Matthew Cerrone is the mastermind behind the most successful blog on the New York Mets. Metsblog reaches over 3.5 million page views every month, and is widely considered to be the authority on everything Mets. I have been a long time reader of Matt's blog and was ecstatic when he agreed to do an interview with me. All the questions I asked him were pertaining to blogging and I want to thank him for being able to add some insight on what it takes to be a professional blogger, and the blogging community.
Justin: Why did you start blogging? Even more specific, why did you start writing about the Mets in particular?
Matt: I am a Mets fan. I am not a journalist. I love the team, and I am not unbiased. I am very much biased, in fact. I mean, I’m a fan, that’s the point, I want the Mets to win… don’t we all? I started the blog as a project in college, back in 2003, and modeled it after some successful political blogs I had been reading. I love politics, but I chose sports because I was living in DC, and was out of market and disconnected with other fans. So, the blog was a way to stay up on what the team was doing. The class ended, people kept reading and so I kept writing. Traffic grew, but the site was just text, literally, there were no graphics. John Keegan from PressHarbor.com approached me as he was starting a blog hosting company. He was a total stranger, yet he took me under his wing, helped me to implement technologies like RSS, comments, etc., and as the site grew and grew, going from 100 readers per day in the first few years to thousands per day in 2006, I took the plunge and used BlogAds and Pajamas Media to make MetsBlog a full-time job. In 2007, with the site delivering roughly 2.5 million page views per month, I partnered with SNY.
Justin: What do you think are the unique aspects of doing a sports blog as opposed to a blog about books, entertainment, etc.?
Matt: I don’t think there are many differences. I hear from readers all the time who like to tell me what a blog is ‘supposed to be,’ pointing out how I violate their definition. The truth is, a blog is just an online space to log your thoughts. That’s it. It’s an online journal, or log, i.e., web log, or weblog, or blog. The biggest difference between blogs is not the subject, but the author. The key to a successful blog is honesty, it’s about being authentic and having the author be true to who you they are. I think new bloggers always feel they must be someone else, they try to be an expert, but being an expert is overrated. Instead, the relationship between reader is writer is what’s most important, it’s about trust and honesty, and so the writer must be this way to have the relationship work. This is the case no matter what you are writing about, be it politics, pop culture or sports.
Justin: If you had any advice for someone who wanted to start a professional blog, what would it be?
Matt: Be yourself, be patient and work hard, work really, really hard. Seriously, you’ve got to hustle. In the end, it’s all about creating compelling, useful, honest content that will resonate with your reader. For instance, people like to criticize me and say I’m just an RSS reader with a lucky domain name. That’s fair, I guess, but, why then do I do more traffic than most aggregators, and why are only 15 percent of my readers subscribed to my RSS feed, and where is YankeesBlog.com? Also, I put in more hours writing MetsBlog today, than I did when I started. My phone is always on. I get up at 3 am if a story breaks, and keep at it until whenever is necessary. Additionally, it took me years to find my voice, to trust I could be me, to listen to criticism, and just keep trucking. In short, know who you are, be unique, be honest and hustle.
Justin: Did you take any classes to learn the intricacies of blogging, or was it something that you learned along the way?
Matt: I learned along the way, as there was no such thing as a class in blogging, or social media tutorials when I started in 2003. I have to come learn, as I try to help other build their blogs, that blogging is like surfing, which is very, very difficult to teach someone. You just have to do it, get out there, write, listen to your audience, and surf the ups and downs of making mistakes… eventually, it starts to click, and you and the audience start to connect.
Justin: What kind of blogs peek your own personal interest? Do you read only sports blogs?
Matt: I am a political junkie, I love reading policy papers, and studying political communication. So, I read a lot of liberal and conservative blogs, ranging from Frameshop to Daily Kos to Instapundit to Hot Air. I also enjoy the pop culture, gossip blogs, such as Perez Hilton and The Superficial, not so much for the ‘information,’ or gossip, but because these guys are geniuses at using technology, managing the flow of content and building a brand. Obviously, I read a ton of blogs about new media, specifically Mashable and Gary Vaynerchuk. In terms of sports, of course I read Deadspin and Big League Stew, and I admire Neil Best’s Watchdog, who I think has done a fantastic job going from newspaper reporter to blogger.
Justin: Finally, this would not be a sufficient Q & A if I didn't ask at least Mets question. I love Brandon Philips, and I think if he is available this off-season we need to go out and get him for our team. Is there any other second basemen that is/ or might be available this season that the Mets should go after and replace Luis Castillo?
Matt: I have not heard for myself that the team is looking to trade Castillo and replace him with anyone specific, but I think it’s pretty clear based on reports that this is what is happening. I have to think they’ll look in to Orlando Hudson, and I think the Chone Figgins talk is more about second base than left field. The team is going to value defense at this position, though, because they know they must be strong up the middle if they plan to win in Citi Field.
Thanks again for the interview Matt!
Again, you can find Matt on Metsblog. You should really check it out!
[Image via Sportable]
