Sports blogging is a popular way of channelling passions in a productive way. Sport generates a wide range of opinions about the same topic, thereby making it the ideal content for a blog. However, this has encouraged a vast population of bloggers to take to the internet to share their thoughts on sporting events. This makes it difficult to secure a regular readership, but here are three general tips that will help give your blog an identity and an audience.
Find your niche
Every blog needs to have a unique set of goals, otherwise it will become redundant in a crowded market. The growing popularity of WordPress has encouraged more bloggers to pick up their keyboards, with the blogging platform cited to power around 27% of the internet. Finding an identity can be achieved through a writing voice that shows your personality. Grammatical strength is expected by readers, but a strong grasp of comedy or metaphor can take the blog to the next level. There could be an emphasis on videos, like at Barstool Sports, or the stories could be focused on traditionally under-represented leagues and teams.
It is wiser to focus on one passion in the hope of attracting like-minded people as a readership, rather than attempting to cover a range of sports. However, it is one thing to be a ‘golf blog’ or a ‘hockey blog’ and write regurgitated news stories. Most people are likely to go to the major news outlet to stay in the loop, so it is vital that the blog has a unique voice or approach that enables it to stand out from the crowd. The Set Pieces is a fine example of a website that has recognised the power of newspapers and endeavoured to offer something different instead.
Make sure your post is relevant
In a fast-moving world in which sports fans are following their favourite journalists and news outlets on Twitter, it is vital to post your angle on the story while everyone is still talking about it. Speed should not come at the expense of quality, but in a competitive business, it can be easy to be left behind. BBC Sport has 7.55 million followers on Twitter, breaking news to a huge population. The clock then starts ticking as people demand a dissection of that news. Riding that wave can help your blog post gain traction on social media.
Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that all statistics are as up-to-date as possible, as discerning sports fans will instantly home in on any mistakes. Using odds is an effective way to give an indication of the expected probability of events, but again it is important that these are up-to-date. Bettors are able to remain apprised of their preferred markets while on the move, with mobile apps from companies like Betway giving users the chance to analyse over 15000 markets with ease. Therefore, odds can be verified quickly and readers will expect accuracy.
One way to maintain integrity is to cite the date at which the data or odds were correct, thereby providing a safety net from subsequent changes. Compelling writing about sports statistics can be found as inspiration at FiveThirtyEight, the website of legendary statistician Nate Silver. Expert analysis of statistics is where a sports blogger can truly distinguish themselves.
Keep to a schedule
Having a regular posting schedule is crucial. This doesn’t mean that you have to post a new article each day, with quality over quantity the right approach. However, if you have a series of blog posts that adopt the same format then keep the posting time regular. That way, readers will know they have to check in to your blog at the same time each day. One example is the Winners & Losers feature from Football365, which comes after each round of Premier League action.
If your content is geared towards responding to news events, then make sure you keep producing articles even in a relatively slow news week. Use quieter weeks as the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper for stories not being given the attention they deserve. A blog that continually generates interesting content stands a much better chance of generating revenue, which is where reading up on SEO comes in handy. WP Gurus state the importance of regular content in order to remain prominent in search engine results.
Whether your strength lies in short bursts of humour or longer articles that demonstrate investigations and research, find your niche and stick with it. By regularly producing unique and interesting content, readers will keep coming back to your blog. It may take time to flourish, but hard work pays off.