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4 Takeaways From The 2023 BSM Summit

The opportunity to grow in knowledge, soak in the information presented, and see the thought processes of our industry’s leaders was an inspiring time.

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BSM Summit

Before I began working for Barrett Sports Media, I longed for the opportunity to attend the BSM Summit. It just simply never worked out for me to attend, but I desperately wanted to be in the room.

I’m a learner. I truly enjoy the opportunity to take in new information, digest it, and put it into practice. I adored the Country Radio Seminar before I moved to sports radio, and I adored — from afar — the BSM Summit while working as a sports program director. And while there are differences, the opportunity to grow in knowledge, information, and see the thought processes of our industry’s leaders was an inspiring time.

So, after attending and returning from my first BSM Summit, I’ve compiled four takeaways from the event.

Radio might be dying, but audio is thriving

The conference began with Edison Research’s Larry Rosin giving a presentation on the latest information compiled by the venerable organization.

Forgive me, Mr. Rosin, for putting words in your mouth, but the presentation essentially boiled down to: AM/FM radio use is going to slowly fade out as Boomers, Gen Xers, and to a lesser extent Millennials begin to decline. Gen Z just flat out isn’t listening to AM/FM radio. They’re not watching linear television, either, but that’s a different discussion for a different day.

It makes sense that Gen Z is living on their phones. They’ve grown up in a world where everything they’ve ever wanted was featured in an all-encompassing handheld device. For those young people, listening to tradition AM/FM radio is hard. It takes more than two taps of their screen. That’s not a critique of the generation, it’s simply a statement of fact.

If you consider listening to a podcast takes tapping the podcast app, tapping the podcast you want, and pressing the play button, that’s insanely easy. And more often than not, people will choose the easy option.

56% of boomers shared that they spend the majority of their audio consumption with AM/FM radio. 23% of Gen Zers responded the same. That’s a gigantic gap. And yet, spoken word listening is rising rapidly.

People aren’t avoiding sports talk. They’re simply consuming it differently the younger you are. There are opportunities to command the space. How many radio companies wish they had put resources toward developing a podcast strategy pre-2020?

Learning from your mistakes is paramount. Something is going to come along to revolutionize the digital audio space. I wouldn’t suggest being left behind when that time comes.

Personality driven audio will only continue to grow

I found the panel helmed by Jack Rose, alongside Dirty Mo Media’s Mike Davis, The Volume’s Logan Swaim, and Omaha Productions’ Richelle Markazene fascinating. Those companies — started by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Colin Cowherd, and Peyton Manning, respectively — truly showcase how different the sports media landscape has become in the last decade.

Before the mid-2010s, the only way for a professional athlete or large sports media personality to control their own content factory was to essentially buy into a conglomerate with the hopes of someday ascending to the top.

That world has been flipped on its head and these disruptors were paramount in doing just that. And that space is only going to continue to grow.

Take an athlete like Kyrie Irving, for example. Large name recognition, large social following, and darn near everything he says creates headlines. While it might be a little more difficult for someone like that to create a company that large advertisers will want to spend money with, Irving, in my estimation, is much more likely to create a podcast — similarly to Draymond Green with The Volume — to get his message across rather than answer questions from a suite of media members he’s never been shy about being skeptical of.

Athlete-driven media is only going to continue to grow. The world is rapidly changing, and people want to cut out the middleman as often as possible. Direct-to-consumer is a trend that isn’t going to fade away anytime soon. From a consumer standpoint, why would I wait for a media company package the comments of my favorite athlete’s thoughts on a pivotal play in a big game, the play called by their head coach, or whatever the case may be, when I can listen to their podcast that will drop the next morning that will explain everything I want to hear, in a much more consumable method?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think — in some cases — that situation sucks. It’s going to insulate athletes, who are already looking for ways to avoid accountability and criticism, from accepting accountability and criticism. But, athletes are becoming increasingly aware of the power of their brands, and the power they wield.

That space isn’t going to collapse upon itself anytime soon. Expect to watch it grow in the coming months and years.

“Ecosystem” is the new buzz word

I can’t tell you how many times I heard the word “ecosystem” last week. Again, not a criticism, just an observation, but it was the brand new buzz word.

I heard programmers talk about creating an ecosystem around their best shows to simplify things for their sellers, I heard television executives talk about ecosystems in regards to the individual brands they manage and how it allows for easier and differing brands to stand out, and I heard a digital company founder talk about how creating an ecosystem created a “scarcity” around him that previously didn’t exist.

It sounds cool, right? The word evokes a bigger identity, it makes the brands, shows, and people utilizing it sound more important. “That station might have a few good shows, but you’re going to want to be a part of our ecosystem” sounds cool as hell.

