Building Your Personal Brand: Lessons from Other Sports
In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, the tactics and strategies employed by various sports can serve as invaluable lessons for those in the combat sports arena. While combat sports may lag behind other sports in adopting trends, the principles of visibility, community management, and branding are universal. Here’s how you can leverage insights from other sports to enhance your personal brand.
The Lawn Tennis Association: Mastering X Threads
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has demonstrated a keen understanding of social media dynamics, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). Recently, during the Dubai Tennis Championships, Andy Murray shared his thoughts on competing in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. The LTA capitalized on this moment by tagging Murray’s handle at the beginning of their post, ensuring maximum visibility.
A critical takeaway here is the importance of structuring your posts correctly. Starting a post with a handle can limit its reach, as X may interpret it as a reply rather than a standalone post. To avoid this pitfall, simply place a full stop before the handle.
Additionally, the LTA effectively utilized alt text in their posts. This feature not only enhances accessibility for visually impaired users but also improves engagement by making content more comprehensive. For combat sports brands and fighters, this means:
- Use alt text to describe images in detail, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
- Utilize X threads for longer content, allowing for a more in-depth discussion.
- Structure posts correctly to maximize visibility and impressions.
Instagram: The Right Way to Promote Links
When it comes to Instagram, the Paris 2024 content team recently showcased a compilation of stunning Olympic football goals. However, they made a common mistake: promoting a web link in the caption. On mobile devices, these links are not clickable, which can hinder traffic to your desired destination.
For combat sports brands, the lesson here is clear. Instead of relying on captions for links, direct users to your bio where a clickable link can be placed. Additionally, utilize Instagram Stories to share links, as this feature allows for direct engagement. Consider setting up a Linktree account to consolidate multiple links, making it easier for your audience to access various platforms.
YouTube Marketing Insights from BBC Sport
BBC Sport has set a high standard for YouTube marketing, as seen in their recent feature on Australian racing driver Oscar Piastri. The content team’s attention to detail in branding is commendable. Their video thumbnails maintain a consistent color gradient that aligns with the BBC logo, and the typography is uniform across their channel.
Moreover, the video descriptions are optimized for search engines, including relevant keywords and encouraging viewer engagement. For combat sports brands, here are some actionable insights:
- Maintain consistency in video branding, including typography and color schemes. This builds recognition and trust with your audience.
- Optimize video descriptions with keywords and a template for external links, ensuring that viewers can easily find additional content or merchandise.
Engaging Your Audience
Building a personal brand in combat sports requires a multifaceted approach. By observing and adopting strategies from other sports, fighters and promotions can enhance their visibility and engagement. Whether it’s through effective use of social media platforms like X and Instagram or optimizing video content on YouTube, the principles remain the same: clarity, accessibility, and consistency are key.
As you navigate the world of personal branding, remember that the tactics employed by other sports can provide a roadmap for success. By learning from their successes and missteps, you can carve out a unique identity in the competitive landscape of combat sports.