NIL Doesn’t Reward Talent
For most student-athletes, NIL is about committing to social media
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Real NIL
A few years ago, most student-athletes treated social media like a hobby.
They’d post game-day pics, share a few reposts from the team account, and maybe tag their teammates in a story. Others posted highlights and hoped a coach would notice.
Then NIL happened.
Now social media is the foundation for most NIL success (assuming you are not lucky enough to earn from a Collective or be part of revenue sharing.)
The data from our NIL Research Poll backs it up: 81% of student-athletes say social media is their primary tool for NIL.
The biggest misconception? That student-athletes need to “go viral” or be an influencer to earn money.
They don’t.
Student-Athletes just need to tell their story—and tell it consistently.
Social Media Is a Student-Athletes NIL Resume
When a brand or local business looks up a student-athlete, they aren’t searching Google.
They’re checking Instagram, TikTok, and maybe YouTube.
They’re looking for:
The kind of person the student-athlete is
The kind of content they post
Whether the student-athlete reflect their brand values
And how active and consistent on social media the student-athlete is
If their profile is all game-day photos with no captions, no stories, and nothing personal, they’re a mystery.
If their profile has 1,200 followers, a consistent posting schedule, and shows their personality, they’re a potential NIL partner.
Most businesses don’t need the most famous athletes. They need athletes who fit their identity and know how to tell a story.
Low Follower Count? Not a Problem
Don’t assume follower count is the only metric that matters.
It’s not.
Reach is important. But for many brands, it’s about alignment.
A local business doesn’t care if a student-athlete has 30,000 followers across the country. They care if 1,000 people near the campus care about the athlete, show up to their events, and follow their content.
Even major brands are changing their strategies. Instead of chasing mega-influencers, they’re working with dozens of micro-creators who are active, trustworthy, and on-brand.
If a student-athlete:
Posts regularly
Engages with their followers
Shares their real stories
Tags and mentions local businesses
...they’re in the game.
Consistency Beats Perfection
A lot of student-athletes get stuck here.
They wait until they have the perfect caption, the perfect edit, or the perfect number of followers before posting.
But social media doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards consistency.
Post 2–3 times per week
Use their real voice - not AI or generic captions
Let people see behind the scenes: workouts, team travel, recovery, classes, hobbies
A student-athlete’s feed doesn’t need to look like a brand campaign. It needs to look like them.
The best way to start? Pick a theme - their sport, daily routine, school - and share something about it twice a week. Don’t overthink it.
Start With a Story
The most successful NIL creators rarely post about stats. They post about who they are.
They tell stories about:
Being a walk-on who earned a scholarship
Being a first-generation college student
Recovering from injury
Coming from a small town
Playing for a DIII program no one outside their region knows
The story doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It just has to be honest.
Brand partners pay for access to your community, not your highlight reel.
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No Need to Be on Every Platform
Student-Athletes should pick one or two platforms. Master those.
For most athletes, that means:
Instagram for photos, stories, reels
TikTok for short videos and trends
YouTube Shorts if you already make video content
Twitter/X for thought leadership, commentary, or engagement with fans
Student-Athletes don’t need to spread themselves thin trying to do it all. If they only have time for Instagram, they should make their Instagram great.
If they love video, lean into it. If they’re better with written content, use carousels or captions that tell their story.
NIL is about fit and function - not platform quantity.
Think Like a Creator
If a local restaurant wants to pay a student-athlete to promote a meal, they don’t want them to just post a photo and walk away.
They want content that looks native to their feed.
That means:
Taking the time to show the food, atmosphere, or story behind the partnership
Writing a caption that shows their actual experience
Tagging their account and engaging with followers who comment
If the content feels forced, it won’t work.
If it feels like the student-athlete, it will.
A student-athlete doesn’t need to be an “influencer.” They need to be intentional.
And if a brand sees that they already do that with their everyday posts, they’ll trust them with a paid campaign.
What Athletic Departments Can Do to Help
A lot of schools still leave social media strategy to chance.
Here’s what departments should be doing:
Host a monthly content lab. Let student-athletes use team resources to film and create their own content.
Provide templates and best practices. Share what “good” looks like across each platform.
Highlight great examples. Showcase athletes from all sports who are posting high-quality, brand-safe content.
Offer coaching - not control. Don’t over-police. Help athletes build their voice.
Teach storytelling. Partner with marketing, journalism, or entrepreneurship programs.
Athletic departments need to create an environment where athletes feel supported.
The Biggest Mistake
The worst thing a student-athlete can do on social?
Nothing.
An empty feed means missed NIL opportunities. It also means missed chances to shape your own narrative, connect with fans, or build a future audience.
No one is asking student-athletes to turn into a full-time creators.
But if they want to succeed in NIL, they need to show up.
Start with one post this week
Show their routine, their mindset, or something off the field
Engage with the comments
And keep going…
The difference between a $0 NIL profile and a $5,000 NIL profile isn’t follower count.
It’s visibility, voice, and consistency.
Bill Carter is a leading NIL educator and consultant and founder of Student-Athlete Insights. He provides digital courses, live workshops, and consulting to help High School & College Athletes to turn their NIL into income. Bill can be contacted at bill@studentathleteinsights.com.