In the Spotlight: How to Rock Endorsement Deals

You may have noticed some of the most popular All-Star cheerleaders featured in cheer catalogs, or talking about specific companies and products on their social media sites. Well, if you’ve been wondering what that is all about, and how you can get in on it, keep reading! What Are Athlete Endorsements Athlete endorsements refer to an agreement between an athlete and a company or brand that exchanges promotion of product for payment. Payment might be a designated monthly or flat rate, a scholarship, donation to a charity, or it might just include free product. In cheerleading, the endorsements might be part of bigger program. For example, cheerleading company Chasse sponsors Cheer Channel’s Superstars Of The All-Stars program by providing members with a scholarship for college. How Can YOU Get A Deal? The first step will be to become a cheerleader! Companies are looking for athletes that are not only great at what they do, but that also have an excellent reputation. You don’t have to be the best technical cheerleader, as long as you have, and showcase, spirit and gain a following. In order to gain a following, you’ll need to be the type of cheerleader that goes above and beyond for the sport and for your community. Here are a few ways to do that: Find, or create, a cause and work hard to promote it. Volunteer to help others that are promoting their causes. Reach out to industry blogs, publications and organizations and ask if you can become a contributing writer, reporter or consultant. Create social media accounts for your professional cheer identity. Pay attention to which companies are working with athletes, and try to gain their attention. Be careful that you don’t become annoying though. You can reach out to a company once and ask if there might be an opportunity for you, but don’t call them every day or email continually. If they are interested, they will contact you. Keep It Clean On Social Media One of the first things a company will do is research your online presence. You have complete control over what you share publicly and privately, so there is no reason for you to be turned down for an endorsement opportunity just because of what you share on social media. Here are a few tips for keeping your online presence clean: Keep your personal and professional social media separated. The brands that you are working with don’t want posts about a fight with your BFF, and a promo for their product, to show up on the same account. Use a very recognizable professional account name, based mostly on your name. If your name isn’t available, add something like “cheer” or a widely known nickname to the beginning or end. Don’t add things that are too specific, like your team name, which might change over time. Also, don’t include anything in your username that might not be appropriate for all ages, or that might be controversial. Only post things relevant to cheerleading in your professional feeds, but don’t make it all about promotions. Talk about the state of cheerleading, upcoming or current events, accomplishments of other athletes, and share fun and interesting news and blogs. A professional account doesn’t mean taking out your personality all together. You can still post things that are unique and personal, but keep it light and positive – like your favorite song or television show, or a movie that you are excited to see. Don’t JUST post; listen and respond as well. Being interactive with your fans will help you build a bigger audience, and make you a more exciting candidate for partnerships. If You Get A Deal Be accountable and make sure you deliver what you promised! If you agreed to mention the brand in 3 Facebook posts a month, do it. If possible, ask for your payment (if monetary) be put into a scholarship fund that you can use for college. Does one of your favorite cheerleaders have an endorsement deal? Would you ever want to represent a company or brand? Comment below!