Social Media and Protecting Your Brand

When many people think of social media, a lot of times what comes to mind is the funny TikTok dances or the cute family photos on Facebook or the memes on Instagram. However, those are only a few of the types of content that can be posted.

Along with the funny and uplifting content, there is also potential for harmful content, whether it be inappropriate or even content that doesn’t represent the user in a positive light. Athletes, especially those who want to play at the next level, need to be aware of the dangers and be vigilant not only about their own posts but also about those of their friends and family.

We live in a world where one click of a button can change your life forever, and even if you don’t see anything wrong with a post, that doesn’t mean somebody else won’t. Once something is posted, it is not easily taken back, so thinking before you act is crucial in the use of social media.

Matt Brunet, head softball coach at Blue Mountain Christian University, and Mackenzie Sher, head softball coach at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, gave their thoughts on social media when it comes to recruiting athletes to their programs.

“First of all, it depends on the school you’re coaching at,” Brunet said. “Different schools have different standards, and you want to make sure the social media accounts of your recruits reflect the standards of the school. Ultimately, you want the school to be the right fit for the student athlete and vice versa. If it’s clear based on their social media accounts that it’s not a good fit, then you might need to look elsewhere.”

When recruiting, Sher and her staff look at both the recruit’s social media accounts and the accounts of those in their circle because even if the recruit didn’t post something she shouldn’t have been doing on her own account, it could show up on someone else’s. Sher also spoke to the idea of using social media to promote not only the program’s brand but also your own individual brand.

“Social media is definitely protecting the brand,” Sher said. “That’s the mission, but like I said, it’s not just for sports, it’s for after you get done, after you have a job. We relate it a lot, especially with the players that we have now, you know, if you had a real job and your boss saw this, you would get fired, or you would be reprimanded for whatever. We definitely just want to be aware of that and cognizant, especially with recruiting. If it’s just absolutely terrible content, that’s a bigger conversation, but it’s more of a repeat offender I guess you’d say because if that’s what you’re posting, that’s probably what you’re going to be representing or how you’re going to be talking or what you’re going to be focused on, instead of protecting the brand. And ultimately, if you can’t protect your own brand, then how can we trust you to protect the program brand?”

Athletes definitely have the responsibility to watch what they put on their social media feeds and what those around them put on their feeds. However, it is also good practice for coaches to tell recruits their expectations for social media ahead of time.

“I try to be upfront with recruits, letting them know the mission of our institution and the standards of our team,” Brunet said. “I want them to make an educated decision, be excited to commit, and not be surprised when they arrive on campus in the fall. Social media is a valuable resource when getting to know recruits and navigating these conversations.”

In addition to laying out their expectations, coaches can be resources in helping recruits and even their current players to be good stewards of social media and to use it well.

“Where it would be easy just to get rid of the problem and turn away from it, I think that you still give the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, you know, we saw this on your social media. Those are some things that are kind of red flags,’” Sher said. “And see if they change because then that also lets you know if they’re going to be coachable or have the ability to adapt. It opens up a pretty cool door to have a conversation on how to create a brand and how to use it correctly and maybe help them look at a few things that they weren’t looking at before.”

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