I don’t know that it really means a whole lot at the end of the day, but over and over again, the same word kept popping up: “ecosystem”.

Our industry is in good hands

I have an affinity for people who “get it”. Truthfully, I don’t even know what “it” is, but when someone gets it, you know it, and they know it. The amount of times I would be conversing with a program director, host, or someone else during the Summit that included someone making a statement and the other person saying “Yes!” and nodding in approval and understanding was immeasurable.

I think — for the most part — we’re all trying to accomplish the same thing. Once, a very wise former co-worker told me “If you and someone else are both trying to get the kitchen inside your house, what the hell does it matter if one of you goes in the front door and the other person comes in from the patio? You’re both trying to accomplish something, and just because you’re doing something one way and the other person is doing it another makes either of you right or wrong. It just makes you different.” And hearing, and discussing different topics, issues, situations, and content ideas with some of the best and brightest in sports radio game me conviction that the sports media industry is truly in great hands. There are so many people who “get it”, and it was encouraging to see up close.

Finally, not necessarily a takeaway, but a kudos. Thursday Night Football television announcer Al Michaels was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. It was a very cool moment to see a living legend accept an award.

But what was also insanely cool was seeing the co-workers who joined Michaels at the event. Kaylee Hartung, Andrew Whitworth, Marie Donoghue, and more Amazon co-horts came to the event to support, honor, and recognize Michaels.

It showcased the impact the legendary announcer has had on those he’s worked with for just a single season, but also highlighted the culture Amazon has built in such a short amount of time. I would be remiss if I didn’t point that out.

If you’ve never attended the BSM Summit, I encourage you to really explore the possibility in 2024. Truthfully, I hadn’t really missed being a sports radio program director since departing the format to come work for Jason Barrett in July of last year. However, as I shared with someone at the conference, listening to hearing some of the leaders in our industry talk and share their passionate opinions on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going made me itching to wake up and put together a promo for Opening Day.

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How to Help Your Clients with Low Website Conversions

Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

Jeff Caves

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Graphic for how to increase website conversions
Credit: WPDesigner.Biz

Are your clients dealing with low website conversions? Whenever a marketing campaign is run, and the goal is to convert website visitors into leads, the temptation is to blame low traffic, amongst other issues, for low form fills or appointments being generated.  Just spend more money, you may think! Sometimes, you must look at at least four other potential issues to tackle poor conversion rates. Here are some actionable steps using the IT services industry to increase website conversions.

IT Solutions specializes in providing products, services, or solutions related to technology, particularly in areas such as software development, hardware sales, IT consulting, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and digital transformations. They faced challenges with their website conversions. Despite driving substantial traffic through Google Ads and other SEO tactics, they struggled to convert website visitors into form fills for appointment requests. A 2% to 5% conversion rate could be considered reasonable. Of course, conversion rates can vary based on various factors, such as the competitiveness of the local market, the quality of the website (and radio stations help most to fix that) and its user experience, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and the reputation and offerings of the IT solutions business. Focusing on improving the quality of leads and providing exceptional customer service can be just as crucial as achieving high conversion rates. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on the marketing tactics! 

The Diagnosis

Upon thorough analysis, several critical issues were identified with IT Solutions’ website:

1. High Bounce Rate: Nobody was checking out the business. If 70% or more of website visitors only visit the landing page, that is an issue.  It could be slow loading times, irrelevant content, poor user experience, or unclear calls-to-action that prevent them from wanting to know more about IT Solutions. You can check the bounce rate on the Google Analytics page for the website in the left-hand sidebar, click on “Behavior” to expand the menu, then click on “Site Content,” and finally, click on “Landing Pages.” You’ll see a list of landing pages and their respective bounce rates.

2. Complex Navigation: It was hard to move around the website to find relevant information about IT services, and it was unclear who they were initiating contact with and for what purpose.

3. Unclear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): The website lacked clear and compelling CTAs guiding visitors toward requesting an appointment. Simply stating “click here for an appointment” is like asking for a meeting whenever or without establishing value. Here are 28 CTAs for free.

4. Lengthy Forms: The appointment forms were long, without qualifying information, and requested excessive information upfront, deterring potential leads from completing them.

Action Plan

1. Optimize Landing Pages:

   – Redo high-traffic landing pages with clear messaging and compelling CTAs.

   – Showcase IT Solutions’ services as benefits, making it easier for users to request appointments, thereby increasing user engagement and conversions.

2. Simplify Navigation:

   – Reorganize the menu and add more action-oriented links.

   – Provide additional options for users to access relevant information, such as “Get a free IT Solutions 15-point checkup NOW” and “Take this 5-question survey to diagnose your IT issues,” motivating them to book appointments.

3. Enhance CTAs:

   – Utilize concise and persuasive messaging throughout the website.

