Patrick Mahomes has had himself a year. The Kansas City quarterback followed-up his 2018-19 MVP run by taking home the Lombardi Trophy in 2020. Throughout the journey, Mahomes put on a masterclass on how to build an audience, engage fans, and attract sponsors on social media.
His paired performance from the field to feeds of millions of fans has launched him to rare air on social. Today, his social standing is alongside the best in the game — competing alongside fellow NFL superstars like Tom Brady, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and OBJ.
Mahomes Social Stats at a Glance
- #1: Growth – Fastest Growing NFL Player on Social
- #4: Engagement – 4th most-engaging NFL Player
- #11: Followers – 11th largest audience among NFL Players
- Sponsored posts with:
Bose, State Farm, Essential Water, EA Madden - Estimated value per post:
- Instagram: $18 thousand
- Twitter: $14.5 thousand
- Facebook: $5.5 thousand
Since the kickoff to the 2018-19 season, Mahomes has grown faster than any other NFL player across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. He has more than doubled his follower count, climbing to #11 among all NFL players. But these aren’t empty followers. The Super Bowl champ has engaged his audience as effectively as any active player, placing in the top-four for total engagements.
His online acumen has not gone unnoticed. High-profile brands and NFL sponsors including Bose, State Farm, Madden, and Essential Water have engaged in paid partnerships with Mahomes. The partnerships have paid off in performance, netting more than 60 thousand engagements and 420 thousand video views per sponsored Instagram post.
Tips & Tactics
Beyond the no-look passes, record-breaking stats, and Super Bowl seasons, Mahomes has built his social media presence on tried-and-true tactics that can benefit NFL players and athletes at any level of play.
Ultimately, Mahomes appears to embrace a common truth of social media:
Access and Activity leads to Audience and Opportunity.
With consistent posting and engagement, he has effectively built an engaged audience. This audience and their constant attention has led to paid partnerships with some of the world’s most recognized brands.
Mahomes’ investment in social media is paying off. Here are a few ways athletes at every level can follow his lead:
1. Give fans a look behind the scenes
Athletes put in endless hours of mental and physical preparation before they are able to perform under the lights. Fans, aspiring athletes, and even peers want to see the work that ultimately leads to performance. Show your audience the training patterns and prep that get you ready to turn it on inside the lines.
2. Engage with trending topics and conversations
You don’t need access to premium content to engage your audience. Fans love to hear what their favorite athletes think about current events. Social media, and Twitter especially, is perfect for this two-way conversation. Share your two cents, show your interests, and don’t be afraid to share a laugh with your audience.
Give my man @Double0AG a trophy already!!! https://t.co/SelMXOMqj5
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 16, 2020
3. Say “Thank You!”
Big wins and accomplishments are shared experiences. For fans, they just want to feel like they’re a part of the team. Give them a shout to show your appreciation. Chances are, they’ll show it back by hitting that ‘Like’ or ‘Retweet’ button.
4. Tell your story
Every career, season, and even game has a journey. Share your personal point of view on what it took and how you got there. You’ll give new fans a reason to follow and old fans a reason to remain engaged.
comeback > setback ⏰#SuperBowlChamps #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/kfkhyAPXwC
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 3, 2020
5. Don’t stop at sports
You’re more than an athlete. And more than ever before, fans recognize that and want more access to you as a person. Show them your personality and consider sharing your interests and passions outside of sports. Have a shoe collection? Show it off. Play an instrument? Go live and give ‘em a show.
