What should athletes do to build their social media following for sponsorship opportunities?

Athletes must be personally committed to social media - it has to become part of their culture and daily life, not seen as burdensome. You must invest in yourself because sponsors are looking at the numbers. When two athletes with similar results apply, sponsors will choose the one with 30,000 followers over 3,000. Sponsors also review the quality and type of content you post - they check if you're posting inappropriate content, getting political, or if you're cool, funny, and fit their brand. Your social media is essentially your job interview now. You cannot have someone else do your social media for you - your personality must come through authentically. If you're going to get in the game, you need to be dedicated seven days a week and not be afraid to put your face out there.