FROM time to time, companies pause to take a look within for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, the need for change is forced upon us, and other times, the need for change is precipitated by a desire to not only do, but to do better.
Here at The All Out Sports Network, we have continuously strived to offer ourselves up as something other than what sports fans can easily find elsewhere on the Internet. Ever since its inception in November of 2013, the ownership has sought to grow the site through quality writing, insightful analysis, and of course, seeking revenue options.
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As 2016 approaches, we have taken a few steps back to take stock of where we are, and where we would like to go. Where we currently are is at a good spot: our following has grown exponentially in the last few months and our staff has developed into a strong team of writers.
However, due to the organic nature of sports websites, we have also undergone a process of rethinking and revamping, and so this is where we intend to go from here:
If you are a regular visitor, you may have already begun to see some changes on the website. The look and feel will remain the same, but our substance is where we hope you will see the biggest differences.
The major change in our philosophy of operations is that site ownership has decided that we are no longer going to provide recaps of events. One of our biggest limitations as a start-up site is that we do not have the resources to adequately cover live or team-specific events on a consistent basis. This is something that has weighed on our shoulders constantly, and so rather than provide average to below-average coverage that has not always been timely, we will move on from that aspect of sportswriting.
This is not to say that we are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. While we will not specifically provide recaps or postgame roundups, such elements will still be present in our future content.
“And what might that content be,” you may ask. Well……….
Our intent moving forward into the new year is to focus on QUALITY, as opposed to quantity. As such, and with the goal of transparency regarding our new philosophy, here are our changes:
As previously mentioned, we will not be doing game/event recaps anymore. While content of future articles will include reference to past events, providing postgame breakdowns, highlights, and reactions will no longer be a focus.
- We are going to focus on longform (i.e. 1000 words or more) articles with an emphasis on opinion and analysis.
- We will revamp the site layout to move away from sport-specific sections. Instead, we will adopt a minimalist approach of just 3 sections:
- EDITORIALS, showcasing our writers’ analysis of whichever given topic/sport they will be writing about.
- RANKINGS, where from time to time, we will use this format to present some historical perspectives as well as fantasy analysis and other relevant topics that call for rankings.
- THE DARK SIDE, focusing on analysis and opinion of the unfortunate side of the sporting landscape today.
We anticipate a slightly lower volume in terms of our writers’ output, but with more time and flexibility between deadlines, our ongoing hope is to present you the reader with content of a higher quality.
On top of that, we continue to work towards higher reader engagement with the website, by which we mean that as our articles are shared, we are always looking for constructive feedback from you.
As always, we think through how we present The All Out Sports Network in terms of how our readership and following will respond to it. We want the website to offer something you may not necessarily find easily from other sources. We also want to keep striving for more depth to our coverage, and during our thought process, we keep coming back to this point: What can we do that is different?
This is not change for change’s sake. This is a philosophical change brought about by our own desire to provide more to you. We hope that you will agree with us about our new direction, and we eagerly anticipate your feedback, whether via direct contact or through the comments section on our website.
Yours sincerely,
The All Out Sports Network ownership team
