Athlete influencers are a great option when looking at leveraging influencers for your YouTube advertising and marketing campaigns. Athlete influencers are increasingly joining YouTube and producing great content with high engagement and many viewers. YouTube influencer marketing relies on the influencer being an expert for the brand - luckily athletes are experts and credible voices on many topics whether that be health + wellness, fashion, food, staying healthy, managing finances, caring for family and friends, entertainment, gaming, and many more topics.
Creating effective brand partnerships with athletes on YouTube offers a unique avenue for connecting with engaged audiences. Here are ten inventive strategies for brands, particularly in health and wellness or food and beverage sectors, to collaborate with athletes on their YouTube channels.
10 ideas for YouTube Campaigns
Day-in-the-Life Videos: Athletes can incorporate your products into their daily routines, giving viewers insight into how your brand fits into a healthy, active lifestyle.
Challenge Videos: Partner with athletes to create challenge videos that incorporate your product, whether it's a fitness challenge, a cooking challenge using your food product, or a wellness challenge.
Behind-the-Scenes at Training or Events: Offer viewers a look behind the scenes of an athlete's training session or competition day, with your product playing a supporting role in their preparation or recovery.
Product Reviews and Demonstrations: Athletes can provide honest reviews and demonstrations of your products, showcasing their features and benefits from a trusted perspective.
Nutrition and Meal Prep Guides: Collaborate with athletes to create videos focusing on nutrition, including how they use your food or beverage products in their meal plans and prep routines.
Fitness and Workout Guides: Leverage the expertise of athlete influencers in creating workout guides or fitness challenges that naturally integrate your products, emphasizing their role in achieving fitness goals.
Mental Health and Wellness Tips: Athletes can share personal stories or tips related to mental health and wellness, highlighting how your product supports a balanced lifestyle.
Collaborative Giveaways: Host giveaways on the athlete’s channel, where viewers can win your products by engaging with the content, increasing interaction and interest in your brand.
Q&A or AMA Sessions: Athletes can host Q&A or AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions where they answer questions from viewers, weaving in mentions and uses of your products naturally during the conversation.
Event Vlogs: If your brand is involved in any events or sponsorships, athletes can create vlog-style content around these events, offering a personal perspective on the experience and the role your brand plays.
Leveraging the authenticity and reach of athletes on YouTube opens up a dynamic channel for brand promotion. These ideas not only showcase products but also build genuine connections with audiences through relatable, engaging content.
Tracking Metrics on YouTube
Tracking on YouTube is great! The video description section allows for links, emojis, and more. This ability to link directly to sites in the description is a big advantage over other social platforms since the Athlete can call out the link location directly. The video can also include a link in the card section of the video to appear as it plays!
Metrics delivered by YouTube to the creator are extensive and very in-depth - everything from likes to views by demographic. This data can be delivered to your team by the Athlete partner.
Below are helpful tips for tracking!
1. Include a coupon code in the YouTube video by the athlete influencer so that even if someone doesn't see the below comments or text, they can use the coupon for a discount which can be tracked.
2. Add a UTM tracking link in the comments of the YouTube video. One of the best things about YouTube influencer campaigns is that you can add a clickable link so viewers can go straight from the YouTube athlete influencer video to your e-commerce site to shop.
Athlete YouTubers on OpenSponsorship
Soccer athlete influencers on YouTube:
Soccer athlete Luis Nani, captain of Orlando City SC - LINK
Soccer athlete Karim Benzema - LINK
Soccer athlete in Futsal Michael Bolvin - LINK
Wresting / MMA / UFC athlete influencers on YouTube:
Wresting athlete Chris Jericho - LINK
MMA athlete Georges St Pierre - LINK
MMA athlete Francis Ngannou - LINK
WWE athlete Daria "Sonya Deville" Berenato - LINK
NBA / Basketball athlete influencers on YouTube:
NBA athlete Nate Robinson - LINK
NBA athlete Amare Stoudemire - LINK
Street basketball legend Tom Connors - LINK
American Football athlete influencers on YouTube:
NFL athlete Jamal Adams - LINK
NFL athlete Terron Beckham - LINK
NFL athlete Tyreek Hill - LINK
Olympic athlete influencers on YouTube:
Olympic skiing Julia Mancuso - LINK
Olympic Gymnast Jake Dalton - LINK
Olympic Track and Field athlete Michelle Carter - LINK
Automobile racing athlete influencers on YouTube:
Automobile racing athlete Hailie Deegan - LINK
Automobile racing athlete Collete Davis - LINK
Automobile racing athlete Gustavo Yacaman - LINK
Your Next Steps!
Looking to engage with athletes for your YouTube marketing campaigns? Begin your journey today by signing up with OpenSponsorship. As the go-to platform boasting a network of over 20,000 athletes, OpenSponsorship offers unparalleled access to sports personalities ready to elevate your brand's presence. Whether it's for endorsements, collaborative content, or brand ambassador roles, OpenSponsorship provides the tools and connections needed to launch successful athlete-driven campaigns.
