Do Less in 2018
That's right, I said it: Do less in 2018. Besides trying to lure you in with a catchy title to this blog, I really do mean it.
A little background on me: I’ve been at the controls of the @UCFKnights social channels for four and a half years now at my alma mater, and I’ll be honest, it’s been a roller coaster.
Year 1: 12-1 with a win in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Blake Bortles goes third overall to the Jaguars (DUUUVAAL)
Year 2: 9-4 with a Hail Mary catch right in front of me by future first-rounder Breshad Perriman to win the AAC title
Year 3: 0-12 with a lot of uncertainty as a new AD (Danny White) and head coach (Scott Frost) were brought on board
Year 4: 6-7 with a rejuvenated fan base and a glimpse of what the future will be
Year 5: 13-0…National Champs J
So on my first Sunday off after football season had finally come to a close (it’ll never truly be over thanks to my pals in Alabama), I picked up the book “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown. My fellow Jacksonville native (DUUUVAAL), Carter Henderson, recommended it to me this summer.
I’ll be honest, I’m not the fastest reader, but what I’ve consumed so far has gotten me thinking a lot about my personal and professional life, as well as the way I approach digital duties here at UCF.
“Less But Better”
I read those words, wrote them extra large in my wooden notebook, and am petitioning to have them plastered all over the walls here at UCF Athletics HQ.
The “Less But Better” movement is one that’s making its rounds around the #smsports community, and it makes me proud. Do you need to post that starting lineup graphic in your main Instagram feed? You don’t. How about those “huge third down coming up!” tweets? Just say no, because when the opposing WR stretches for the first down, that tweet is no longer engaging.
There were many times this past season where I’d say to my colleague, Dan Forcella, “I feel like we aren’t doing enough.” Then we’d step back and remember what we’d gone over before the game: only the essentials that will add value to your consumers following the game via our platforms. A lot of time that meant more authentic, emotional content that we either planned for, or captured during the game, instead of relying on our studio graphics. If that meant less overall posts, but more engagement on them, fine by me.
I thank the 0-12 season for a lot of how we handle strategy today. Thanking a winless season? Yep. It taught me when to move on and not force the issue. That’s tough to do when you spend so much time prepping throughout the week. Your fans don’t like to see you lose, so there is no need to keep populating feeds with updates when things aren’t going your way. Remember, they can always tune in via TV, radio, stats or other play-by-play accounts by media members.
The beauty (and sometimes harsh reality) in our industry is that we have instant feedback on everything we do. People can tell you straight up what they think with a reply, but most often that feedback comes in the form of retweets, likes, shares and clicks. I understand a lot of us deal with sponsor obligations, and other posts that are tossed on our plate that aren’t the most exciting, but it’s on us to make the most of those challenges and think more outside the box when implementing them.
I look forward to finishing this book, and I’m sure there will be plenty more for me to implement in all areas of my life. I hope to see our industry continue to adopt the “Less But Better” mindset, and to have plenty more of your *fire emoji* content consume my feed!
#ChargeOn