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Peter Burns Knows 10,000 Other People Want His Job

“I probably went on eight interviews there, from SportsCenter to Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, all that stuff. I thought I killed every single interview I had, except for the one with SEC Network.”

Tyler McComas

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If there’s ever a day when Peter Burns has to search for motivation, he never has to look too far. 

Normally, all he has to do is look directly down at his rundown sheet where ‘dream job’ is the first thing written down each day. Though it may sound cliché, those two words are a daily reminder of the obstacles he’s had to overcome, the people who have helped him through it and how lucky he is to be in the spot he’s in today. 

But even if that doesn’t work, there’s one word that will always fix Burns’ self-doubt or lack of motivation almost instantly. That one word just so happens to be a name.

Jessi. 

Remembering Jessica Ghawi, aspiring sports journalist

Jessica Ghawi was a 24-year-old aspiring sports journalist in Denver, before her life was tragically taken in the Aurora, Colorado shooting in July of 2012 that left 12 dead and 70 wounded. Her future in the business was bright, mostly due to her relentless attitude towards chasing her dream in sports. That passion rubbed off on everyone she encountered, including Burns, who befriended her while working in San Antonio. 

The two quickly formed an incredible bond and respect for another. So much so, that when Burns chased down an opportunity in Denver, Ghawi couldn’t help but follow her role model to chase new opportunities. Soon after, she was already making a name for herself in the market. Any challenge that came her way, she took it on with an intensity that inspired everyone around her. Greatness in sports media wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ for Ghawi, it was only a matter of ‘when.’

Burns will never forget the phone call he got the next morning when he learned the news of what happened at the movie theatre. Someone he deeply cared about and respected was suddenly gone. There was sadness. There was anger. But ultimately, what prevailed, was the emotion of attacking every single day just like she would. 

“It’s just one of those things, where anytime that I’m like, I shouldn’t do this or I shouldn’t go for the show, or I’m starting to feel nervous, I think of her,” Burns said. “Because she would care and always seize the day. Every time I get a little bit of a snag, I think of her being like, ‘hey, get your butt in shape. Knock it off and go kill this.’ It helps me put the pedal to the metal and get things done. I keep her ashes in my studio and it’s a small reminder I have every single day, like, man, we’re blessed to be doing what we’re doing and don’t half-ass it.”

Nearly eight years have passed since the tragedy, but her memory hasn’t faded one bit. Burns will be the first to say that whatever great things he accomplishes in the business, he’ll always owe at least a piece of it to his friend Jessi. That includes his current gig at the SEC Network. 

Today, that’s where you can find him, living in Charlotte and doing extensive work as a studio anchor and radio host for the SEC Network, amongst other things. This week, he even has the opportunity to host The Dan Le Batard Show with Katie George while the normal crew is off on vacation. 

Joining the SEC Network is truly Burns’ dream job, because of his deep passion for the conference. SEC football was part of his upbringing, so the fit comes naturally for both he and the network. Being able to cover the sport you grew up loving the most is why Burns feels like he never has to work.

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“It’s funny, because I went on a bunch of interviews with ESPN when I first got signed by an agency,” Burns said. “I probably went on eight interviews there, from SportsCenter to Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, all that stuff. I thought I killed every single interview I had, except for the one with SEC Network. I was bummed because I’m such an SEC guy. That’s the one I got a callback from after the audition. 

“It’s been part of my upbringing so it was just such a natural fit. Even when I moved to Denver I was covering the Avalanche as well as the Rockies. I’m not a huge hockey fan and I just wasn’t a diehard National League fan as much as I used to be, so I had to work for that. I don’t have to work for the knowledge of the SEC because I follow every single storyline. And that’s not just football. I hope that’s what it sounds like over the air, like a kid being in a candy store.”

That’s a far cry from the guy who was working in oil and gas in south Texas, where he first realized he had to get into sports radio. Or even the guy who was fired from 760 The Ticket in San Antonio, for, self admittedly, having a bad attitude inside the building on far too much of a regular basis. But sometimes, getting knocked down can be a person’s biggest remedy. Getting fired did just that for his career. 

“You don’t know what you have until you lose it,” Burns said. “I realized as hard as I had worked to get to that job at 760 The Ticket in San Antonio I had taken it for granted. I just thought I had made it I didn’t have to work as hard anymore. It wasn’t until I had that reality check of, hey, why are you acting like this? It got out of hand to the point where I deserve to be fired. 

“Instead of blaming everybody I looked at myself and said, all right, you’ve got to fix this. If you fix it, and you work hard, you can try and get this gig back again. There’s no way I’d be doing what I do now unless I’d been fired. It took me understanding that, how great of a job it is, to never want to lose it again. I know when I say it, it sounds weird and cliché, but it affected me so deeply.”

