Lewis Howes turned a career ending football injury into a successful blogging and speaking career
Lewis Howes founder of SportsNetworker.com
“I think the combination of being someone passionate about both sports and social media has qualified me to write in this field.” – Lewis Howes
Bloggers can come from all backgrounds. Lewis Howes has been blogging for about a year and a half at SportsNetworker.com and LewisHowes.com. Prior to that he played football in college and a season of arena football before an injury forced him to retire. He holds the NCAA All-Division Record for the most receiving yards in a single football game (418 yards, the current unofficial World Record).
His passion for being an athlete has now translated into a passion for helping others in the sports industry. Howes founded both the Sports Executive Association and SportsNetworker.com. Along with Frank Agin, he co-authored the LinkedIn success book, LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website.
Mequoda – Which CMS (ie: WordPress, Typo) are you using?
LH – WordPress
Mequoda – Are you blogging for your company as part of you job (ie: corporate) or is this a personal passion?
LH – Both. Blogging about social media and sports is both my job and my passion. I consider myself lucky in that aspect.
Mequoda – Has your blog enhanced your professional reputation? How?
LH – Of course, sharing your writing and gathering a following helps build credibility. When people want to book me as a speaker for a conference it’s very easy for them to research my past work. They can read my blog and watch video posts to learn about who I am and if my message fits their event.
Mequoda – How often do you post a new blog?
LH – SportsNetworker.com now has 14 contributing authors including myself and new content is added almost everyday. I will blog a couple times during the week for Sports Networker and also periodically for LewisHowes.com with social media and LinkedIn tips.
Mequoda – Who is your target audience?
LH – Sports industry professionals and those looking to break into a sports career. We also attract those interested in sports marketing and social media in general.
Mequoda – What are you doing to grow your audience and to create customer loyalty?
LH – We look to provide value both online and through live interactions. We are hosting a series of Sports Networker Summit networking events in various cities. Sports professionals can meet face to face and gain a lot from these Sports Networker events.
Mequoda – How are you using social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin) to promote your blog? Has that changed the way you blog?
LH – Social media plays a huge role in promoting the blog. If you are blogging about using social media effectively it makes sense to promote using these sites. I don’t necessarily think this has changed the way I blog because these outlets work together.
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Mequoda – What is your main source of revenue: ads, sponsorships, products sales, donations?
LH – Mostly product sales, commissions from affiliate marketing, speaking gigs and hosting events.
Mequoda – Approximately what percentage of your overall revenue comes from product sales vs. advertising/sponsorships or other sources?
LH – I don’t make much from advertising or sponsorships on my sites currently, so almost all comes from product sales.
Mequoda – What is your main source of referrals?
LH – My websites, my newsletter, LinkedIn and speaking gigs.
SportsNetworker.com December 2009 Statistics from Compete, KeywordSpy and Yahoo Site Explorer
Mequoda – What key metrics do you monitor to analyze the health of your business?
LH – I set monthly goals. If I don’t reach them then I realize I’m not working hard enough or smart enough and I start busting it from then on out to catch up for the next month. It’s that simple for me. 🙂
Mequoda – How many sites have you linked to in the last 30 days?
LH – Probably 10 or so.
Mequoda – What changes have you seen in your market since you began blogging?
LH – A lot of people are trying to compete but have no idea what they are doing yet.
Mequoda – Any interesting experience you’d like to share?
LH – I have lots of them. If you come say hi to me at one of the conferences this year, I’ll be sure to share plenty. 🙂
Mequoda – What blogging advice would you give to a new blogger?
LH – Write what you are passionate about and with guidance your audience will grow. I would also advise a new blogger to do their homework and know who the online leaders in their niche are. It will help you be more aware of what is already out there and what you can bring to the table.
Mequoda – What ways are you planning to expand over the next year?
LH – Sports Networker is looking to host more live events and continue to live stream them as they are featured on the site.
Mequoda – Is there anything you’d like to share?
LH – I’m living the dream because I do exactly what I want to do everyday… I hope anyone reading this does the same thing.
There’s much more Lewis would like to share with you, for more information check out the links below.
Contact Information
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lewishowes
Twitter: @LewisHowes
Sports Networker: www.SportsNetworker.com
LinkedIn Advice: www.LinkedWorking.com
