Branding yourself as an athlete is essential to one’s long term success. It is a matter of knowing how you want to be perceived in the eyes of potential sponsors, those who one wants to endorse, one’s team and the fans. Branding consists of successfully handling the media, social media and fan interactions not just team interactions.
One wrong move on social media, with the media, or with fans and an athlete’s brand could be seriously damaged. The media can either become an ally or an enemy for a player, so a player wants to be careful how she treats the media. Further, an athlete could find herself in difficult waters if she fails to meet league or sponsor’s expectations regarding interaction with the media.
Most athletes do not want to be bulletin board material. And some athletes prefer their privacy. Most importantly, sometimes, a player has a bad day either on or off the field. The expectation that an athlete has to make himself available after a game–especially if he played horribly or was hurt–can be terribly insensitive. But journalists have a job to do, so be gracious as possible during the interview no matter the situation.
And don’t forget to make the most of social media. It doesn’t matter if it’s FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Tumblr, Pin Interest, Google+ or even TikTok. All of these social media tools, or applications, have benefits that increase an athlete’s brand which means opportunities for endorsement and sponsorship deals for a player, team or league. Social media is an excellent tool to express world concerns like the environment or voting. It is also a great tool to correct misconceptions about oneself from a poor interview in traditional media or podcast.
Source: Natalie AllportSo, should an athlete avoid these interactions outside of team mandated ones? No, it is not something to run from and art to master. Until then, here are few pointers to keep an athlete out of trouble with the media, fans, sponsors, and more importantly, the league:
⦁ Never attack a member of the media even when provoked-try not to take things personally;
⦁ Allow designated player association personnel to speak about labor disputes-some version of “no comment” works well in this situation;
⦁ Be calm and avoid defensiveness–“don’t let them see you sweat;”
⦁ Stay humble and think before you speak;
⦁ Make supportive statements about teammates and players associations without lying;
⦁ If you get caught in a sticky situation, accept responsibility;
⦁ Remember the media will either be your ally or your enemy;
⦁ What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas–the same is true of the locker room;
⦁ Zip the lips–avoid gossip (off the record comments), lies, omissions, and do not over share information;
⦁ Prepare for interviews;
⦁ Be professional, respectful and engaging when interviewing;
⦁ “No comment” or “I don’t know the answer” are acceptable answers to use when you don’t know or want to answer a question;
⦁ Don’t speculate;
⦁ Feel free to ask the reporter, or whomever, a question;
⦁ Know your brand and be yourself;
⦁ Avoid space fillers (e.g., basically, um, etc.);
⦁ Be energetic;
⦁ Choose your words wisely;
⦁ Be aware of folks with cameras when out and about;
⦁ Talk about community service and world issues (social justice);
⦁ Remember even if you delete it (social media) the world still owns it;
⦁ Remember personal safety concerns
⦁ It’s okay to intellectually challenge faulty thinking on social media but don’t get dragged into an online argument;
⦁ Watch your body language;
⦁ Occasionally check both your traditional and social media reputations; and
⦁ Be thankful for the opportunity to be interviewed–someone else would love to be in your shoes.
If you still feel uncomfortable interviewing, seek assistance from a retired journalist or press agent. Further, do not forget to learn the language, or hire an interpreter, for the land that interview will take place.
The proper use of media whether traditional or social can increase one’s standing in the eyes of sponsors, teammates, owners, leagues, the media as well as with fans. Both traditional and social media used properly is a means to help improve not just the athlete, team, or league’s future but the future of world too. And that’s much better than having to go see the Spin Doctor.