Niche sports are in high demand and draw social media endorsements that bring $50 to $10,000 to instagram famous users, according to influencer marketing company Trend Pie
A good example is Indie Cowie, who thought her sports career ended after she injured herself during college.
“I was a little worried. You don’t want it to be over.” she admitted
However, instead of giving up, she decided to put all her focus on her recovery. She gathered all her sports skills and dedicated her time and efforts into the niche sport of freestyle soccer. To keep track of her progress, she posted clips on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. As a consequence, she soon started to receive tens of thousand of views.
“These days if you have a passion about something, there’s no reason why you can’t do it on social media. Social media is amazing at reaching people.” she said.
As expected, her viral potential got the attention of famous, worldwide known brands. Currently, she is an athlete for Nike and signed deals with companies such as AT&T, Macy’s and Champion’s League/Playstation.
Traditional atheletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo (who earns $35 million a year in endorsements) have been able to earn high incomes in sponsorships for a long time. More than that, niche sports ciral clips are also in demand, regardless if the games can fill a stadium.
For example, Brodie Smith has made a good living from frisbee trick shots, whilst Dude Perfect signed TV and toy deals for basketball shots. According to influencer company Trend Pie, niche athletes can take home between $50 for a simple tweet that links to existing content to $10,000 for a custom video on Instagram for a big brand.
“Social media has that power to amplify that content,” said Victor Ricci, founder of marketing strategists Trend Pie. “These trick shots are essentially spins on standard and essential sports. Every kid grows up playing soccer and basketball. If you can do anything in a different and unique way it generally attracts people’s attention.”
Cowie has become an in-demand spokesperson for teen-focused lifestyle brands. She has more than 565,000 followers on Instagram, and 71,000 followers on YouTube. She rose to become international famous after being crowned the FIFA Street World freestyle champion by soccer star Lionel Messi, back in 2012. More than that, she juggled a soccer ball 102 times with her heels to earn a Guiness World Record.
She then became the first woman to complete a three revolution.
“It seems overwhelming, but every trick is made of a few basic tricks,” she explained.