Unfortunately, with the current Covid-19 pandemic and the effect it’s had on sports radio, there’s many talented hosts who have found themselves out of a job. So, as someone who’s experienced that feeling, what’s the best way to try and get back on your feet in this business?  

“Really try to understand, as good of ideas as you have right now, they all need to be profitable,” Burns said. “What I mean by that, is attacking it from the business sense. Anytime I try to get a show pitched, instead of just pitching the show, I’d always write down why this company is wanting to do this. I had to come up with three reasons why that person would say yes, before I would even pitch. So I would always start with, how someone can make money off this idea, whether it be sponsors or how it could be syndicated. My advice is almost to learn more the business aspect of things. If you can sell radio advertising, you can almost do anything. It’s hard to sell an invisible product and that was the best experience I ever got.”

Burns turns his “Worst Day Ever” into life lesson - ESPN Front Row

Hopefully, Burns is through with the toughest trials of his career. But it’s also those same challenges that have made him into the professional he is today. He’ll never let a day go by without being thankful for the life and career he has. He’s not making not that mistake again, nor would Jessi let him. 

“For all my show notes, the first thing I do is put the date and I write ‘dream job’,” said Burns. “The next thing I do, I have a radio clock that’s inside the studio in my house and next to it, it just says 10,000. What it is, is a reminder that if I didn’t want to wake up and do this job, there’s 10,000 other people that would say, I’ll do it in a heartbeat. It’s always a reminder to kind of keep me in the grind of doing sports talk radio for six days a week and to realize how lucky I am, because there’s 10,000 other people that would do my job tomorrow.”

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How to Help Your Clients with Low Website Conversions

Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

Jeff Caves

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Graphic for how to increase website conversions
Credit: WPDesigner.Biz

Are your clients dealing with low website conversions? Whenever a marketing campaign is run, and the goal is to convert website visitors into leads, the temptation is to blame low traffic, amongst other issues, for low form fills or appointments being generated.  Just spend more money, you may think! Sometimes, you must look at at least four other potential issues to tackle poor conversion rates. Here are some actionable steps using the IT services industry to increase website conversions.

IT Solutions specializes in providing products, services, or solutions related to technology, particularly in areas such as software development, hardware sales, IT consulting, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and digital transformations. They faced challenges with their website conversions. Despite driving substantial traffic through Google Ads and other SEO tactics, they struggled to convert website visitors into form fills for appointment requests. A 2% to 5% conversion rate could be considered reasonable. Of course, conversion rates can vary based on various factors, such as the competitiveness of the local market, the quality of the website (and radio stations help most to fix that) and its user experience, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and the reputation and offerings of the IT solutions business. Focusing on improving the quality of leads and providing exceptional customer service can be just as crucial as achieving high conversion rates. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on the marketing tactics! 

The Diagnosis

Upon thorough analysis, several critical issues were identified with IT Solutions’ website:

1. High Bounce Rate: Nobody was checking out the business. If 70% or more of website visitors only visit the landing page, that is an issue.  It could be slow loading times, irrelevant content, poor user experience, or unclear calls-to-action that prevent them from wanting to know more about IT Solutions. You can check the bounce rate on the Google Analytics page for the website in the left-hand sidebar, click on “Behavior” to expand the menu, then click on “Site Content,” and finally, click on “Landing Pages.” You’ll see a list of landing pages and their respective bounce rates.

2. Complex Navigation: It was hard to move around the website to find relevant information about IT services, and it was unclear who they were initiating contact with and for what purpose.

3. Unclear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): The website lacked clear and compelling CTAs guiding visitors toward requesting an appointment. Simply stating “click here for an appointment” is like asking for a meeting whenever or without establishing value. Here are 28 CTAs for free.

4. Lengthy Forms: The appointment forms were long, without qualifying information, and requested excessive information upfront, deterring potential leads from completing them.

Action Plan

1. Optimize Landing Pages:

   – Redo high-traffic landing pages with clear messaging and compelling CTAs.

   – Showcase IT Solutions’ services as benefits, making it easier for users to request appointments, thereby increasing user engagement and conversions.

2. Simplify Navigation:

   – Reorganize the menu and add more action-oriented links.

   – Provide additional options for users to access relevant information, such as “Get a free IT Solutions 15-point checkup NOW” and “Take this 5-question survey to diagnose your IT issues,” motivating them to book appointments.

3. Enhance CTAs:

   – Utilize concise and persuasive messaging throughout the website.

   – Encourage visitors to take action, whether requesting a free download about “5 things you can do to solve your IT issues on your own” or “get a free pizza for booking an appointment.”

