RICK REA: Helping You Grow Through Online Marketing
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Social Media News
    • SEO Marketing News
    • Digital Trends News
    • Photography News
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Business News
    • Gadget News
    • Printing News
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe


The Pros and Cons of Athletes as Social Media Influencers

8/21/2019

0 Comments

 
https://ift.tt/2Nmh0Ru

The Pros and Cons of Athletes as Social Media Influencers

https://ift.tt/30mYA6D

Due to their high-profile roles, athletes have always been key influencers on social and cultural issues. And now, thanks to the extended reach of social media platforms, they are finding that they can have a voice on just about any issue. With a single tweet or a single image on Instagram, they can galvanize hundreds of thousands of fans and followers to follow their lead.

The pros of athletes as social influencers

There’s obviously a lot of good that can come about if top athletes lend their voice to important social and cultural issues. For example, consider the example of outspoken women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who has become an advocate of equal pay for women, as well as a supporter of improved race relations. As she noted in an interview following the epic women’s World Cup victory, all athletes have a responsibility to make the world a better place.

And, indeed, over the past five decades, athletes have played an important role in advancing social justice, improved race relations, and important democratic principles. Who can forget the iconic image of Olympic athletes raising their fists in support of black power back in 1968? Or how top athletes like Muhammad Ali have become spokespersons for human rights around the world? In addition, professional athletes can raise awareness about important health and social issues. If you’ve ever turned on a professional sports game and wondered why all the athletes were dressed in pink, then you can understand why visual imagery is so important when advocating for change.

The cons of athletes as social influencers

But what about the downside of athletes as advocates and influencers? Perhaps the best example here is former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been embraced by brands like Nike at the same time that he has become arguably the most controversial figure in the world of professional sports. While actions such as refusing to sand for the national anthem might be based on deeply held beliefs, such actions are also deeply divisive to society as a whole.

And there’s also the issue of professional athletes opining on issues of which they might have little or no real knowledge. In the constant search for media publicity, some athletes take on causes that they might – or might not – really have any real knowledge about. On social media, it’s far too easy to like, share or comment on content in order to be “on trend.” Unfortunately, changing the color of your social media avatar is not going to change the world, even if you convince thousands of other people to do the same.

Ultimately, social media is a very powerful platform for athletes to make their views heard on social and cultural issues. Given their power as role models and 24/7 visibility on TV and the Internet, it’s easy to see how they can give momentum to any movement or raise awareness on any important issue.

Final thought

Just remember, however, that just because an individual is good at dunking a round ball or running extremely fast on a grass field does not mean that they need to be unquestioned or unchallenged. Just as athletes have a responsibility to make the world a better place, fans also have a responsibility not to engage in blind hero worship. Social media should be about dialogue, not just about following.

The post The Pros and Cons of Athletes as Social Media Influencers appeared first on Social Media Explorer.





Social Media

via Social Media Explorer https://ift.tt/2onGYog

August 21, 2019 at 09:31AM

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Amazing WeightLoss

    Click Here!

    Categories

    All
    Analyze Top Competitors
    Anti-Abuse
    Apple
    Apple Watch
    Blog Posts
    Brainstorm
    Brand Awareness
    Communications
    Content Marketing
    Conversion Rates
    Editorial Calendar Tips
    Engagement
    Facebook
    Google Analytics
    How To Marketing Tips
    Influencer
    Instagram
    Instagram Live
    Keyword Search
    Marketing
    Marketing Automation
    Picture Quotes
    Podcasts
    Recording Videos
    Repurpose Blogs
    Research Trends
    Sales Funnel
    SEO Marketing
    Sharing Posts
    Slide Shows
    Smartwatch
    Social Media Marketing
    Social Media News
    Social Media Tools
    Social Selling
    Target Marketing
    Twitter
    Twitter Notifications
    User Interaction
    Video
    Video Marketing

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

    RSS Feed

All content copyrighted (C) 2010 ~ 2020
​All Photos & Content Used Under Creative Commons
​www.RickRea.com 701-200-7831
Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Social Media News
    • SEO Marketing News
    • Digital Trends News
    • Photography News
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Business News
    • Gadget News
    • Printing News
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe