T. Clark Media Newsletter - 1st Edition
Today we're diving into how not to slide into DMs, JuJu Smith Schuster's new eSports team, the marketing genius behind Halsey's basketball burner account, and more...
Hey,
Welcome, welcome 🙂
This is the inaugural edition of the T. Clark Media Newsletter. To be honest with you, I'm terrible with naming things. So, this one is still subject to change. Seriously, if we can call this anything but a newsletter, that'd be great.
Anyways... you might be wondering who I am and why I'm starting this. So, allow me to give you some context before we dive into the real content for this week (feel free to skip ahead if you'd like).
My name Tommy Clark (a.k.a T. Clark), and I've spent the last 2-3 years building a nutrition coaching business. In my practice, I work mainly with basketball players trying to dial in their diet.
Throughout that process of building from the ground up, it became obvious that media and marketing were going to be key pieces of the growth process. The more I learned about that facet of the business, the more I became fascinated by it. Now I love marketing and media just as much (if not more than) the actual nutrition component.
With that being said, I don't consider myself an expert. I believe I'm talented at what I do, but I still have a lot to learn. I know you might be in the same boat, so that's why I created this. In this newsletter, I'm sharing exactly what I'm learning about in this field on a weekly basis. Specifically, I'll be covering marketing in fitness, gaming, and sports - three fields that I'm passionate about.
I'll also be sharing some lifestyle / personal development stuff, in the least "cringe" way possible. If you want corny productivity hacks, go to LinkedIn.
Now that we've got that out of the way - let's get into the content for this week:
How Not To Slide Into The DMs...
Nutrition/Fitness
Doing your outreach via direct message on social media can be an effective strategy to generate leads and expand your network as a coach or consultant. Unfortunately, most people use this strategy in the most counterproductive way possible.
In fact, I'm willing to bet that you've been hit with one of these before. You open the Instagram app, check your inbox, and you see that you have a message request. Naturally, you open it because you're curious.
In the event that it's not a Russian bot who wants to be your sugar mama, it might be an account with 0 followers and 0 posts asking you to follow some other account.
Here's an example, in case you're a visual learner:
I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do after receiving that is follow that account, much less but something from them. Instead, I usually delete the message request, block, and move on. Is that really a strategy you want to rely on when building your business? Didn't think so.
Instead, be genuine in your approach. Don't mass copy and paste; take the time to look around the person's account and message with some context. Don't immediately ask people to buy your s***; simply ask how you can help.
If you want bonus points, swap the boring text message with an audio or video message. If you have even a little bit of a following, the person on the receiving end of that message will be blown away.
Takeaway: Simply put, the best DM strategy is to actually care. It might not pay off the same day, but it will in a month, or even a year.
Just stay patient.
NFL Star Founds New eSports Organization
Gaming
The connection between "real" sports and eSports is becoming stronger by the day, and the ongoing pandemic (yes, it is still going on) has only accelerated that.
During the NBA Bubble, players like Devin Booker and Meyers Leonard spent the hours between team obligations dropping into Verdansk on Warzone. Bronny James recently announced his partnership with FaZe Clan, one of the largest eSports organizations in the world. And Ben Simmons did the same.
Most recently, NFL superstar Juju Smith-Schuster announced his new organization, Team Diverge. According to Smith, the organization is "the World’s First Athlete-Led Gaming Entertainment & Lifestyle Company."
It's important to note that gaming and eSports are not synonymous. All eSports fall under the category of gaming, but not all video games have a competitive eSports scene. For example, not all Call of Duty players compete for a franchise in the CDL.
For now, the organization doesn't have any plans to join a franchised esports league. It appears that the main priority for the company is to recruit gamers and content creators. If that sounds like something you'd be into, you can check out their Twitter account here.
Takeaway: Regardless of whether Team Diverge can compete with gaming titans like FaZe or NRG, its founding is another piece of evidence in favor of the growing influence of eSports in society and culture. Gaming isn't a past time reserved for dudes in their mom's basement, it's a medium that is here to stay whether you agree with it or not.
You can read a full article on the topic here.
The Marketing Genius Behind Halsey's Basketball Burner Account
Sports
What the hell am I talking about: Pop superstar, Halsey, decided to start up a second Twitter account dedicated solely to basketball commentary.
Why not just live tweet Laker games on her main account? Doing this keeps the creator from fragmenting their audience on the main account. You can think of it like a YouTuber starting a second channel for a separate topic of interest. For example, let's say your favorite gaming YouTuber started talking about the stock market. You might be interested, but there's an equal chance that you'd get turned off from his content.
Okay, cool. But, how is this a monumental marketing move? It's not. And that's what makes it so great. She genuinely wanted an outlet to talk basketball, so she made it happen. As of now, the account has racked up 120k super-engaged followers without alienating any of her other 13 million main-account followers.