   – Encourage visitors to take action, whether requesting a free download about “5 things you can do to solve your IT issues on your own” or “get a free pizza for booking an appointment.”

4. Improve the Form Fill:

   – Add a further line about the number of employees who qualify for incoming leads.

   – Highlight the value of leads based on company size, prioritizing forms with higher potential impact.

Review landing pages, navigation, CTAs, and form experience to address website conversion issues. Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

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‘NHL on TNT’ Gives Hockey Fans the ‘NBA on TNT’ Treatment

Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

John Molori

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NHL on TNT studio

Let’s play a little word association, sports media style. If I say TNT, what is your response? Chances are it will be a three-letter abbreviation of your own, namely, NBA. Over the years, TNT has built a reputation as arguably the premiere network to telecast the National Basketball Association.

The NBA on TNT pregame and halftime shows have become the gold standard with stars like Ernie Johnson, Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, it’s not just this quartet of roundball royalty that has fortified TNT’s hoops coverage.

The rep was also built on tremendous play-by-play announcers like Bob Neal and Kevin Harlan, color analysts like Doug Collins and Reggie Miller, and courtside reporters like the late Craig Sager and current sideline star Allie LaForce.

Indeed, TNT and the NBA have become synonymous, but I have some news for you. This network is not just about professional basketball. This past week I went off the grid with TNT looking at their in-game and studio coverage of the NHL.

On March 24, the NHL on TNT provided coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche matchup. Kenny Albert did play-by-play with Eddie Olczyk on color. Albert is not as noted as his legendary broadcasting father Marv Albert, but he has certainly staked his claim as one of the best in the business – able to cross over to multiple sports with equal aplomb.

Hockey is a strong suit for Albert. His rat-tat-tat, drama-building style draws viewers in and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Similarly, Olczyk is one of the top four or five NHL game analysts in the business. His style is understated, providing calm and clear analysis of key plays. They work really well together.

Albert eschews any kind of hackneyed and trite catch phrases for his goal calls. An emphatic, “He shoots and scores!” is plenty enough.

Hockey is a different beast when it comes to play-by-play. Unlike basketball, baseball, football, or even soccer and tennis, there is a minimum of breaks in the action. With hockey, a play-by-play announcer has to know the names of the players like he or she knows her kids’ names.

To me, it is the hardest sport for play-by-play and equally difficult for a color analyst. In basketball, after a team scores, the play-by-play announcer will keep silent and give the color analyst time to talk until the play crosses center court. In baseball and football, there is ample room for commentary.

Hockey does not offer such space, but Olczyk gets the most out of the minimal amount of time. Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

Coming back from a break in the game, Albert and Olczyk provided on air commentary and then tossed to ice level reporter Brian Boucher who has grown into a tremendous asset to the TNT broadcasts. Boucher provided real talk about Colorado’s objectives of staying on top of their division and vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Penguins, squarely in a rebuilding year having dumped talent at the NHL trade deadline, surprisingly jumped out to a 2–0 lead in this game, and the TNT between periods studio crew was all over it. The excellent Liam McHugh hosted alongside Colby Armstrong, Anson Carter, and Keith Yandle.

Armstrong was especially entertaining. With Pittsburgh outshooting the Avs 16-4, Armstrong noted that it’s the best he’s seen Pittsburgh play in a long time. His reasoning was that teams get geared up for playing Colorado even if it’s out of fear. Great stuff.

Both teams tallied two goals in the second period giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. When Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon set up Jonathan Drouin for a goal to make it 4-3, Albert and Olczyk showed their strengths.

Albert called the pass from MacKinnon and one-timer goal from Drouin, and immediately noted that MacKinnon now had a point in all 34 of Colorado’s home games this season. On the goal replay, Olczyk showed how the play developed pointing out how McKinnon allowed Pittsburgh’s Evgenii Malkin to come in close before making the past to Drouin.

The TNT production team then showed a graphic displaying that McKinnon is now second all-time in longest home points streaks trailing only Wayne Gretzky. This was a sublime sequence of symmetry between talent and technicians like a songwriter, musician, and singer creating beautiful music.

What was supposed to be a blowout win for Colorado had now become a hockey barn burner, and the TNT crew was up to the task. Every goal and key play was followed up with replays from multiple angles showing the genesis of the action.

TNT has certainly taken to the velocity of the hockey broadcast with movement that challenges directors, graphics professionals, and videographers.

When there were breaks in this non-stop action, Olczyk was at his best. No hockey analyst draws on his experience as a player and explains that experience better to viewers. The TNT broadcast also lets Boucher freewheel and join in the flow of discussion without having to be introduced.

TNT does not merely rely on the traditional wide shot of the entire rink. We see close-up shots of each goaltender after a great save and the sweat of players on the bench or in the penalty box.

