How to Use Twitter for College Recruiting

Is Twitter good for recruiting? When it comes to college recruiting, coaches and student-athletes rely on “X,” formerly known as Twitter. While platforms like TikTok and Instagram are gaining popularity among high school athletes, Twitter remains the main hub for coaches actively engaging in college recruitment and team promotion. We’ve already helped thousands of student-athletes learn how to use Twitter to get recruited.

Now we’ll show you how to make the most of your “X” profile to boost your visibility and improve your chances of getting noticed and recruited.

Can college coaches follow recruits on twitter? Do they look at Twitter? 

Yes. Following the appropriate NCAA Twitter rules, college coaches are permitted to follow recruits on Twitter. Student-athletes should be aware of when coaches can begin to reach out to their Twitter account based on their sport’s contact period.

What does it mean if a college coach follows you on Twitter? 

There are many reasons why a college coach would follow a student-athlete on Twitter. For example, a coach may be genuinely interested in a recruit and wants to monitor their Twitter account for any red flags and get a better sense of who they are as a person. Or, they may simply want to boost their own number of followers to promote their sport camps.

What do you do if a college coach follows you on Twitter? First, follow them back. If a coach follows your Twitter account, responds to your direct messages with more than just a generic note, or DMs you first, that’s a positive sign they may be interested in recruiting you.

Setting up your Twitter profile for recruiting

Whether coaches find you by chance or actively search for your name, your Twitter profile is often the first thing they’ll see when considering you for recruitment. Make the most of this chance by setting up your Twitter profile using these tips:

• Cover the basics: Your profile needs your full name, graduation year, location, playing position or event, and the name of your high school or club team.
• Choose a clear profile picture: Use a picture of yourself, preferably in your sports gear. Keep the same picture on all your social media so coaches can easily remember you.
• Add a link to your NCSA Profile: Make sure to include a link to your NCSA Profile. It helps coaches quickly access all the important details about your recruiting journey. Don’t have one? Create yours for free.
• Pin your highlight video: Stick your best highlight or skills video at the top of your X feed. This way, coaches see your top moments right away when they check your profile. It’s a great way to make a memorable impression!
• Check your settings! Making your profile public and allowing direct messages from everyone helps coaches find and connect with you, increasing the chances of responses to your follows, DMs, or post likes. But your online safety comes first! Be cautious, as anyone can impersonate a recruiter or coach on Twitter. Research profiles and verify communications through other channels for authenticity.

By doing these things, your Twitter profile becomes an attractive invitation for college coaches to reach out and learn more about your qualifications. Check out this example of a Twitter profile that’s set up for recruiting success.

How athletes can use Twitter for recruiting

Now that your Twitter profile is ready for college recruiting, let’s talk about how you can use it strategically to make the most of your opportunities. These tips offer a guide on how athletes can use Twitter for college recruiting.

1. Keep your Twitter profile current with key recruiting info. One strategy is to pin your NCSA profile link. This makes it easy for coaches to access your video, GPA, transcripts and more with just one click! Want your video to impress? Upgrade your membership to get professionally edited highlight videos.
2. Don’t wait for coaches to reach out first – be proactive! Follow, like or reply to their posts and send direct messages (DMs) to express your interest and learn more about their program.
3. Keep coaches in the loop by posting about your college visits and offers. Sharing these updates can generate more interest!
4. Use relevant hashtags that are related to college recruiting and your sport to boost the visibility of your tweets to coaches. Find the right hashtags for your tweets.
5. Ask your high school or club coaches, teammates, and even trainers to post about you on their Twitter account. College coaches have a wide network, so a timely retweet or share could help you connect with the right coach!
6. Keep things professional in your Twitter interactions and posts. Twitter is a tool for your recruitment journey, and any negative behavior can give college coaches the wrong impression about you.

How do you get college coaches to notice you on Twitter?

To grab college coaches’ attention on Twitter, be proactive! Create a strong profile with key recruiting details, follow coaches on your target list and engage with their posts to build a connection. Send DMs or tag coaches when relevant, like after a camp or college visit. Lastly, stay consistent and maintain a positive, professional presence.

This mix of a strong profile, engagement and professionalism will significantly improve your chances of getting noticed by college coaches on Twitter.

What are good things to tweet? 

Is your Twitter activity making a difference in your recruiting strategy? Explore these practical tips on what to post on X to enhance your recruiting efforts.

1. Share your high school or club team’s schedule. It helps coaches follow your progress and maybe catch your games during an evaluation period.
2. Highlight your recent achievements, such as tournament wins, camp experiences or standout moments.
3. Keep your followers informed about your recruitment journey:
   • Going on an unofficial or official college visit? Tag the coach, school and sports account to express gratitude.
   • Receive a college offer? Share the news! Coaches often wait to see your recruitment status. Don’t forget to congratulate your teammates on their successes – it reflects teamwork.
4. Share your latest highlight, skills videos, or game footage. Learn how to share your Hudl highlights on Twitter. Did you know that NCSA profiles with videos are 10x more likely to be viewed by college coaches? Don’t forget to upload it there, too!
5. Avoid inappropriate posts, captions or comments. Keep a feed that you’d be proud for anyone to read – and just a reminder that people can come back and read them years later – just ask Travis Kelce.

