Mark Bollons Email & Phone Number

London, United Kingdom

London, United Kingdom

GiveMeSport.com has risen to become one of the biggest sports websites on the planet, attracting as many as 35 million total visits per month after significant growth during my time as Editor.I oversaw the changing editorial landscape of the publication following the switch from a football-specific to general sports website in April 2013, setting the agenda from launch via 15 full-time staff and 50 paid freelancers working directly under my control. Played a significant role in… Show more GiveMeSport.com has risen to become one of the biggest sports websites on the planet, attracting as many as 35 million total visits per month after significant growth during my time as Editor.I oversaw the changing editorial landscape of the publication following the switch from a football-specific to general sports website in April 2013, setting the agenda from launch via 15 full-time staff and 50 paid freelancers working directly under my control. Played a significant role in implementing social media strategies to increase visits using both organic and paid channels; worked alongside Sports New Media's athlete management division to gain content from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand; used real-time Analytics data to make editorial decisions to increase readership; used various content management systems and followed SEO principles to gain the best possible results.As part of the role, I also worked as part of a more general management team, gaining a knowledge and understanding of the various components - sales, development, finance - that make a successful media outlet alongside editorial. Show less

GiveMeSport Magazine was a one-off publication launched in the summer of 2014 to celebrate athleticism in all its diverse forms, providing the reader with untold stories and an alternative angle and insight on a variety of topics.As Editor, I was involved in all aspects of the publication from start-to-finish. This included signing-off initial ideas to make sure they met with the agreed editorial direction; sub-editing all content from writers; conducting key interviews with talent… Show more GiveMeSport Magazine was a one-off publication launched in the summer of 2014 to celebrate athleticism in all its diverse forms, providing the reader with untold stories and an alternative angle and insight on a variety of topics.As Editor, I was involved in all aspects of the publication from start-to-finish. This included signing-off initial ideas to make sure they met with the agreed editorial direction; sub-editing all content from writers; conducting key interviews with talent (including cover); working directly with the Creative Director to make sure the aesthetic of the final publication met with the initial brief.GiveMeSport Magazine featured interviews with Boris Becker, Yannick Bolasie and Danny Cipriani, among others, and was distributed in high-end retailers across London and New York. It was a sold out publication. Show less

Promoted from staff writer to Editor of GiveMeFootball.com, taking control of the website's Editorial output and working with senior management to ensure continued online growth.Immediate analytical success led to expansion of writing team working under my direction. Ensured strong social media presence and clear direction over 18 months before preparing for smooth transition to multi-sport platform.

Initially joined GiveMeFootball, formerly the official website of the Professional Footballers' Association, as a marketing assistant with a strong focus on sub-editing and distributing content.Growing significance of role led to news and feature writing, interviews, live match reporting and creation of official press releases for the PFA Fans' Player of the Month awards. Basic HTML experience gained via regular newsletters sent to e-mail database.

Took part in work placements at a variety of different media outlets, including FourFourTwo, Hayters sports writers, TalkSport, Zoo Magazine, Bourne Local newspaper and Made Up Media.Subsequently provided regular news and feature content for Bourne Local and FourFourTwo (footballtalentspotter.com) following initial placements.

Covering three local football teams on the south coast during final year at University – involved weekly interviews with managers and players, as well as occasional match reporting.

Spalding, Lincolnshire

Took full control of the sports desk for a fortnight as temporary cover in the absence of sports editor Nigel Chapman at the two-publication-a-week local newspaper. Working individually, the role involved sourcing news, match reporting, interviews across a range of sports and copywriting based on information filed direct to the desk from across the county.

Ba (Hons), Sport Journalism, 2:1

Education record