Our latest Industry Insider feature delves into the career of Ben Breeze, Head of Digital Media at Crewe Alexandra!
Tell us about yourself, what is your current role and what roles have you done previously?
Hello, my name Ben Breeze, I’m currently Head of Digital Media at Crewe Alexandra. I was previously Media & Marketing Assistant at the Football Club, which came after I graduated from university.
What do you do in your current role?
I head up all the club’s digital content. Filming interviews, editing interviews, uploading them to our digital platforms, informative tweets about upcoming games, updating the website, etc.
Majority of the posts on social media are produced and signed off by me.
“Normal” isn’t a thing in sport so what does an “average” week look like for you?
A normal week for me would start with Monday being a brainstorming day to work out what content can be posted throughout the week alongside a morning press conference for our upcoming match.
Tuesday in the current climate is basically a matchday (the most stressful but enjoyable day of the week) now. So, everything on our digital platforms is focused on that.
Wednesday is working on post-matchday content. Thursday is similar to Monday where we will have a press conference for Saturday’s game and occasionally grab training content for ‘All Access Alex’. Friday is prepare for matchday on the Saturday.
How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sport?
I went to university to study Sports Journalism and in our third year we were required to complete a work placement. Luckily enough I was able to get in at Crewe Alex and I haven’t looked back since!
Sport has always been a huge passion of mine and in particular football. I’ve been kicking a ball as long as I can remember and always wanted to be a part of a Football Club in some capacity. I get great enjoyment out of social media and writing, so a combination of it all is perfect for me!
What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?
Fan engagement, I think. Without supporters’ interaction I wouldn’t find it as fun or as enjoyable. They are a huge part of everything to do with a football club and we saw that whilst games were played behind-closed-doors. So, that would be number one for me.
Can you tell us about a time you failed and what you learned from it?
When you’re first learning about the impact of pressing that big tweet button for the first can be quite surreal. Something you’ve written is going to over 100,000 followers, you have to be sure as people are quickly onto it to correct you.
I’ve probably made too many mistakes over the years and had to redo a post, but it is part of life. I’ve found myself spending more time on checking the post before clicking send now though.
What are you excited about in your industry at the moment?
I think there is loads to be excited about. There are new roles being created all the time in different sectors. I quite enjoy watching everybody’s video content and the different effects people use but I won’t bore you with all that!
If you could change one thing about your Industry, what would you change?
The rate of pay. It has been widely reported how poorly those in the media industry are paid. Not all, but I believe there is a lack of appreciation for how much hard work goes into our jobs.
Sport is a hectic industry, what do you do to switch off?
I find it hard to ‘switch off’ like I imagine many other social media managers do. I try to spend as much time as I can with my girlfriend and our dog. Some holidays in the sun will be nice, though.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to work in the sports industry?
Go and get experience as early as possible in as many different media sectors as you can.
How to connect with Ben Breeze…
Twitter: @BenBreeze_
LinkedIn: Ben Breeze
Thanks for reading our Industry Insider with Ben Breeze! If you want to read more from the series, you can do so by clicking here.
