If you are an athlete, there is a good chance that you are using your social media account wrong. Your goal is to use it to help you in recruiting, but you aren't taking the steps necessary to have the type of reach and interactions, that will actually help put your videos, and your content in front of the college recruiters. And you could be even doing some simple things, that are actually hurting your recruiting! Today we are going to take you through the steps to best optimize your Instagram account, so you are properly using this recruiting tool in a way to help you have a bigger reach, more meaningful interactions, and help set you up for potential NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities in the not so distant future.

**Disclaimer** - No matter how optimized and perfect your social media profile and content may be, using Instagram as your entire recruiting strategy is a TERRIBLE idea. Instagram should be a tool in the process, not your entire process. Social media is a passive recruiting tool, and to guarantee that you get notice by coaches at schools from which you have interest in attending, you need to be proactive. Ok, now on with the show.

- Step 1) Optimizing your profile, with important information, and a link to highlight videos.
- Step 2) Posting videos that will capture and engage interest.
- Step 3) Be consistent, and post different types of content. Reels, photos, stories, etc. Don't try to go viral, be more concerned with the quality of content, and the value you provide
-Step 4) Follow the coaches and programs that you are interested in, follow players from the programs.
- Step 5) Be an active participant in the content that the coaches and programs are posting. Read: Name recognition.
- Step 6) Build a community on your Instagram. Have conversations, support others, and engage with relevant content.
-Step 7) Respond to others, and post your original content in a way that increases engagement.
- Step 8) Use relevant #hashtags and @tags.
- Step 9) Borrow other peoples viewers, add value and insight to other peoples posts
- Step 10) Do NOT tag college coaches in videos, highlight videos, and posts. There is one "yeah, but.."

Now, remember this whole recruiting process, isn't just about you. It's about the value that you bring to your future college team. And coaches are going to evaluate you to see how your skills, your strengths, personality and your opportunities best fits the need of their team. And it's all about how you fit in their puzzle.

You are not a standalone unicorn puzzle piece. Even the best players that we have in our program, even the best players in the country, they have to fit the puzzle based on what the coach values and what the team needs. Keep in mind, you getting recruited comes down to an opportunity to be evaluated, to see if you would be a good fit for your team. And once you understand this, that really goes a long way.

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