If you want to start a blog about sports, but aren't sure where to begin, then this is the post for you. In this post, we'll go over what it takes to create a successful blog and how to get started on your journey.
We'll also be going through some of the best tips and tricks that will help you make money from your site, as well so that everything can work in harmony with each other. Let's dive straight in!
How Do Sports Bloggers Make Money?
Beginner sports bloggers can make money fast by seeking out products they can endorse.
If a blogger discovers something new and useful, they will try to contact the company or person who makes it, in order to be affiliated with them (affiliate marketing).
An affiliate marketing program is a commission-based sales system where online retailers pay commissions to individuals or companies who bring customers to them.
You typically need the merchant's permission before you can promote their products/services.
As you grow your sports blog, it’s good to have a diversified revenue stream which includes:
1. Exclusive content deals with advertisers or companies that want their message relayed through someone else (like an influencer)
2. Displaying of high quality ads
3. Paid consultation work for brands.
The methods vary depending on the website and its size. Some big blogs have dozens of different sponsorships available at any given time via sponsorship packages of various sizes.
Are Sports Blogs Profitable?
In order for a sports blog to be profitable, be mindful of these things:
Advertisers want the largest audience possible, so you need to learn how to grow your audience. Reach out to your target audience using free methods such as SEO and social media.
If you decide to create a sports blog that aims to be educational in nature, and meant for people who read blogs looking to obtain information about a certain topic, it will take a lot of content produced consistently, to garner views and readership fast.
In short, educational sports blogs are not the fastest way to earn an actual living wage UNLESS you involve product and services mentions, in which you are affiliated with (you get paid for promoting).
How Do You Promote A Sports Blog?
When starting out, you don't. You produce content - create videos, blog posts, infographics, or podcasts.
And, when you have enough SEO-optimized quality content that answers questions for your target audience, people will find you through keywords and follow along.
It is a lot easier to build a following if you are making content people are engaged with.
The best way to prepare is to know the demographics of your target market in depth, and answer their unmet needs with your blog posts on a daily basis.
Google Analytics can be used to get an idea of page views over time from the past few months, so that you understand what topics are of most interest, and which ones aren't getting much traffic at all.
If there are any gaps in your knowledge base, now's the time to study up on those subjects!
If you must insist on “promoting,” join other relevant groups and contribute there, such as targeted Facebook groups.
It's always good to contact these groups privately to introduce yourself and chat about the possibility of allowing you to promote your blog on their page.
You can try to share the same post across as many platforms as possible. Share your content in different communities like sports themed group pages, or Reddit Sports Forums.
The more sharing you manage, the greater chance people see your unique posts and check out what you're talking about.
How Do You Become A Successful Sports Blogger?
From a newbie sports blogger’s point of view, this may be a “success” scenario:
You may notice that more than 90% of your visitors are new (check your Google Analytics). You may also notice that they come from diverse locations and in considerable numbers.
Like anything else, there's not a single direct answer because success can take many dimensions.
In general, if your blog has been around for a while and its visitors are increasing in numbers month to month, then it is most likely "successful" as it shows people are reading what you write and that they find value in what you're writing about.
Success is also a relative term to different bloggers. It can be personal. It means different things to each of us. Some think that success equals fame or money.
The most important aspect of success is meeting your own self-defined expectations - like earning $1k/mo 100% passive is already a success for you but not for others.
For me, I measure my success in terms of relationships and life experiences. When I am content with who I've become as a person and living a lifestyle that aligns with my values, then I'm successful no matter how much wealth or fame eludes my grasp on any given day.
In this sense, you might say that money is just an assistant to help define what success means.
How Do I Start Writing About Sports?
I'd recommend finding the blogging niche that best speaks to you.
The quickest way people can get more followers and garner attention in this digital age is by having a mix of expertise and entertainment, when they're writing blog posts on their chosen topics for their target audience.
An excellent example would be an expert who is really focused on certain aspects like college football, plus being a great writer who knows how to spin stories off humor-wise.
Make an outline. The most satisfying writing comes when you sit down knowing specifically what you want to say, because everything is already outlined, so it naturally flows from that point of view.
Sports blogs also typically post a quick recap of sports events on an ongoing basis, with commentary, opinions, and humour.
Some include content on conditioning routines as well as interviews with athletes and posts on fitness.
What Is The Purpose Of A Sports Blog?
The purpose of a sports blog is to create a space for knowledgeable and passionate sports fans, to share their opinions and thoughts not only on current events in each sport, but also the specific ways that these issues are being handled.
Sports blogs - especially those published by the established, authoritative sources, also serve the important purpose of guiding readers on what they should be watching out for in order to keep up with all the latest news.
Lastly, they are useful resources for anyone who likes reading about this topic.
How Do You Name a Sports blog?
In order to name a sports blog, you will first need to do some research about the topic that is most interesting and exciting to you (learn about niche first).
Make sure that it falls under the category of something people actually want to read about on a regular basis (learn about keyword research, too).
Knowing niche and keyword research are important because if you have no readers who are really interested in what your blog has to say, then it won't end well.
Once you know what you can do with your blog, you can name it with a “brand name” that you will grow over time. Here’s a lesson on how to choose a name.
How Long Should A Sports Article Be?
If you're writing about an athlete who no one knows all that well, and they haven't been performing at their peak lately, then your article can probably get away with just 500 to 600 words.
But if the athlete is a superstar or has had some really great games recently, go for 1,000 words at least.
That way you're not overwhelming your readers with too many stats or information on an otherwise uninteresting player.
Conclusion
You love sports, and you're a good writer. But how can you turn that into a profitable blog?
You might think it's not easy to start a successful blogging career. First of all, there are so many blogs out there already! And most new bloggers don't have the time or money to invest in learning about SEO, social media marketing or affiliate marketing.
The truth is that starting a sports blog is easier than ever. With my free blogging course, it will be easy for anyone who has an interest in sports and wants to start making money blogging about them too!
