It can be intimidating to look into the field of sports bloggers and try to create a prominent, high-quality blog that pays off.
After all, there are plenty of writers who do this kind of thing for free on their own time. How else is it possible to be noticed in a crowd? How does an author get their blog platform in the public eye without sacrificing a lot of money and time?
The answer? It’s really hard, but it’s possible. That’s what this guide is all about: getting budding sportswriters out of their heads (and money).
You Must Read – What is a Blog – Difference Between a Blog and a Website?
Always remember this – writing to get paid is possible, but it takes hard work. While everyone would love to suddenly land a job at CBS, sometimes a small start is necessary.
Are you ready? Let’s talk about how you can become a sports blogger and make money doing it.
#1) Create Your Toolbox
The first thing you need to set up is the toolbox. No, not with wrenches and stuff, but with blogging software, domains, and SEO.
Blogging is like building a house.
Sure, you might just start building from the ground up, but there’s a lot of work to be done on the foundation before that. Blogging without setting up your toolbox is like that house — it’s there, but it’s fragile and prone to collapse.
First, you need to choose a platform. That platform should be chosen based on what it offers you and your audience. Are you a visual blogger? Maybe Tumblr will work. If you’re primarily word-based (like most sportswriters), perhaps using WordPress is better.
Whatever it is, think about your analytics, content, and audience.
Second, you need to find your domain and website. Some people don’t have a domain because of the cost, but having a domain name can be a great investment. This means you can monetize your site with ads and start building your “brand”.
Finally, you need to figure out the behind-the-scenes stuff like SEO.
Optimizing your site won’t automatically bring traffic, but it helps grease the wheels so you can focus on your content. Always keep in mind SEO and how your website performs in search engines (if in doubt, it’s easy to find good guides).
#2) Do Your Research
You may think you know everything about your sport. Here’s the thing: even seemingly know-it-all sports blogs do their research. There is no exception.
That’s because things are always changing. Players get injured or leave the sport, managers change, and sports themselves change over time.
To truly be a competitive sports blogger, it’s important to stay on top of your sport’s knowledge base.
This also means researching sports blogging. Know who the top names in the field are. Who are the people you look up to and read the most? How do they write their content and market it? What do they seem to do well?
Thinking critically about top sports bloggers can help give you the inspiration and ideas needed to carve out your niche in the market.
#3) Find Your Niche
You’ve created your blog, developed it, and learned everything there is to know about your game and its top bloggers.
Now?
This is the time to start thinking about the type of content you want to provide.
Here’s the thing: there are tons of people who write sports blogs, and they do it for no money. That means your content needs to be a step above the rest.
This also means that you need to find a place to live, something different from everyone else. Outside of this niche, you are just another voice in a sea of voices. However, if you can find an angle that you’re good at, or something that you can offer that others don’t, you’ll be in for a treat.
People may wonder why Starbucks is so successful. After all, there are tons of different coffee shops. But Starbucks has found a way to create a consistent coffee shop experience. They even roast the beans in the same way everywhere so that it remains normal for people.
They filled their place – where is yours?
#4) Write Briefly, Write Stories, and Write More
There is one thing writers always say when it comes to advice:
Write, write, write.
Whenever you feel blocked, down, or unmotivated, write anyway. The best way to get better is to write more.
Second, there are two rules of blogging that many people don’t understand. They think that blogs need to be created with a magic number of key words and phrases.
Take that out. Remember these two simple rules when writing.
First rule: write stories. The human brain is wired for love stories, so if you can write your sports blogs as if they are fiction, people will eat them up.
The second rule: write briefly. Nobody wants to read a five-page blog for the same reason that most people don’t want to read Moby Dick – very far away. Write concisely so your audience can read quickly, get ready quickly, and move on with their lives.
#5) Keep Your Ears Open
This is simple, but it has a lot to do with maintaining a good blog.
Answer your students. Talk to them, keep the lines of communication open. Create a community. Listen to sports bloggers and commentators. Do everything you can to become fluent. That is the path to success.
Once you have content that people like, they will want to talk to you. They want to ask questions and communicate. Doing this not only builds your blog but builds a really strong bond between you and your readers.
This doesn’t stop there – there’s a lot more to learn about starting blogs, of course. However, with these steps, you can start on your way to making money with a sports blog.
Source link