Publicity tips for athletes
If you're an athlete, it's simply not enough for you to be great at your game. You have to market yourself, too. There's a universe of sponsorships, merchandise deals, and spokesperson deals out there, but you have to make yourself available. Publicity is important for athletes! In today's culture, athletes are celebrities, which means that any news about athletes can be turned into marketable news. You as an athlete need to learn how to control your image, and then how to market it effectively so that you don't lose any earning potential in the eyes of potential employers and in the eyes of the public.
- If you have the means, hire a representative.
Reps are great because they can handle any unpleasant situation for you, spin any story, and can manage your publicity. PR reps are masters at dealing with the press, and thus are able to shape your image (as long as you don't do anything too awful) in the way that is most beneficial to your career.
- Take care of your reputation, on and off the playing field!
As an athlete, it is important to remember that you control your image, and that you are being watched! You win contracts in large part based on the image that you portray, so choose that image carefully, and then live up to it, responsibly! Not only is it important to compete well, but it is also important to live in a way that will present whatever image you prefer, whether it is aggressive, modern, down-to-earth, hard-working, rebel, etc. Just remember that if you go too far, you become a liability to the brands you market, so behave accordingly! Behavior matters when it comes to publicity for athletes.
- Write a good bio.
One of the most important things to any reporter or company representative is your bio. The reporter will look at your bio for info to put in an article, and so you want to make sure that your bio consists only of the most pertinent and interesting information. Get someone to help you write it. Make sure that you include all your most important accomplishments, and even include some juicy spin on your background that makes your story even more poignant and compelling. An important publicity tip for any athlete is to remember that you are selling yourself, but nobody wants to wade through unimportant and extra information to get to the good stuff. Do the reporters work for them.
- Treat the press well.
If you're holding a news conference, make sure that you provide compelling information, and that you treat the press well. This is an important publicity tip for athletes, because the press will make or break you. Be polite, make sure that there is enough seating for everyone attending, and provide water. If you read a press release, make sure that it is well-written, you provide copies for everyone, and that you are willing to answer questions afterwards. Tell people beforehand what the subject of your press conference will be.
- Be proactive!
You are in charge of your career! Just as you have to work hard to come out on top in competition, you have to work hard on your publicity. Send out information to newspapers, radio programs, and TV programs. Make information available online. Make sure that in your press releases, you include a well-written, interesting bio, and that you provide all pertinent information. Become friends with reporters. Grant them interviews. More than that, call them and offer to give them an interview! Be accessible (though not too accessible) and work hard. Have a good press kit readily available, and send it out to the media. Good publicity for an athlete results in good press coverage, which can lead to great contracts.
- Perform well!
An important publicity tip for any athlete is to remember that no matter how well you market yourself, if you don't live up to your marketing, it eventually won't matter. The public is fickle, so create an image, and live up to it both on and off the field.
