How to Use Facebook to Get Recruited to Play College Basketball!

[Facebook has been around since 2004 and has become one of the most used social media platforms for young basketball players to get seen and get recruited. The majority of you reading this will probably have a Facebook account. But the question is, “how can you effectively use Facebook to get you recruited by a college basketball coach?”. We will answer this question for you right now, so read on and don’t forget to take notes.

THE POWER OF FACEBOOK AS A RECRUITING TOOL

Facebook was originally a social media platform for people to connect with friends and family. Now it has morphed into a modern day recruitment tool which allows basketball players to showcase your skill-set and communicate with college coaches. This has taken recruitment to a whole new level. Even College Coaches use Facebook to get a better understanding of a recruit’s personality and character. This means that if you want to be successfully and get recruited via Facebook, you must only post what you want a college coach to know/see about you. Keeping it strictly basketball is our advice. A ‘personal’ Facebook profile can seriously hurt a basketball players recruitment chances if you don’t manage what you post well enough. It has been know that players have lost scholarship offers due to a ‘poor Facebook profile’. Coaches are looking for serious athletes who can focus and show discipline and dedication to the sport. Make sure your Facebook profile falls into this category.

FACEBOOK RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYERS

As a basketball player looking to get recruited to play college basketball it’s important to be aware and understand that their are certain periods and types of communication rules that college coaches have to follow. Knowing this information will allow you to know what to expect from college coaches and when you contact them via Facebook.

If you are a high school basketball player, you are allowed to reach out to a college coach at any time whether you choose to message them privately or via a public post. But, if you send a coach a direct message (DM) and he doesn’t reply, check when the contact period starts because a college coach can’t message you via Facebook until the contact period begins!

Also, the NCAA put in social media rules that allow coaches to “like” or “share” student-athlete’s social media posts. However, what they are not allowed to do is comment publicly on a players Facebook profile unless that player has officially committed to their program (often referred to as the “click don’t type rule”).

NOTE: This applies to all social media platforms not just Facebook.

FACEBOOK IS THE MOST USED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FOR RECRUITING

In a survey by Cornerstone Reputation they found that 83% of college coaches said their staff conducted online research of recruits. Of these coaches, 88% used Facebook in comparison to  82% who used Twitter and 54% who used Instagram to get a better perspective on a potential recruit’s character.

What this highlights is the need for you to have a great Facebook account that provides a good insight to who you are as a college bound basketball player looking to get recruited. Facebook has transformed the way college coaches conduct their recruitment. They understand that young players like yourself spend a lot of time on social media so they have adapted and created their own Facebook accounts so they can easily recruit and interact with potential student-athletes without ever leaving their office.

HOW TO USE FACEBOOK TO GET RECRUITED TO PLAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL

A great Facebook account can seriously improve your chances of getting recruited. If you already have a Facebook account chances are college coaches have already found it and checked it out. Worried? Don’t be. Here are some useful pointers for you to check against or apply to your Facebook profile to make sure when a college coach see’s you, he’s interested!

1. HAVE A BASKETBALL PROFILE PICTURE AND BANNER
2. POST & SHARE GOOD BASKETBALL CONTENT ON YOUR WALL
3. TAG ANY CLUBS OR TEAMS YOU PLAY FOR
4. BE ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK POSTING RELEVANT BASKETBALL CONTENT
5. MAKE YOURSELF AS VISIBLE AS POSSIBLE

By being super active on Facebook you are going to maximize your chances of being seen by a college basketball coach. This also shows coaches and recruits that you are actively trying to get yourself recruited. If you play for a club team tag their Facebook on your post and ask them if they can share some of your posts on their profile because this will extend your exposure, increasing your chances of your Facebook profile being seen by college coaches/recruiters.

Make posts about what you are doing right now. You should be sharing as much basketball contact as you can. Examples are: team practices, individual skill sessions, personal training sessions, basketball games you play in, basketball events you attend etc. Try and create a buzz about you, and the events you are involved in and attend. You can do this by posting daily but remember, basketball is a team sport so don’t forget to big up your teammates by sharing and liking their posts too! This shows coaches that you are able to celebrate the success of others and your teammates especially. They like this a lot as it demonstrates you are a team player.

Additionally, you can help yourself by actively engaging with the Facebook profiles of the schools and coaches you are interested in playing for. This could catch the eye of a coach or recruiter for the school and may spark a conversation. Remember, college coaches are always evaluating you. You don’t want to risk your integrity as a college basketball player by posting or engaging with content that could be considered offensive. Your only focus should be on content that shows you are a coachable player and, the type of person a coach would very much want on their team. Be respectful, be cautious and be selective before you make a Facebook post!

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR EXPOSURE ON FACEBOOK TO GET RECRUITED

It’s all about making the right connections on Facebook. You need to contact people involved in college basketball. Add them as a “Friend” or “like” the pages of schools, college coaches, scouts/recruiters and any other pages of people who are connected with college basketball. Be diligent with this and make this a daily practice of yours.

Take time to reach out to college coaches and recruiters by sending them a direct message. Do this methodically every day and stick with it. By doing this you will inevitably make contacts and, eventually reach a coach who is interested in what you have to offer their basketball program. If you are able to create a bit of a buzz about yourself in the college coaches network, then you might even start to see college coaches messaging you directly first!

Another tip is to turn your Facebook profile page into your own personal recruiting website by regularly updating your status by posting your new game stats and uploading highlight video after every game you play.

By doing these three things, you can greatly improve your chances of going from a recruit with no offers to a recruit with college offers and maybe even a scholarship offer.

CONCLUSION:

College basketball Coaches at all levels are utilizing Facebook as a means to find recruits. If you take your Facebook profile seriously you can really give yourself a boost in the recruitment process. It’s all about maximizing your exposure. Once you have a Facebook profile that demonstrates the type of person and player you are, the next step is to connect and network. Start with people you know in basketball and expand to colleges and universities that you are interested in playing for. Diligence is key. If you put the time and effort in you will eventually get the attention of that one coach who has also spent a lot of time on Facebook searching for a player like you. Good luck and stay motivated!