Tips for Getting Local Deals

Focus First on Local Business NIL Deals. This is definitely the first place to start–it is almost certainly the first place to start, and it will likely be easiest way to built your portfolio.

In contacting local businesses, emphasize that you’re part of the community and that your audience is too. You have the luxury of actual going to the business to introduce yourself and discuss possibilities.  If you are going to email them, keep it short and go with something along the lines of: "Hi, I’m [Name], a [sport] athlete at [school]. I love your products and would be proud to represent you and drive other college students to your business. I’d love to discuss being an ambassador or content partner."

Start with Places You Already Support: Small business owners are more likely to say yes if they have seen you in their store. Great places to start include coffee shops, gyms, hair salons, pizza places, chiropractors, and car dealerships.

Offer Value, Not Just Exposure: State exactly how you’ll promote their business.  For example, you’ll create : five Instagram reels during the season, eight in-season Instagram and/or X posts, etc., wearing the business’s hat or shirt in a post, tagging the bushiness in photos with your teammates, tagging the business in photos with your teammates.

Build a simple marketing sheet: Create a one-sheet “Student-Athlete Impact Sheet” to send with your introductory email that shows your key athletic accomplishments and your special qualities as person as well as social media analytics.

Make It Easy for the Company: Show them drafts in presenting your proposal to the company. Write social media copy as examples and create an outline/calendar of the work you’ll perform for them during a six-month or yearlong period.

Work with Third-Party Services to Develop the Contract: When you reach an agreement to perform NIL services for a local business, it’s imperative that you develop a contract for both parties to sign. The are platforms that not only help athletes with contracts, but also compliance to make you sure you don’t impact your college athlete eligiblity.

Use tools to help with contracts and compliance: Here are three platforms to consider:

• NOCAP Sports: https://www.nocapsports.io/

• MOGL: https://www.mogl.online/

• The Players NIL: https://theplayersnil.com/