Andrew Marston: Writing a Sports Newsletter (Full Transcript)
Ronen Ainbinder
On today's Halftime Snack, I'm hosting a legendary human being!
Coming to the show all the way from the UK is the author behind Sports Pundit— a weekly newsletter that shares some of the best news and trends from the business side of sports.
He also works for a company called CSM Sports, where he does tons of research and finds unique data and trends in sports, which he then shares in the newsletter.
So go grab some snacks, because today's show is about to go down.
Ladies and gentlemen, Andy Marston!
Andy Marston
Thank you. That's a very good intro.
Ronen Ainbinder
Welcome to the show. Andy, you and me. We have a lot in common, mostly because we both write sports newsletters. And we both send it weekly. So I want to ask you, why did you decide to start a sports newsletter instead of an Instagram page, a simple blog, or any other form of media? Why newsletter?
Andy Marston
Sure. So I started the newsletter. Back in the summer, when we were actually going into lockdown. I'd already been writing a few, a few blog pieces on LinkedIn. And I figured out a way to reengage with the same audience. It was better to put it into a weekly newsletter. It also is a platform that sort of stood the test of time. If I were to build up an Instagram following, it might be that Instagram is no longer where the audience is like a year, two years from now. You've already seen things shift from one platform to another. So email just seems to stay for that.
Ronen Ainbinder
Yeah, I agree. If you want to go deep into the sports biz, sports-tech, and other sports topics, writing is the most complete way to communicate ideas and stats, facts, and stories. It's the most complete way, I would say. And I want to ask you about what's like the process of building a weekly edition like how do you go through like, what's step ABC? Or how do you? Do you have a template? Or how do you what's the process?
Andy Marston
Yeah, I agree with the writing thing. I like to keep them concise. Because it's in an email format, I try and keep everything to 250 words. Whenever I write anything, it's quite a good process to get rid of words that aren't needed. Just making it more concise because someone's reading it on the go, they don't have time to read, waffle. And suppose they want to read articles that go into more depth. In that case, I often provide links to like where I've got my inspiration from. There are so many good sports media outlets that do long-form content. I just try and focus on the trend and link going on across several different stories into one article.
Ronen Ainbinder
Interestingly, you say about 250 words. Do you have any specific reason why you chose 250? or not, let's say 400? or something? Or is it just like it was trial and error. And then that's how you decided?
Andy Marston
Yeah, so a little bit of both. Generally, it was more just from looking at it on my phone. So when you're writing on a laptop, it can be very easy to write, like, like a big article, and not a Bantam updating on a Word document. But when it goes through to email, and you start scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. You realize how long it is, you think like, I'm going to read all of it because I've written it and I'm interested in it. But like how many other people are going to bother scrolling to the bottom of the story. It came about just sort of as a way to try and capture attention. And yeah, I also just want to make me Just think about what I was saying a bit more. So I'm not sure the exact phrase, but sometimes it's easier to write a long essay than a short one.
Ronen Ainbinder
What are some of the benefits you've realized that you get from translating what you read into a proper form article? What are some of the benefits that you've realized of writing?
Andy Marston
Well, it definitely already helped me. One is like just discipline of having to write something every week. There are weeks when you're feeling really creative. And you could write like four or five articles. And there are other weeks where you really can't even muster the energy to write one. Having to do it every week and get out at the same time every week has been quite good in just setting like some structure and discipline, especially because many other structures of like the workweek have gone. So that's been quite good. Beyond that, the connections I've made from writing it, the subscribers that I've interacted with it have definitely been the biggest benefit of it. Just by having that network of people you get to interact with and talk about ideas. You definitely get many more opportunities coming your way then than if I was just not doing it.
Ronen Ainbinder
Yeah, I agree 100%. I also see the same benefits that you mentioned. And I would add one, and that would be that I feel like I structure my thoughts when I write. So I understand the topic better. And so I wouldn't have become an expert about the topic, but I understand it better. Suppose you want to have a conversation about that topic. In that case, I feel like I'm more prepared to actually have an opinion and have a point of view from which I can comment and have a more meaningful discussion. I want to know, what do you think, as a creator? What's the ratio between the quality of work and your ability to push out the content? As a creator, what do you focus on more, and why?
