Social Media Strategy

Build a Brand That College Coaches Notice

Why Social Media Matters: 90%+ of college coaches actively use social media (especially X/Twitter and Instagram) to evaluate and track recruits. It's not optional — it's a core part of the recruiting process. Coaches check your social media BEFORE they respond to an email. A strong, consistent softball social media presence signals that a player is serious about recruiting.

Charlie's Current Social Media

X / Twitter
Active Account
Active
TikTok
@catcherchar4
Active
Instagram
Needs Softball Account
Set Up ASAP

Platform-by-Platform Strategy

X / Twitter — The #1 Recruiting Platform

X/Twitter is THE platform for softball recruiting. More college coaches actively scout on X than any other platform. This should be the priority.

Profile Setup

  • Display Name: Charlie Holladay
  • Bio format:
    C/INF | Class of 2031 | Birmingham Mustangs 2030 Poe
    Hartselle, AL | 3.X GPA
    .610 AVG | 1.754 OPS | Pop: 1.91
    [Email address]
  • Profile photo: Clear headshot in uniform or catching gear
  • Header photo: Action shot — throwing, hitting, or at the plate
  • Pinned tweet: Skills video or best highlight reel

What to Post

  • Game highlights: Big hits, throw-downs, blocks, catches (30-60 sec clips)
  • Measurable updates: "New pop time: 1.XX! Putting in the work" with video
  • Training clips: Cage work, catching drills, conditioning (15-30 sec)
  • Tournament announcements: "Excited to compete at [Event] this weekend! Field X, #[number]"
  • Stats updates: Weekly or post-tournament stat lines
  • Retweet/engage with: College softball programs, coaches, and teammates

Who to Follow & Engage With

Account Type Why How to Engage
College softball programs (@AlabamaSB, @AuburnSoftball, etc.) Shows genuine interest; coaches notice who follows and engages Like game results, retweet highlights, reply congratulations on wins. DON'T be excessive or weird about it.
College coaches (head coaches, assistants, recruiting coordinators) Name recognition; they'll see your profile when you interact Like posts, occasionally reply. Keep it genuine and brief.
Softball recruiting accounts (@ExtraInningsSB, @SBLiveSports, etc.) They repost player highlights — free exposure Tag them when you post highlights. They often repost good content.
Tournament/event accounts They share content from their events Tag them at events. They'll repost to their larger audience.
Mustangs team account (if they have one) Builds team brand Retweet team content, tag in your posts

Instagram — Visual Recruiting Portfolio

Account Setup

  • Handle suggestions: @charlie.holladay.softball, @charlie_holladay31, or @catcherchar4 (match TikTok)
  • Bio: Same format as X/Twitter bio
  • Profile pic: Same as X for consistency
  • Link in bio: Link to YouTube skills video or recruiting profile
  • Highlights: Create highlight categories — "Catching," "Hitting," "Training," "Events," "About Me"

Content Strategy

  • Feed posts (2-3/week): Best highlight clips, action photos, measurable updates
  • Reels (1-2/week): Game highlights set to trending audio, training montages, day-in-the-life
  • Stories (daily during events): Game warmups, team moments, behind-the-scenes, stat updates
  • Carousels: Great for stats posts — slide 1 is the stat, slides 2-5 are the video clips to back it up

TikTok (@catcherchar4) — Viral Potential

Profile Optimization

  • Bio: Add position, grad year, and team. Keep the personality but add recruiting info.
  • Content: TikTok is more casual/fun — personality is welcome here
  • Cross-post: Post your best TikToks as Instagram Reels and X clips too

Content Ideas

  • Day-in-the-life of a travel ball catcher
  • "Things only catchers understand" trending audios
  • Before/after training transformation clips
  • Slow-motion throw-downs and catches
  • Game highlights with trending sounds
  • POV: catching a pitcher who's dealing

Weekly Content Calendar Template

Day Platform Content Type Example
Monday X / Instagram Training clip "Working on framing this week in lessons" + 15-sec clip of receiving drills
Tuesday TikTok Fun/personality content Trending audio with softball twist — this is your casual day
Wednesday X Stats or measurable update "Season update: .610 AVG | 37 RBI | 3 HR through 23 games" with best hit clip
Thursday Instagram Story Behind-the-scenes Practice clips, pregame routine, team moments
Friday All platforms Weekend preview (game weeks) "Mustangs headed to [Event] this weekend! Looking forward to competing."
Saturday/Sunday All platforms Live event content Stories during events, highlight clips between games, recap posts after
Don't overthink it. You don't need to post every day. 3-4 quality posts per week is better than daily filler. The key is CONSISTENCY and making sure every post supports the recruiting brand.

Post Templates — Copy, Customize, Post

Pre-Tournament Post

Highlight Clip Post

Stats Update Post

Measurable Update Post

End-of-Summer Recap Post

Hashtags That Work for Softball Recruiting

Core Hashtags (Use on Every Post)

  • #softball
  • #softballrecruiting
  • #classof2031
  • #catcher
  • #softballcatcher
  • #2031uncommitted

Situational Hashtags

  • #travelball #travelsoftball
  • #pgfsoftball #pgfgrandfutures
  • #exposuretournament
  • #collegesoftball
  • #softballplayer
  • #behindtheplate (catchers love this one)
  • #alabamasoftball (local visibility)

Social Media DO's and DON'Ts

DO

  • Keep it positive and professional at all times
  • Show gratitude — thank coaches, teammates, parents
  • Engage with college programs genuinely (congrats on wins, etc.)
  • Show personality — coaches want to see who you are as a person
  • Post consistently (3-4x/week minimum during season)
  • Include your position, grad year, and team in every bio
  • Use video — video gets 10x more engagement than photos
  • Tag events, facilities, and organizations
  • Show training/work ethic content — coaches love seeing the grind
  • Keep a clean, public profile (coaches WILL check your personal accounts too)

DON'T

  • Post negative content about teammates, coaches, umpires, or opponents
  • Complain about playing time or lineup decisions
  • Post inappropriate content on ANY account (personal included)
  • Get into arguments or drama online
  • Post only "look at me" content — show team-first mentality
  • Use profanity or inappropriate language
  • Tag college coaches excessively (once per major event is fine)
  • Make it look like you don't care about school/academics
  • Go dark for weeks — consistency matters
  • Post anything you wouldn't want a coach to screenshot and share with their staff
Golden Rule: Before posting ANYTHING, ask: "Would I be comfortable if the head coach at my dream school saw this?" If the answer is no, don't post it. This applies to ALL accounts — personal, finsta, everything. Coaches will find all of them.

Quick Video Editing Tips

Free Apps That Work Great

  • CapCut: Best free editor. Easy to use, great text overlays, slow-mo
  • InShot: Simple and clean. Good for quick clips.
  • iMovie: If you're on iPhone, this is solid for longer skills videos
  • Canva: Great for creating stat graphics and carousels

Every Clip Should Include

  • Name text overlay in the first 2 seconds
  • Position and grad year
  • Team name
  • Event name (if from a tournament)
  • Measurable number (if showing a pop time, exit velo, etc.)