for certain types of content. Instagram loves a good visual story, TikTok thrives on snappy creativity, YouTube is perfect for deep dives, and X? It’s all about sharp, witty takes.
As a college student, consider your niche and where your content will click. The right platform isn’t just where you post; it’s where you connect.
- Instagram is a great place to share pictures and videos of sports, college life, or even your daily life.
- If you want to go viral, TikTok is the place to be. It’s ripe with trends, creative videos, and short videos you can jump into.
- YouTube is great for making longer, more personal or in-depth videos about your college life or sports career.
- X is a great way to get real-time updates and talk to your followers directly.
Being consistent is the key. Choose a platform you like and post on it often to keep your audience and grow it.
2. Stay Authentic and Stand Your Ground
People follow real and relatable accounts, not too polished or fake. When creating content, talk about the good and bad things that happened to you in college. Discuss what's important to you, like sports, schoolwork, personal growth, or just everyday life. This will organically bring in people who care about your journey.
3. Post Consistently
Being consistent is just as important as being real. Posting often keeps you in people's minds, and the more they see you, the more likely they are to interact with your content. Set up a schedule for yourself, like posting a few times a week or every day, and stick to it. Trust grows over time when things stay the same.
4. Talk to Your Followers
Posting content isn’t enough to get followers; you also need to build a community. Answer comments, DMs, and mentions. Interact with other students or influencers and share their content. People are more likely to stay if you take the time to talk to them and engage.
Engagement is more than replying to comments; it’s about sparking conversations your followers want to join. Think of it this way: your posts should feel like an open invitation. Ask questions, run polls, or get their feedback. The more you connect with your audience, the more loyal they’ll be. After all, a little back and forth can go a long way in building relationships.
Image source: Canva
How to Stay Safe and Be Responsible on the Internet
Influence comes with a lot of responsibility. As a student athlete in the age of NIL, what you do online can directly impact your brand and future. Keep these things in mind:
- Be professional: Be yourself online, but stay professional. Avoid posting anything that could harm your reputation, like intimate, hurtful, or discriminatory content. Everything you share shapes your brand.
- Keep it balanced: It’s tempting to accept every brand deal, but too many ads can backfire. Aim for sponsored posts to be no more than 20% of your content. Balancing ads with regular posts keeps your audience engaged and builds trust.
- Post original content: Don’t copy someone else's work. Use a free online plagiarism checker with a percentage to ensure your content is original and doesn’t copy others' work.
Key Takeaways
Creating a Lasting Online Presence
In the age of NIL, getting people to follow you online isn't just about being popular, but also about making good connections that will help you in the future, both personally and professionally. Build a strong personal brand that attracts brands, increases your influence, and provides long-term benefits by choosing the right platforms, being yourself, and using NIL to make money.
Need help building an online following and managing your social media accounts? Our expert social media marketing team can help you plan, strategize, and brainstorm your social media calendar so you can stay on top of your studies, workout routine, and posting schedule without missing a beat. Get in touch with us and let’s get to work!