Skiing in the era of Social Media

One time I met Alex Hackel and asked him if he was an Evo employee...

 

True story lol...

 

Now I know who he is, I'm sure we all do.

 

He's a super chill dude in person, but he's leveraging social media to make his dreams happen.

 

Some people may hate on him because of "click bait" content.

 

But in reality, he's focused on making the ski industry a better place, and keeping our sport alive.

 

Also making some sick skis in the midst of it all.

 

And the majority of haters, well....

 

They're sitting behind their phone, jealous that he's making the life he wants happen.

 

So they're trying to bring him down to their level, instead of rising to his.

 

Unfortunately this happens everywhere, not just in the ski industry.

 

It's the classic dilemma of putting yourself out there, you'll have more eyeballs on you.

 

Having more eyeballs means more opportunity for people to get jealous of you creating your own path.

 

But, the more skiers we see doing it the more normalized it becomes.

 

You don't have to make content though...

 

Creating ski content is a choice, no one has to do it.

 

There's plenty of sick skiers out there that aren't really creating content.

 

We're not gonna name them, but honestly, I'd love to see more content from some of these guys.

 

And they're happy working hard in the summer, and hustling side jobs while skiing.

 

While they get free gear from some sponsors, but very little money from them.

 

And hey!

 

Skiings not about money, it's about having fun and progressing the sport as a whole.

 

But, the world we live in does need money to survive.

 

Or to be able to actually make change within an industry.

 

So it's not selfish, or (un)core of you to want to make money from doing something you love.

 

Look at Nick Goepper...

 

He built a quarter pipe air bag in the dessert to train.

 

He's planning on pushing the half pipe sport by throwing a freak cork in the olympics.

 

We'd all love to see that.

 

But, that takes resources to build.

 

Keep skiing for enjoyment. Keep skiing fun.

 

But, also keep in mind the longevity of the sport.

 

Actually building something for yourself & the industry.

 

The thing with Social Media is you can use it or get used by it.

 

It's the classic Consumer VS Creator.

 

It's why marketers and advertisers get paid so much.

 

It's all about holding attention.

 

And well, if you're not creating on the platform then you're most likely consuming.

 

The argument I hear is "creators/influencers are ego centric".

 

But, let's flip that the other way.

 

To put yourself out there to the world, accept the haters, and show who you are.

 

You have to drop your ego.

 

I'd say not posting and showing what you're up to is more ego centric.

 

Why?

 

Because you're afraid of what other people will think of you.

 

That's due to your ego.

 

It takes a lot to get past that and put yourself out there.

 

But, life rewards action. And life rewards putting yourself out there.

 

You never know who you can help by sharing your story, who will resonate with it, or who needs that extra push right now.

 

You don't have to make the X Games to make it in skiing?

 

As we mentioned, holding attention is what big companies pay for.

 

We pay attention to skiers we like, whether they teach tricks on the gram.

 

Showcase different ski resorts or parks.

 

Ski creative or flowy.

 

Or show BTS of making ski movies & competing.

 

If you look up to a skier, most people want to know what gear they're using, what they like to eat, and they're favourite toothpaste.

 

That's the beauty of creating, as you create (good) content you'll grow a following.

 

That leads to brand deals (some people get paid over $5k per post for brands).

 

It also means you can create a business, whether that be ski clothing, ski gear, or teach online.

 

We're seeing a lot of ski fitness groups & courses pop up which is awesome!

 

Because it's all people trying to help others ski longer & stronger.

 

And let's not forget the clout.

 

Sure, the more haters you get means the bigger you're becoming.

 

But as you put on your blinders and push past any of that, you'll begin to gain respect.

 

As people see you grow and progress publicly they'll begin to know your name, know who you are.

 

That's how you grow clout, you'll never have clout if no one knows who you are.

 

Sounds great, how do I get started?

 

Okay, if you've made it this far you must actually wanna make change in your life and apply this.

 

It can be hard starting on your personal account, where your mom and Aunt Jackie comment on every post with a heart.

 

I get it...

 

So in this case you can create a new account dedicated to this new era.

 

Or feel free to use your personal IG or TikTok (TikToks faster to grow on right now).

 

For the platforms sake, most stuff will be filmed on a phone vertically.

 

Then decide or experiment with content niches you like.

 

Tutorials? Reviews? Workouts? Podcast style? Sick skiing? Rails only?

 

A good way to find inspiration is going through top accounts and noting what resonates.

 

Then try different styles and review the analytics, double down on what's working.

 

Use a hook with your post.

 

A hook creates curiosity and makes people want to watch the video until the end.

 

The hook can be text on screen, talking, or text in the beginning of the caption.

 

You can explain in the caption or with text on screen if you want to talk about a topic related to the video.

 

You'll see this style on a lot of Ian's videos.

 

It keeps people on the video longer, which pushes it up on the algorithm.

 

As you're following grows you can begin reaching out to brands, or brands may start reaching out to you.

 

So what's it gonna be?

 

You have to start to learn.

 

Failure is our biggest teacher, and shouldn't be viewed negatively.

 

You may have to put out 100-200 videos before you actually get good at editing.

 

Or find your style.

 

But you have to start.

 

Tag @slopeacademy in your videos and ya never know what we'll repost (that'll get you more eyeballs).

 

Let's recap all that so you remember:

• Some pioneers in the industry creating content get hate.

• Most people hating is because of their ego.

• Don't let this effect you, use it for fuel.

• The ones actually changing our industry create good content.

• As the world progresses big brands will prefer sponsoring those with a following.

• You can create a new account or use a personal one.

• Study those top creators and note what you like.

• Think of hooks for videos.

• Start start start.

• Tag Slope Academy

 

If you want to join a group of other people getting better at skiing join Slope Academy anytime.

 

We're also talking about content ideas inside the community as we teach how to make a life doing what you love.

 

Peace,

Slope Academy