As ridiculous as it sounds, her basketball burner account got me to check out some of her music. I'm not a superfan, but I did download a few songs. That wouldn't have happened without the creation of @halseyandone.
Takeaway: You're not a robot, so don't act like one. You likely care about things outside the realm of your product or business (unless you're a sociopath), so don't be afraid to show that.
If you feel like you might lose some of your audience as a byproduct of your new content, then start a 2nd account. Just don't be afraid to talk about the things you enjoy; enjoyment of process will always be more valuable than a handful of lost followers.
The Best Podcast You Never New You Needed
Social Media
As much as I would love to pretend TikTok doesn't exist, it does. And it's likely here to stay.
The platform has given rise to a new group of influencers over the past 1-2 years that have built a massive platform on the app. Now, many of TikTok's star creators are pushing to expand their reach beyond the platform. Hell, many of them have started their own companies.
Why? They don't want to their entire career to be at the mercy of the lone platform, especially after the recent threats of a ban by the Trump administration. So, creators with the ability to look ahead are aiming to future-proof their business in case a ban does come to life.
A perfect example of this phenomenon is the new collaboration between TikTok star, Bryce Hall, and well-known finance podcaster, Anthony "Pomp" Pompliano. The pair have teamed up to co-host a new show called Capital University. The premise of the show is Pomp and their guests teaching Bryce about business, finance, etc. by having amazing guests on the show.
Like them or not, this was a fantastic move by both parties for several reasons. Firstly, it expands both of their audiences across multiple platforms. It introduces Pompliano to Bryce's millions of fans, and it gives Bryce access to Pomp's fanbase.
Secondly, the execution of this concept was done well. The episodes are entertaining, educational, and genuinely provide value to the listener. I've listened to a handful of episodes so far, and I'll likely keep listening. My personal favorite was this episode with Dallas Mavs owner, Mark Cuban.
Also, I hate to admit it - but Bryce is kinda growing on me. You still won't catch me watching his TikTok videos, but I respect what he's doing in the business space with this podcast and his energy drink company, Ani Energy.
Here's a great Twitter thread on the subject.
Takeaway: Don't become dependent on a single platform. You'll never know when a ban will strike, or when an algorithm will change. It's risky to bet your entire living on the state of a single social platform. It's kinda like walking across a frozen lake, you never know when it's going to crack. Don't risk it.
We saw this in the TikTok ban scare, and we're also seeing it manifest elsewhere. For example, Instagram is pushing heavily towards the commerce space. What makes you think they won't throttle your reach to incentivize ad purchases?
Also, be creative in how you expand your audience. Don't limit yourself to only people "in your industry," and put some more time into thinking about who has your audience. The right collab can be the spark that ignites your growth. Yes, that was cliche. Yes, it gets my point across.
Edit: As of editing this final draft of this newsletter, Bryce was caught on video attacking a waiter at a restaurant... As much of a d*ckhead as he might be, the podcast is still a great idea.
What I'm learning...
The lazy answer is that I'm learning to write a newsletter that isn't dreadfully boring.
All jokes aside, writing is a priority for me right now. If you can right well, you can sell anything. Writing also tends to translate well over to things like video, audio, etc.
If you can write an effective article, you can likely outline a high quality podcast or a decent video. The same can't be said both ways.
I've always been decent at it, but I'm enjoying really diving into the details.
I hope what I've learned has made this newsletter at least slightly enjoyable to read 😉
In addition, and slightly unrelated - I'm trying to figure out how to not suck balls at FIFA 21. If you've figured that out, please let me know. Thx.
Advice of the week...
Just get started.
Stop waiting. Stop agonizing over perfection. Just start.
I likely waited too long to start this newsletter. I've had the idea for well over a month, but I didn't sit down and put pen to paper (or finger to keyword) until now.
To end with a massive cliche - thinking about pushups won't make you stronger.
Ugh, that hurt to write, but you get it.
Top 5 Fascinating Links
[Markets 101: How to Read Stock Indexes and Securities] If you're like me and you have zero idea what is going on in the stock market, this will help you decipher the code.
[North Star Podcast w/ David Nemetz] This podcast episode with the founder of Bleacher Report is a great listen for anyone trying to learn more about media and marketing.
[Your Preseason Basketball Nutrition Plan] Shameless plug... here's my newest YouTube video. if you happen to be an athlete, I think you'll find it helpful!
[Sal DiStefano on Why You (Maybe) Shouldn't Vote] Regardless of your political views, this episode is a great listen. Just something to think about...
[The David Dobrik x Borat collab that shook the internet] The title says it all, lol...
Before I let you go...
What's one topic you want me to cover in this newsletter? Hit me back and let me know. Would love to hear from you!
Talk to you next week,
Tommy Clark