College offers and social “edits” on Twitter 

In 2016, the NCAA gave college coaches the green light to officially offer scholarships through social media to high school juniors and seniors. Enter: social edits. These personalized, flashy graphics are intended for student-athletes to share on their Twitter or Instagram profiles. They’ve become increasingly popular, especially in college football and among Power Five schools, where it’s now a standard part of the recruiting culture.

Every August 1, Twitter buzzes with “edits” featuring high school football prospects – giving you a sneak peek into where these athletes might end up in college, the level of interest from different schools and who the top contenders are.

Types of social edits in recruiting

While they’re typically made for official offers or commitments, coaches also use them to send birthday wishes, offer good luck before important games or simply show their support. When a coach or school sends you these edits, it’s a clear sign that you’re one of their top recruits.

Who creates social edits for student-athletes?

The edits you often see from D1 schools and prospects are typically created by professional designers employed by universities or third-party experts. But you can also create social edits for yourself! There are several apps and templates that allow athletes to design their own edits, or you can collaborate with content creators – but usually for a fee.

Share your commitment with us on Twitter

We love seeing our athletes commit to college! We’re proud to have helped over 300,000 student-athletes findtheir right college fit. To celebrate your achievement, we’ll share an #NCSAcommit photo on social media. If you’re an NCSA student-athlete eager to share your commitment news, just drop us a message on Twitter @ncsa.

Ready to be our next success story? NCSA offers expert guidance for your recruiting journey, along with mental performance and nutrition training from IMG Academy+. Our experienced coaching staff is ready to help you reach your goals. Start your story today – learn more about our memberships or create a free profile to get started.

Should you DM college coaches on Twitter? 

Yes! Sending a direct message (DM) to a college coach is a great way to put yourself on their radar if the coach actively uses Twitter. Reaching out to them on the platform can lead to them checking out your profile and spark a recruiting conversation – or better yet, an offer down the road.

How often should you DM a college coach? There isn’t a specific number. Coaches have their own communication preferences, so if they’re active in DMs – be there! Social media communication is all about building connections and showing your dedication to the recruiting process. Just keep your DMs simple, positive and purposeful.

We suggest starting with an introductory email or message through your NCSA messaging center to the coach before sending a DM. In your DM, you can refer to this email, creating a follow-up that keeps your name on their radar. Consider it as a way to maintain the conversation and keep your recruiting details readily available on your profile.

How to DM college coaches on twitter

Start by following the coach’s profile on X. While most coaches have their DMs open to everyone, some might require you to be followed back before you can send them a message. Keep in mind that coaches need to follow NCAA rules, which means they might not be able to respond immediately, depending on your high school year or the sport’s contact period.

A step-by-step guide on how to DM a college coach on Twitter:

1. Find the coach’s Twitter profile using the search bar
2. Click the envelope icon in the top-right corner to open your direct messages
3. Write a clear and professional message
4. Once you’re ready, click the blue arrow to send your DM

How to use hashtags on Twitter for college recruiting 

Hashtags play an important role in how athletes can use Twitter for recruiting. When used effectively, hashtags can boost visibility for student-athletes not just on Twitter but also on Instagram and TikTok. Here are some tips for using hashtags in college recruiting on Twitter:

• Check out the hashtags used by other student-athletes or club coaches in your sport. Some may be general and work for all sports, but others could be specific to your sport, graduation year or position/event. Use these hashtags in your tweets when they make sense.
• Join in on conversations about your sport to show your passion. If there’s a live event, there’s probably a hashtag. Coaches like recruits who stay engaged but keep it positive and avoid negative responses.
• Keep them simple. It’s best to use three to four relevant hashtags per tweet to keep your posts focused on the main content.

What are some popular hashtags being used by student-athletes in recruiting today? Here are some examples:

• #uncommitted
• #d1bound
• #classof[GradYear]
• #ncsa
• #collegerecruiting
• #[sport]recruit
• #[position/event]

Should you tag college coaches on Twitter? 

Absolutely, tagging coaches can be a valuable part of your recruiting strategy. You should tag a college coaches on Twitter (X) to:

1. Make a connection if their account is private
2. Post about an unofficial or official visit you took (or are taking!) to the school
3. Share news about a scholarship offer
4. Extend congratulations on a recent win or team award

However, it’s equally important to know when not NOT to tag coaches on X. Avoid:

• Tagging coaches without a valid reason or prior interaction
• Tagging too frequently or without relevant content
• Tagging in posts with offensive or negative content

recap: How to get recruited on Twitter 

So, can Twitter really help you get recruited? Yes! When you use it wisely, Twitter or the platform X can significantly boost your visibility to college coaches, and in turn, increase your chances of getting recruited. Here’s how you can do it: create a profile that highlights your skills and goals, follow and interact with the right people (like college coaches), share your recruiting journey and stay active on the platform. These steps will help you stand out and get noticed by the right people.

Do you have a free NCSA profile? 

Twitter is just a small part of the bigger picture. With a free NCSA profile, you become an active member of our digital community, where thousands of student-athletes and college coaches connect daily. NCSA is trusted by 82% of college programs – don’t miss out on the conversation!

Create your free profile or upgrade to a premium membership to message coaches directly. Have one platform where 40,000+ college coaches are waiting to review your highlight videos, transcripts and more. We’re excited to welcome you.