4. Improve the Form Fill:

   – Add a further line about the number of employees who qualify for incoming leads.

   – Highlight the value of leads based on company size, prioritizing forms with higher potential impact.

Review landing pages, navigation, CTAs, and form experience to address website conversion issues. Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

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‘NHL on TNT’ Gives Hockey Fans the ‘NBA on TNT’ Treatment

Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

John Molori

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NHL on TNT studio

Let’s play a little word association, sports media style. If I say TNT, what is your response? Chances are it will be a three-letter abbreviation of your own, namely, NBA. Over the years, TNT has built a reputation as arguably the premiere network to telecast the National Basketball Association.

The NBA on TNT pregame and halftime shows have become the gold standard with stars like Ernie Johnson, Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, it’s not just this quartet of roundball royalty that has fortified TNT’s hoops coverage.

The rep was also built on tremendous play-by-play announcers like Bob Neal and Kevin Harlan, color analysts like Doug Collins and Reggie Miller, and courtside reporters like the late Craig Sager and current sideline star Allie LaForce.

Indeed, TNT and the NBA have become synonymous, but I have some news for you. This network is not just about professional basketball. This past week I went off the grid with TNT looking at their in-game and studio coverage of the NHL.

On March 24, the NHL on TNT provided coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche matchup. Kenny Albert did play-by-play with Eddie Olczyk on color. Albert is not as noted as his legendary broadcasting father Marv Albert, but he has certainly staked his claim as one of the best in the business – able to cross over to multiple sports with equal aplomb.

Hockey is a strong suit for Albert. His rat-tat-tat, drama-building style draws viewers in and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Similarly, Olczyk is one of the top four or five NHL game analysts in the business. His style is understated, providing calm and clear analysis of key plays. They work really well together.

Albert eschews any kind of hackneyed and trite catch phrases for his goal calls. An emphatic, “He shoots and scores!” is plenty enough.

Hockey is a different beast when it comes to play-by-play. Unlike basketball, baseball, football, or even soccer and tennis, there is a minimum of breaks in the action. With hockey, a play-by-play announcer has to know the names of the players like he or she knows her kids’ names.

To me, it is the hardest sport for play-by-play and equally difficult for a color analyst. In basketball, after a team scores, the play-by-play announcer will keep silent and give the color analyst time to talk until the play crosses center court. In baseball and football, there is ample room for commentary.

Hockey does not offer such space, but Olczyk gets the most out of the minimal amount of time. Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

Coming back from a break in the game, Albert and Olczyk provided on air commentary and then tossed to ice level reporter Brian Boucher who has grown into a tremendous asset to the TNT broadcasts. Boucher provided real talk about Colorado’s objectives of staying on top of their division and vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Penguins, squarely in a rebuilding year having dumped talent at the NHL trade deadline, surprisingly jumped out to a 2–0 lead in this game, and the TNT between periods studio crew was all over it. The excellent Liam McHugh hosted alongside Colby Armstrong, Anson Carter, and Keith Yandle.

Armstrong was especially entertaining. With Pittsburgh outshooting the Avs 16-4, Armstrong noted that it’s the best he’s seen Pittsburgh play in a long time. His reasoning was that teams get geared up for playing Colorado even if it’s out of fear. Great stuff.

Both teams tallied two goals in the second period giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. When Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon set up Jonathan Drouin for a goal to make it 4-3, Albert and Olczyk showed their strengths.

Albert called the pass from MacKinnon and one-timer goal from Drouin, and immediately noted that MacKinnon now had a point in all 34 of Colorado’s home games this season. On the goal replay, Olczyk showed how the play developed pointing out how McKinnon allowed Pittsburgh’s Evgenii Malkin to come in close before making the past to Drouin.

The TNT production team then showed a graphic displaying that McKinnon is now second all-time in longest home points streaks trailing only Wayne Gretzky. This was a sublime sequence of symmetry between talent and technicians like a songwriter, musician, and singer creating beautiful music.

What was supposed to be a blowout win for Colorado had now become a hockey barn burner, and the TNT crew was up to the task. Every goal and key play was followed up with replays from multiple angles showing the genesis of the action.

TNT has certainly taken to the velocity of the hockey broadcast with movement that challenges directors, graphics professionals, and videographers.

When there were breaks in this non-stop action, Olczyk was at his best. No hockey analyst draws on his experience as a player and explains that experience better to viewers. The TNT broadcast also lets Boucher freewheel and join in the flow of discussion without having to be introduced.

TNT does not merely rely on the traditional wide shot of the entire rink. We see close-up shots of each goaltender after a great save and the sweat of players on the bench or in the penalty box.

