College basketball coaches are using social media to actively look for and recruit athletes. They are also using it to filter out and eliminate possible prospects.
Most things have gone digital, including college recruiting (to a degree; you’ll see what I mean later).
Are you using platforms such as Twitter and Instagram for your benefit or your demise?
Let’s take a deeper look at the correlation between college basketball coaches and social media.
What to Know: College Basketball Coaches and Social Media
There are both upsides and downsides to using social media throughout the college recruiting process.
I’m going to highlight both for you.
The upside of social media
Social media can be one of the most powerful tools to help boost your recruiting if you handle it properly.
In an instant, you can message college coaches and have your highlight tape available to the world.
Within your profiles can be all of your contact information, grades, and awards.
The upsides of social media are limitless – you just have to take advantage of it.
The downside of social media
There are also downsides of social media that can hurt your recruitment and confidence.
All the critics take to social media and will tweet things about you that are upsetting. You have to be able to ignore the doubters and use their words as fuel for more motivation to accomplish your goals.
You also have to avoid tweeting things back at them that you will regret at a later time. Treat social media like a business: any marketing is good marketing and professionalism is important.
Another downside to social media is that people always know what you’re up to. If you get in trouble, get hurt, or have a bad game everyone will know it.
While the downsides are present, the upsides are still much greater and something you should try to capitalize on.
One post could cost you
College basketball coaches are always watching so it’s best to keep your social media clean. One inappropriate post could cost you thousands of potential dollars in scholarship money.
Don’t ruin the chance of a lifetime to get a few laughs or let off some steam.
Always think before you post or it could cost you in the end.
There are countless examples of college coaches who stop recruiting a prospect because of something they tweeted or an inappropriate picture on their instagram account.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: If your grandparents wouldn’t approve then it’s probably better not to post whatever you had in mind.
Use social media to attract “positive” attention, not “negative” attraction.
How college basketball coaches use social media
College coaches are becoming more social media savvy each year. They often use platforms such as Twitter to help with their recruiting.
Coaches can see where kids are getting offers from. They can DM recruits they’re interested in after their sophomore or junior summer depending on the sport and division.
On top of that, college coaches are able to evaluate a recruits character and personality just by what they post.
Social media has changed the game of college basketball recruiting forever.
The correlation between college coaches and social media use is growing each and every year. If you’re not participating in it then you’re falling behind the competition.
The College Recruiting Guidebook
The college recruiting guidebook is the ultimate manual to earning an athletic scholarship for student-athletes and parents.
How would a $50,000/year athletic scholarship change your families life?
Inside the guidebook you’ll have access to:
- step-by-step instructions freshman through senior year
- every single college coaches email in the country (broken up by division and school)
- sample email/dm/text templates you can use
- a manual for parents on how to negotiate scholarships/financial aid with college coaches
- access to an array of bonuses you won’t find anywhere else
Parents will pay $20 just for admission in to their kids game. You can get this guidebook for the same price.
The college recruiting guidebook could literally change your families future!
What to do if a school offers you
If a college program gives you an offer, I would recommend posting it to your social media accounts.
By doing this other college coaches will take notice. This is often when your recruiting begins to skyrocket.
Just post a picture of the school and write something simple like how grateful you are for the opportunity. If you want you could always tag the college coach in that post.
You will know if you get an offer (coaches will be very direct). Never post fake ones because that could ruin your recruitment forever.
Kids make this mistake all the time (probably because they have people giving them bad advice) and it hurts them in the long run. One way or another, college basketball coaches will eventually find out if your offer is legit.
The college recruiting process is very tedious with so many small details you need to be aware of.
Stop guessing and making avoidable mistakes. Lean on my experience, expertise, and connections to help you along the way. Learn more here.
Using Direct Message Features
Getting the attention of a college coach is not that hard anymore. All you have to do is find their profile and send them a direct message (DM).
This method has a higher response rate than email, but some coaches still prefer the old ways.
When you send your message make sure you personalize it to each specific coach. Do not just copy and paste!
Within the message you should show your interest, provide some stats, and attach your highlight tape.
Nearly everyday some kid receives an offer by simply sending a DM and catching the eye of a college coach.
Some coaches won’t respond – don’t let this discourage you. All you need is one coach and one program to believe in you!
The college recruiting process is a numbers game so keep on sending those DM’s.
Tips for your social media profiles:
- Make sure your accounts are public
- Keep it clean with no profanity
- Have the link to your highlights available
- Profile picture should be you hooping
- Post clips of you working out (dribbling, dunking, etc)
- Bio should tell coaches who you are
- Show love to your teammates
- Like/favorite posts from college coaches and their program
- Keep your profiles up to date
Conclusion:
Social media is your resume to the world, so keep it professional. A well put together social media profile can greatly increase your chances of a coach recruiting you.
It can also help you later in life in terms of networking, finding a job, and making money.
The earlier you start to treat your social media like a business – the sooner you’ll reap the rewards.
I urge you to go through all your social media profiles and delete old posts (anything inappropriate or doesn’t reflect your current beliefs).
As an athlete, your profiles should be presented in a certain way that is appealing to anyone who takes a look.
It’s time to level up your social media accounts — which in turn will maximize your college recruitment opportunities.
