The numbers are in! Our blog post featuring New Mexico’s top five food influencers on social media is a popular post. With affirmation of a well trafficked blog post, we are expanding our insight and sharing additional insight: New Mexico Top Athletic Instagram Influencers.

Athletes have deep New Mexico roots. The Albuquerque Isotopes are the Triple A team for the Colorado Rockies.  New Mexico United’s black and yellow is a staple of the community and our own University of New Mexico Lobos and New Mexico State Aggies keep the sports page filled (as do the WNMU Mustangs, ENMU Greyhounds and prep school programs… did we cover all of them?).

Interestingly, the traditional sports programs and franchises have some competition in the world of Instagram influence. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), skateboarding and team roping all have significantly more Instagram influence then football, soccer, baseball and (gasp) basketball!

In New Mexico, these “hometown heroes” unite the state, many times providing something greater to stand behind. This is why they tend to have large followings within the state on social media. Leveraging these athletes as influencers can bring a sense of strength to brands and, in the state, a greater reach of messaging.

Our top athlete influencers in New Mexico are determined by combining high numbers of followers and high levels of engagement.

Fine print: The engagement rate* was based off of the most recent posts from their Instagram accounts.

*Engagement rate was researched on May 12, 2021.

About the author: Haley Richards is a native New Mexican who recently graduated from Birmingham City University with a degree in Public Relations. Haley’s passion for creating and making an impact in her community inspired her to pursue this profession.

Published May 26, 2021