When McKinnon tied the game at 4-4 with 4:38 left in the third period, we got a series of tremendous crowd shots showing the Colorado fans going absolutely berserk. The sage Albert and Olczyk wisely remained quiet for several seconds, letting the cheers do the talking.

When Drouin scored the game winner at 4:06 of overtime, Albert exercised controlled enthusiasm, raising his voice on the call of the goal, but not becoming the show and overshadowing the play itself. He is definitely in the mold of Dan Kelly, Gary Thorne, and Sean McDonough, announcers who enhance but do not supersede the game.

Putting a cherry on top of this hockey Sunday, TNT showed a graphic that the Avalanche now led the NHL in comeback wins this season with 25 and that they were riding a 9-game winning streak. In analyzing the goal, Olczyk opined that the altitude of playing in Colorado was prevalent as the Penguins seemed to tire as the game progressed – really interesting insight.

In the postgame show, Anson Carter made a great point that the chemistry between Drouin and MacKinnon stems from the fact that they have been playing together going back to junior hockey. McKinnon joined in from the arena for a postgame interview. The analysts asked solid questions and even did a funny MVP chant together as the interview ended.

The NHL on TNT takes no back seat to its elder NBA sister. The broadcast provides viewers with flash, dash, and serious hockey talk from every angle – in studio, from the broadcast booth, and on the ice.

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Kim Mulkey Now Has Everyone Anticipating Washington Post Story

I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it.

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photo of LSU women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

The Washington Post, you might’ve heard, has a story coming out about controversial LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. The reason you might’ve heard is because Kim Mulkey told you. The Tigers coach read a fiery prepared statement just before her team started the Women’s NCAA Tournament. In the statement, Mulkey threatened to sue The Post for defamation before the first word was even published.

Now, I’ve never run a public relations firm but that did not seem like a good idea. The Washington Post story on Mulkey is one of the bigger stories in sports right now and nobody even knows what’s in it. The reason the story, apparently unflattering to Mulkey, is even on anyone’s radar screen is Mulkey herself.

It all started with an innocuous social media post by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde right in the middle of the most anticipated two days in sports, the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. On his X account, Forde posted: “Hearing some buzz about a big Washington Post story in the works on LSU women’s hoops coach Kim Mulkey, potentially next week. Wagons being circled, etc.”

You know what generally will go unnoticed at 4:00 on the first Friday of the NCAA Tournament? A post on X about a women’s basketball coach. But don’t tell Mulkey, she saw Forde’s post and decided to fight fire with nuclear weaponry. The result: the average person like me now is really interested in what has Mulkey so incensed. By “average person like me” I mean that I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it. Maybe:

“LSU Women’s Coach Discovers Ark of the Covenant”

Or:

“Mulkey Reveals True JFK Assassin(s)”

Perhaps:

“Famed Women’s Basketball Coach Reveals the Mystery Behind Slow Drivers in the Left Lane”

Literally any of those catch my attention more than whatever will likely be the Washington Post headline about Mulkey. But now Mulkey is “Mad as Hell and is not going to take this anymore” so I now have an interest I would never before have had in this story. It has been fascinating to watch the online speculation about the subject of the article and all we really know, as of now, is that it will be written by Kent Babb. This is a dream come true for Babb; he writes an article that is, presumably, not flattering about Kim Mulkey and, before it is even published, she gives the article the greatest commercial anyone could give it. Babb couldn’t have entered into a business agreement with Mulkey and had this turn out better for him.

For those who don’t follow Babb, he is a former NFL reporter who now is an award-winning writer for the Washington Post. In his 14 years with The Post, he has written sports features and authored a couple of books. One of those sports features stories was a deep dive into what he viewed as a large inequity in the level of pay for LSU head football coach Brian Kelly and his LSU players. It is this piece Mulkey described as a “hit piece” and, based on that piece, referred to Babb as a “sleazy reporter.” Babb, and many others, resented the fact his story was labeled as a hit piece. In fact, Babb essentially confirmed he was the author Mulkey was referencing when he shared the original article on X with the comment: “Hit piece?”

Whether a printed piece or a recorded interview, I can’t imagine a better promotion for it than the subject of the interview threatening a libel/slander lawsuit, especially before it is even released. That simply screams “This piece is salacious!!” Also, libel and slander suits get settled all the time, right? Of course they don’t, they seem to never even get filed. That little thing called discovery is a scary thing for most public figures.

The NCAA Tournament has been very entertaining, and I think the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be terrific. For only the fifth time ever, the top two seeds have advanced to the third round which sets up for a remarkable weekend. For me, I guess it will now include a Washington Post article, not a sentence I’d normally say.

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