Social media has become an integral part of a professional athlete's career and female athletes seem to possess some of the larger followings, giving them strong influence. Not only can this help the individual athlete but it can be a powerful tool in highlighting women's sport, bringing more interest and additional coverage.  Female athletes can also evoke change in other ways by being an influencer, such as by using their own personal stories to inspire others. “The stakeholders on the commercial side of sports are constantly searching for the next frontier, the next growth play,” Dan Cohen, who leads sports marketing company Octagon’s media rights consulting division, said in an email. “It is clearly women’s sports.”

Looking to expand your marketing strategy in 2021? Have you wanted to work with athletes but didn't know where to start? OpenSponsorship is here to guide you through athlete sponsorship for the coming year to elevate your brand's marketing plans. Below is a curated list of top athlete influencers whose engagement rates predict a strong performance for the coming year. 

The Coronavirus pandemic has taken the sports world by storm, and athletes now have an unprecedented amount of time on their hands leading to an increase in the number of athletes on TikTok. Some are taking on new hobbies -see Giannis Antetokounmpo learning the guitar and Cody Zeller learning to cook and play the guitar (well, trying to). Some are doing their best to stay in shape at home- nice setup, Serge Ibaka! But most of all, athletes are more active and engaging on social media than ever before. The most interesting takeaway from this uptick in social media activity has been the increase in athletes on TikTok.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Richard Sherman are the two most highly engaged athletes on social media. Both are OpenSponsorship athletes, contact them today to promote your brand and interact with their fanbase. Below, I discuss why athletes need to be good at social media.

One of the main reasons athletes benefit from having a social media following is the inspiration they provide for their followers. I follow professional athletes on social media because I look up to them as role models. A professional athlete’s work ethic is second to none, and people want to be involved and see how athletes are operating on a daily basis. Social Media has provided the public with a distant relationship that often doesn’t seem so distant given the nature of the athlete. The “bigger than life athlete”, is more relatable when I can see updates about them on my smart phone anytime, anywhere.  Inspiration is contagious, and all the better when it is being spread from a world class athlete to the everyday hard working person.