Andy Marston
It has to be about the quality over the quantity because if you just keep ramming stuff down people's throats, they'll stop subscribing or stop listening. It will just end up in the junk mail. You need to make sure that every time you send something to someone, it's something that they're going to value and that they're going to want to open and they're going to want to read. So I would rather not send something out and send out something that I don't believe is offering them some sort of benefit. So it needs to bring value to the other side. Because that's the only reason, they're gonna open it. Because for me, it's very easy to think that everyone's going to care. But like he learned quite quickly that no one cares about your project as much as you do. So you need to make them care by giving them something back for wanting to read it. And that's generally going to be some sort of insight or something that they might not pick up on before or just a concise version of events. So they don't have to bother trawling through news feeds trying to find out this information.
Ronen Ainbinder
I remember the first time one of my subscribers unsubscribed. I took it very personally, and I felt sad. I reached out and asked why did you leave? Was I doing something wrong? Is there something you didn't like? He never answered back. But as a creator, as you mentioned, you feel like everyone cares. But you need to, I feel like you're 100%, right, you need to make it so good. Deliver the quality that they can't ignore. And that's how as a creator, you actually get the attention of the readers. I don't know if you read Peter Thiel's book, he talks about if you build it, will they come and see it? Think about an artist that paints like Van Gogh or Picasso? If you paint something, but no one sees it, then does it really have any value or not? So I feel like the value also comes from the viewer in the reader who appreciates the content. So it's also about finding creative ways to get people to see what you write. Don't you agree?
Andy Marston
Yeah, I agree with that. Yeah, obviously, you still do want to get as many people to read it as possible. See, do you need to find ways to engage people, which is quite a good learning process in itself in terms of learning how to market yourself. Learning how to push content without coming across desperate or annoying people that do read it? Yeah, the best way I found is definitely word of mouth. If you can get people to push it, that aren't you, like people listen a lot more, and it's not someone pushing their own thing. So when someone else recommends the newsletter to a friend, they're much more likely to subscribe than if I've reached out with, like, a cold message to someone said, Hey, would you sign up so?
Ronen Ainbinder
Yeah, I agree. I feel like, for me, the hardest part of writing each week is the first line. The first sentence of my email is the one that takes me probably 20% of my time. When I'm writing the article, I don't know if it's because I'm trying to come up with the first opener's perfect first line so that people read it. Or that it's, it's how it will dictate how I will write the content. So this, for me, is the hardest part. But what's the hardest moment for you when you're building a weekly piece?
Andy Marston
Yeah, sometimes, wedding can be quite difficult; I generally have topics in mind that like or trends I want to talk about. So sometimes, I'll have written parts of the newsletter weeks in advance. Then it will be trying to tie in that insight into something relevant and something that happened that week. Like the sustainability piece I wrote last week, I wrote a few weeks back the like core. Still, I wanted to tie it into Harlequins, it just launched a new shirt made of recycled plastic, and microplastics have just been found and ever. So it's like, right, that's two relevant news pieces that come out this week about sustainability. This would be a good week to post that with the data that I've got, so I tried to tie in the weekly relevant staff to the data I already had emerging.
Ronen Ainbinder
Nice And. I want you to tell the audience and the listeners of the show who should write and start a newsletter? Who is because I get asked this question a lot, should I start my own blog? Should I start my own newsletter? Should I start writing for myself? And then keep it for me? Who do you think, what are the indicators that you think are the ones that say that you should open a newsletter or start building in public or publishing content online? What do you think about that?
Andy Marston
I think there isn't really necessarily any qualification that you need to have to do it. Like I'm not particularly accomplished in the field of sports business. At this point in time, I've literally got a job at CSM in August last year. So I've only been working in sports for just over a year. So I would say it's more about having a passion for what you want to write about. And having a drive. That means that you're going to write something every week and that you're going to want to put out content regularly. I think the drive is what will get you through it, not necessarily be accomplished in that field or having the most outstanding CV in that field. It is definitely all about enjoying it and wanting to do it.
Ronen Ainbinder
Yeah, I agree—100%. I also think that starting is not as hard as being consistent and delivering the content every week. I feel like most people fail because they get frustrated that they're not getting enough subscribers. They're not being read by the number of people that they expected. They compare themselves with other people that are already 25 steps ahead. So I feel like they fail because they're not able to be consistent. I would say that's the primary killer of creativity because I also want to talk to you about that. How do you come up with the ideas of what you want to talk about? What's the creative process of deciding? Okay, this is super interesting. For me, this is something I want to write a piece about next week or in two weeks. How do you find yourself emerged in these ideas that push you to write and write every week?
