Mastering Twitter: Personal Branding Tips for Sports Business Professionals

With an endless stream of content being distributed on multiple social media platforms every day, what makes Twitter different and how could it possibly provide your next opportunity in the sports business industry?

Twitter is more than a platform for sharing information; it’s a social network that can serve as your online business card if you know how to leverage it. According to recent statistics, every second, on average, approximately 6,000 tweets are published, which corresponds to well over 350,000 tweets sent per minute, 500 million tweets per day and around 200 billion tweets per year. 

Here are three tips to maximize your personal brand and build a stronger network through Twitter.

 1. Make Yourself Discoverable

With more than 1.6 billion search queries per day, people are constantly searching for information, connections, and opportunities on Twitter. A strong personal brand needs to be consistent and recognizable, and that includes your username and what you choose to list in your bio. A clear and distinct handle, along with relevant hashtags in your bio, can increase your discoverability.

SEE MORE: How to Effectively Use LinkedIn to Land Your Next Job

Looking for a model to build off? Be sure to follow sports business influencers and identify not only what they are saying, but how they are sharing expertise. Basing how you share your content off industry influencers can give you a roadmap on how to brand yourself as well. Forbes Magazine released a list of the top 50 must-follow #sportsbiz accounts last year (and yes, @frntofficesport made the list in case you were wondering).

2. Build Authenticity

Your brand isn’t just what you project publicly to the whole world; you also project it in each individual interaction.

“Social media is a live microphone. People can always tell intent. Anyone who does something to try and please other people, or solely for the superficial reasons, is going to lose,” said Whitney Holtzman, CEO of Social Victories and marketing consultant for MLB, NFL, and NHL athletes.

Be an industry resource and more strategic about what you choose to curate. Prior to clicking the tweet button, ask yourself a few questions:

• Is this content relevant to my followers?
• Does this promote my values or ideas?
• Does this help my followers and audience get to know me better?

3. Engage in Conversation

Twitter is a community, not just a platform to share content. Engaging in conversation is the fastest way for your audience to get to know the “real you.” Starting a conversation can seem intimidating, but can be as simple as tagging the author of an article in your tweet. Ask other people what they think. Don’t be afraid to start conversations by mentioning someone.

SEE MORE: How to Build a Personal Brand on Social Media 

Not sure who to engage with? One of the best ways to get acclimated and participate is to get involved with Twitter chats.

“It’s the easiest, cheapest networking you’ll ever do,” said sports business analyst Kristi Dosh. “You can simply tweet without interacting with anyone and hope someone notices something brilliant you say. Or, you can be more proactive and interact with industry professionals.”

Dosh recommends responding to something they’ve said versus tweeting at them and asking for advice right away. A detailed list of sports business twitter chats can be found here.

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The key, however, is to remember that online conversation is just the beginning. 

Increasing your discoverability, remaining authentic, and engaging in conversation are all practical and simple ways to increase your personal brand. Ten to 15 minutes a day of intentional time spent on this platform can lead to your next opportunity in your sports business career.