When McKinnon tied the game at 4-4 with 4:38 left in the third period, we got a series of tremendous crowd shots showing the Colorado fans going absolutely berserk. The sage Albert and Olczyk wisely remained quiet for several seconds, letting the cheers do the talking.

When Drouin scored the game winner at 4:06 of overtime, Albert exercised controlled enthusiasm, raising his voice on the call of the goal, but not becoming the show and overshadowing the play itself. He is definitely in the mold of Dan Kelly, Gary Thorne, and Sean McDonough, announcers who enhance but do not supersede the game.

Putting a cherry on top of this hockey Sunday, TNT showed a graphic that the Avalanche now led the NHL in comeback wins this season with 25 and that they were riding a 9-game winning streak. In analyzing the goal, Olczyk opined that the altitude of playing in Colorado was prevalent as the Penguins seemed to tire as the game progressed – really interesting insight.

In the postgame show, Anson Carter made a great point that the chemistry between Drouin and MacKinnon stems from the fact that they have been playing together going back to junior hockey. McKinnon joined in from the arena for a postgame interview. The analysts asked solid questions and even did a funny MVP chant together as the interview ended.

The NHL on TNT takes no back seat to its elder NBA sister. The broadcast provides viewers with flash, dash, and serious hockey talk from every angle – in studio, from the broadcast booth, and on the ice.

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Kim Mulkey Now Has Everyone Anticipating Washington Post Story

I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it.

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photo of LSU women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

The Washington Post, you might’ve heard, has a story coming out about controversial LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. The reason you might’ve heard is because Kim Mulkey told you. The Tigers coach read a fiery prepared statement just before her team started the Women’s NCAA Tournament. In the statement, Mulkey threatened to sue The Post for defamation before the first word was even published.

Now, I’ve never run a public relations firm but that did not seem like a good idea. The Washington Post story on Mulkey is one of the bigger stories in sports right now and nobody even knows what’s in it. The reason the story, apparently unflattering to Mulkey, is even on anyone’s radar screen is Mulkey herself.

It all started with an innocuous social media post by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde right in the middle of the most anticipated two days in sports, the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. On his X account, Forde posted: “Hearing some buzz about a big Washington Post story in the works on LSU women’s hoops coach Kim Mulkey, potentially next week. Wagons being circled, etc.”

You know what generally will go unnoticed at 4:00 on the first Friday of the NCAA Tournament? A post on X about a women’s basketball coach. But don’t tell Mulkey, she saw Forde’s post and decided to fight fire with nuclear weaponry. The result: the average person like me now is really interested in what has Mulkey so incensed. By “average person like me” I mean that I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it. Maybe:

“LSU Women’s Coach Discovers Ark of the Covenant”

Or:

“Mulkey Reveals True JFK Assassin(s)”

Perhaps:

“Famed Women’s Basketball Coach Reveals the Mystery Behind Slow Drivers in the Left Lane”

Literally any of those catch my attention more than whatever will likely be the Washington Post headline about Mulkey. But now Mulkey is “Mad as Hell and is not going to take this anymore” so I now have an interest I would never before have had in this story. It has been fascinating to watch the online speculation about the subject of the article and all we really know, as of now, is that it will be written by Kent Babb. This is a dream come true for Babb; he writes an article that is, presumably, not flattering about Kim Mulkey and, before it is even published, she gives the article the greatest commercial anyone could give it. Babb couldn’t have entered into a business agreement with Mulkey and had this turn out better for him.

For those who don’t follow Babb, he is a former NFL reporter who now is an award-winning writer for the Washington Post. In his 14 years with The Post, he has written sports features and authored a couple of books. One of those sports features stories was a deep dive into what he viewed as a large inequity in the level of pay for LSU head football coach Brian Kelly and his LSU players. It is this piece Mulkey described as a “hit piece” and, based on that piece, referred to Babb as a “sleazy reporter.” Babb, and many others, resented the fact his story was labeled as a hit piece. In fact, Babb essentially confirmed he was the author Mulkey was referencing when he shared the original article on X with the comment: “Hit piece?”

Whether a printed piece or a recorded interview, I can’t imagine a better promotion for it than the subject of the interview threatening a libel/slander lawsuit, especially before it is even released. That simply screams “This piece is salacious!!” Also, libel and slander suits get settled all the time, right? Of course they don’t, they seem to never even get filed. That little thing called discovery is a scary thing for most public figures.

The NCAA Tournament has been very entertaining, and I think the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be terrific. For only the fifth time ever, the top two seeds have advanced to the third round which sets up for a remarkable weekend. For me, I guess it will now include a Washington Post article, not a sentence I’d normally say.

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