As I begin to start preparing to create and pitch my own Independent Media outlet, I am finding it most beneficial to review the previous media groups I have been a part of --even if they may not be independent in nature. Having interned as both a journalism intern and also a marketing and social media intern, I have come to understand what needs to be incorporated into a website to gain an audience's attention but also can inform.
Taking things chronologically, my first internship was with the New Jersey Jackals Baseball Team. A semi-pro team (the "second chance league" if you may), the Jackals defy the odds each year and continue to bring in thousands of fans--even though their ability to draw people in is not through their website or advertising. I was primarily in charge of the social media pages, but it was during the summer of 2012 when I worked there that we made the most strides in that department. The reason for this: I was constantly tweeting back and Facebook'ing back fans, players, and playes' families. I saw first-hand what creating a relationship with your target audience can do: create a sense of belonging and a personal relationship between the consumers and the creators.
Obviously, the Jackals are a hyperlocal example of outreach and reaching one's target audience. Fortunately, my next internship, in London with ESPN America, was part of the international, media conglomerate that is ESPN. However, ESPN America (before it was collapsed this past summer) maintained its own website--although in a much more primitive form than its American counterpart. The webmaster had created it through WordPress (like many start-up websites) and it focused primarily on saying when games would be broadcast and featuring the schedule of shows/games. Obviously, checking the website every day is not every fan's cup of tea, so my direct boss made a large push back in 2010 to utilize the Facebook page for ESPN America to its full capcity to the point where it superseeded the role of the website. All the graphics I would make each day for that night's game schedule were all posted to the Facebook page before anywere else, quite simply because that's where the most people would be seeing it. I also saw social media and connecting with one's audience from a statistical standpoint at this internship by constantly reviewing our EdgRank scores and stats and how many likes/comments/shares we received on certain graphics as opposed to others.
Then, this summer, I struck a balance between an international conglomerate and a local sports team when I worked for the New York Red Bulls Soccer Team. Designed like the other Major League Soccer Website, this website does a very good job of incorporating the information about the team, videos and photos, and, its primary purpose, a place for fans to purchase tickets for upcoming games. Although, as a Fan Services Intern, my job was to focus on PR and ticket sales, I pushed for our website to model itself like its rivals on the West Coast like the Seattle Sounders, featuring a more interactive, editorial section that narrates exactly what happened in games and gives fans a different perspective than simply a press release can do. Furthermore, although the Red Bull franchise differs from other MLS teams in that it doesn't like promoting its promotions, I learned through observing these other teams just how promotion via editorial and video can create a sense of a "club" among supporters and the organization.
As I reflect on all these experiences, I am reminded of various outreach and engagement practices that I feel will be benefiical in constructing my website.
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