Writing on his blog Yandlepedia: Life and Times of an Athletics Communicator, Baylor University's Chris Yandle's most recent blog posts have focused on the art of wr
iting game notes, new suggestions for cutting back on content, and ROI of game notes (return on investment).
In his Oct. 10th blog, Yandle discusses game notes historically and explores new ways to present game note material in today's instant communications world. His main advice in that post: The purpose of game notes is to make the media's job easier. Keep it simple. Less is more.
See his most recent post (below) on shortening game notes and getting effective and efficient use out of them by using Twitter @mentions and #hashtags which can be with tremendous, short stats and other information.
You can follow Yandle on Twitter (@ChrisYandle).
#AnotherIdea and an ROI Suggestion
by Chris Yandle, Baylor Associate Director of Athletic Communications
Previous post:
Sept, 21, 2011: Is it time for a ROI on game notes?
A few weeks ago, I caught the attention of many when I wrote that we need a "return on investment" on game notes. It's still true. We do. How do we measure the ROI for such a thing? Well, the easiest thing to do would be to monitor Tweet Deck, using key search terms for your school because, let's face it, we love tweeting random statistics. So if your stuff is good enough to be tweeted, it will be. Simple as that.
Or, you can scour the Web, searching the media outlets that cover your respective schools in hopes to find your information used. Tweet Deck and Twitter does all of that searching for you. We have a vast amount of technology at our finger tips. Is this the most scientific way to measure our return on investment? Absolutely not, but, with the way we communicate and share information now via social media, this might be the most efficient way to get results.
For instance, I tweeted a very cool ranked stat from our official Baylor Football account (@BUFootball) - Baylor is the highest-ranked Texas team in the AP Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 14, 1991. That was re-tweeted nearly 200 times by our followers...That note is in this week's notes package. That's a pretty good ROI, in my opinion.
The ROI suggestion came to me earlier today (courtesy of one of our Baylor Athletic Communications interns) on the San Francisco 49ers Media Center page. What they dub "#49ers Twitter Talk," the sheet of Twitter @mentions and #hashtags is filled with tremendous, short, useless stats and other information that be easily incorporated from notes to Twitter (see image and download, right):
I mentioned that game notes take too much time and need to be abbreviated...tremendously. I still firmly stand by that and I think it needs to be adopted by many. So where am I going with the 49ers idea? About a month or so, I was reading a PR blog about incorporating Twitter handles and hashtags in your press releases, which had me thinking: what about notes? Nothing fancy. Nothing overbearing. But, somehow incorporating Twitter into our notes. But how?
I admit: It may only occupy one column in my already shortened, information-filled notes package for men's hoops, but I'm at least willing to give it a try. And I think it will re-purpose well when I post my game preview (copy-and-paste notes) on our site.
We are always willing to push the envelope and think of new ways to present information. I think this will be at the top of my list come our three-games-in-five-days to start the season next month.