About 74% of marketers have activated or are currently activating student-athletes as influencers.
The introduction of student-athlete influencers has launched the second evolution of influencer marketing, with over 500,000 collegiate sports start entering the influencer marketplace. These influencers also bring with them large, loyal and pre-built audiences.
While traditional influencers achieve anywhere between 2% and 3% engagement, the average student-athlete influencer scores over 10% engagement. A survey of 300 marketers by Inmar Intelligence found that 61% of respondents believe student-athletes would be more effective at driving awareness than traditional influencers.
Around 87% of marketers also feel student-athletes are quite capable of producing effective content as influencers. However, a complex system of rules and regulations at the state, school and organisational level governs student-athlete implementation. This system makes it challenging for marketers to navigate student-athlete influencer space without guidance.
[3 minute read]
