There’s a famous saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” which has become even more relevant with the increase of social media platforms. Young athletes can now use the internet to their advantage by creating profiles filled with photos and highlight videos to truly capture what they are capable of. Rather than pointing out the obvious negative downfall the wrong photo can have on your athletic career, let’s focus on what that underlining shot can land you!

Social media branding is no longer solely meant for companies selling a product. Nowadays, personal branding is equally important for young athlete’s intent on being discovered by college recruiters. Social media savvy athletes are putting a whole new spin on their recruiting game and it’s an exciting era to be a part of.

Athletes are progressively building personal profiles with creative imagery to increase their exposure and entice the viewer on the other end. With apps like VSCO, Snapspeed, and Afterlight, athletes can capture their best action shot for such profiles.

We’ve seen a flood of already awesome action shots with fun filters and features all over Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and they aren’t always posted by the athlete themselves. Instead, we’re noticing a trend of popular social accounts similar to @Athletes_Shouted hosted by NCSA, posting athletes of every level to showcase their talent. DraftCard has even started posting an “Athlete of the Day” on social media that has gained each athlete a ton of recognition. We’ve used photos personally edited by the athlete or DraftCard profiles they have created using the app.

Ultimately, social media has abundantly increased the exposure of athletes all over! There is no shortage of resources for young athletes to up their personal branding game. A photo alone is telling a story that might not have ever been heard if it weren’t for that exposure. It’s amazing to think that the right photo and profile could land an athlete a full-ride scholarship.