Andy Marston
I think that's a really good point. It's so easy to give up or to look at someone else that is doing a podcast or doing a newsletter and be like, "they've got 1000s of subscribers, I've got hundreds." I then feel most ungrateful for the ones that you have got. And then you just kind of have to value that core base that you do have. Because that's what's gonna be like the basis for your growth. Yeah, it's very easy to get jealous of what other people have and judge yourself against something that's definitely not a fair comparison. Comparing yourself against someone that's got way more backing, or if they've invested loads of money into building their brand. It might just be that they don't even have that big an audience. Still, it just looks like it from seeing it from the outside. So it's very important to just kind of keep your head down and work on it and just keep building it. The inspiration comes from being in the industry. So it comes from just things that come across at work. I come across many industry reports at work because I work in recession insights, so a lot of reading, company strategy reports, and stuff. And then also just listened to podcasts. So, as well as, as well as this brilliant podcast you have. I also listened to like, "Are you not entertained" and "leaders sports business," and "unofficial partner." There are so many good sports business podcasts and experts who say something, or they'll bring up a topic. It'll just spark something that makes me want to write about a certain topic that week. So it's generally brought about by a news article or something I've had.
Ronen Ainbinder
Interesting. So you basically get across a lot of content during the week. Whatever resonates the most with you, then you decide that that's what you want to write about it?
Andy Marston
Yeah. So I kind of like I'm basically like a sports business aggregator, I kind of take all the sports business news, and then try and like, churn out something that shows a trend within that content that's I've listened to,
Ronen Ainbinder
Is there any specific part of the sports business? It could either be like data or finance, or the economics or transfers? Is there something specific about the sports business that you want to become an expert in? Or it's just, or it's just you're, you're a big fan of sports, a big fan of business, and that's where your interests meet, then that's what you love. And that's what you want to do?
Andy Marston
I do you keep the content relatively General. Like me specifically, I have specific interests within sports businesses, like sports partnerships, and sports marketing, because that's what CSM does. Building an audience interested in sports marketing is probably the most beneficial and the most interesting to me because that's the field I'm sort of working in. And I want to progress in looking at like sports sponsorship; How different brands are activating? How they're trying to engage with different audiences across sport? How they're using data to try and work out where they should put their money? Things like that.
Ronen Ainbinder
Are you planning on becoming a consultant, or you want to keep going with the newsletter and see where that takes you? Or what's your plan.
Andy Marston
So at the moment, My plan is to walk in go from research and insights to partnership development. So working on the sales side of things. So CSM represents loads of different sports teams and companies, and they approach brands and try and sell, try and sell the rights on behalf of the sports team to different brands. So that's like the immediate goal. And then further down the line, who knows, I think it would be, I think it would be naive to sort of say, I've got a specific job in mind because it will probably change a lot in the next 5-10 years.
Ronen Ainbinder
I've also realized from writing that people start seeing you as an expert, even though you might not think you are because you actually write about those things. You publish them online, and you put yourself out there. And it's funny because your brand is kind of associating those things to who you are and what you like. So all of a sudden, you might be reached out by a company that's interested in partnerships. And they're actually want to know, what do you have to say? And what's your assessment on the matter? Because simply because you wrote about it? Don't you agree that that's insane? Because it's basically like developing a degree or sports biz? Without actually paying for the degree!
Andy Marston
Yeah, so that definitely was, was part of the motivation when I started was, was to build up a network because it's so valuable to have contacts across the industry and across just just like really, especially when you're trying to work in partnership development, it's all about being able to connect with people because when you when you have something to go with, or you have someone to lead with, if they've already heard of you, because you've written an article and partnerships, when you approach them trying to sell them shout out sponsorship or something that they've heard of your name they've heard your name for, they're more likely to listen to you or give you give you a chance to give your elevator pitch or your sales pitch than if you are reaching out and they've never heard of you and they don't know who you are and or even just like if you know someone within the company, because they're subscribed to your newsletter, you have someone you have some sort of connection that you can call upon and say, Hey, would you be able to introduce me to the director of marketing or your firm because I have this really cool opportunity I'd like to discuss with them just gives you that it just gives you that extra thing to call upon.
Ronen Ainbinder
That's awesome, Andy. I want to end it here because it was super interesting. You're an absolute legend. And I want to thank you so much for your time. Andy, you're a great guy. And I'm sure the Sports Pundit if you haven't signed up, so go sign up right now. The links gonna be in the description, and find Andy also on Twitter. Hopefully, after the pandemic, and we can meet up and talk more about sports and business, but for now, thank you for snacking with us, Andy.
Andy Marston
Cheers. Thank you very much.
Transcribed by Otter.