6 Steps to Get a Sponsorship for Your Brand

Before reaching out to potential sponsors, you should clearly understand what you want to achieve through sponsorship. This step can help you build a brand strategy that effectively incorporates the roles of sponsors.

Ask yourself:

• What outcomes do I want to achieve from a sponsorship?
• How will these outcomes contribute to my overall business objectives?
• What resources or support do I need from a sponsor to achieve these goals?

Identifying your goals will help you look for the right sponsors and enable you to craft a more compelling pitch when you approach them. Some common sponsorship goals include:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Reaching new target audiences
• Enhancing brand credibility
• Accessing new markets
• Boosting sales or lead generation

Remember, the most successful sponsorships are those where both parties' objectives align. Clearly defining your goals makes you better equipped to find sponsors whose aims complement your own, leading to more fruitful and lasting strategic partnerships.

Step 2: Research potential sponsors

Now, it's time to identify potential sponsors that align with your brand and target audience. This step is crucial in ensuring that any partnership you forge will be mutually beneficial and resonate with your existing customer base.

To begin, create a list of brands that share similar values, target demographics, or operate in a complementary industry. Consider the following when researching:

Brand alignment

Look for companies whose mission and values match your own. This alignment ensures a more natural and authentic partnership that resonates with your audience and the sponsor. Consider researching the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives and public statements to gauge how well their values align with yours.

Target audience overlap

Identify brands that cater to a similar audience or one you're trying to reach. This overlap increases the likelihood of a mutually beneficial partnership, as both parties can leverage each other's audience. Analyze demographic data, social media followers, and customer profiles to determine the extent of audience overlap.

Industry relevance

Focus on businesses that operate in related or complementary sectors. This relevance can lead to more synergistic partnerships and cross-promotional opportunities. Consider how your products or services might complement each other and how you could create joint marketing campaigns or bundled offerings.

To conduct your research, you can use various tools, such as:

• Industry publications and news sites
• Social media platforms
• Business directories
• Competitor sponsorship activities
• Trade shows and industry events

Tools like Google Alerts, social media monitoring platforms, and industry-specific databases can be invaluable in this process. They can help you stay updated on potential sponsors' activities and identify new opportunities as they arise.

With your goals defined and potential sponsors identified, you'll need to start working on your sponsorship pitch.

This document is your chance to showcase why your brand is an attractive sponsorship opportunity and how a partnership would benefit the sponsor. You'll need the proposal for all types of partnerships and sponsorships, whether you're looking for event sponsorships, corporate sponsors, or advertisers.

Key elements to include in your proposal:

1. Introduction to your brand: Provide a brief overview of your company, its history, and its core values.
2. Your audience: Detail your target market, including size, engagement levels, and any relevant data.
3. Sponsorship opportunity: Clearly outline your offering (e.g., logo placement, social media mentions, event participation).
4. Benefits to the sponsor: Highlight how the sponsorship benefits them in helping them achieve their marketing or business objectives. For example, if you're looking for a sponsor for an upcoming event, you might highlight that they'll get publicity.
5. Metrics and KPIs: Specify how you'll measure the sponsorship's success. Event sponsors want to know if their money contributes to their bottom lines.
6. Pricing and packages: Offer a sponsorship package with different levels to cater to various budgets and needs. Sponsorship packages allow broader corporate sponsorship opportunities for companies of all sizes to get involved.

To present your value proposition effectively:

• Use visuals: Include graphs, charts, or infographics to make data more digestible.
• Personalize: Tailor each proposal to the specific sponsor you're targeting.
• Be concise: Keep your proposal clear and to the point, respecting the reader's time.

A well-crafted proposal demonstrates your professionalism and increases your chances of securing a sponsorship deal.

Step 4: Build relationships with potential sponsors

Securing a sponsorship often relies as much on personal connections as it does on the merits of your proposal. Building genuine relationships with brand representatives can significantly increase your chances of success.

Networking strategies to connect with potential sponsors:

1. Attend industry events where your target sponsors might be present.
2. Join professional associations related to your field.
3. Participate in LinkedIn groups and forums where industry professionals gather.
4. Engage with potential sponsors on social media platforms.
5. Consider cold outreach via email or LinkedIn, but always personalize your approach.

When interacting with potential sponsors, build rapport before pitching your sponsorship opportunity. Show genuine interest in their business and look for ways you might be able to add value, even without a formal sponsorship agreement.

Step 5: Leverage social media and online platforms

Online platforms can help you attract an event or corporate sponsor while showcasing your brand's value. These channels offer a great way to demonstrate your reach, engagement, and influence to potential sponsors.

Here's how to effectively use these platforms to develop a strong brand that attracts sponsors:

1. Consistently develop quality content that resonates with your audience.
2. Engage with your followers to build a strong community.
3. Use tools to track your performance and gather data to support your sponsorship proposals.
4. Highlight any previous brand collaborations or sponsored content to showcase your experience.
5. Create a media kit that outlines your online presence and reach.

When it comes to reaching potential sponsors, consider:

• Using LinkedIn to connect with decision-makers in companies you're targeting.
• Creating content that aligns with the values of brands you'd like to work with.
• Participating in relevant online discussions and Twitter chats.
• Utilizing platform-specific features like Instagram's branded content tools.

After you've made initial contact with potential sponsors, it's crucial to follow up and keep the lines of communication open. This step is often where many sponsorship seekers fall short, but it can make the difference between securing a sponsorship deal and missing out on an opportunity.

Here are a few tips to help you follow up with potential sponsors:

• Set a reminder to follow up within a week of your initial outreach if you haven't received a response.
• Be persistent but respectful. If you don't hear back after two or three attempts, consider moving on to other prospects.
• Provide additional value in your follow-ups, such as new data or ideas that support your proposal.
• Be open to feedback and willing to adjust your proposal based on the sponsor's needs.

Maintaining open communication is equally important once you've established content. Keep potential sponsors updated on your brand's developments and achievements. You should also be responsive when they reach out to you. If a sponsor isn't ready to commit, ask if you can stay in touch and check in periodically. "No" doesn't necessarily mean "never."

Building a sponsorship relationship takes time. Maintaining consistent, valuable communication increases your chances of turning a potential sponsor into an actual partner when the time is right.

Securing successful brand sponsorships

Securing sponsorships for your brand is a process that requires relationship-building. Following the steps in this guide will equip you to attract and secure valuable partnerships. Successful sponsorship packages should be built on mutual benefit and value alignment. Create partnerships that provide financial support and enhance your brand's credibility and reach.

Securing sponsorships can be challenging, but the right tools and strategies can streamline the process. Mailchimp's CRM features can help you manage and nurture relationships with potential sponsors, keeping track of all your interactions and follow-ups in one place. Plus, you can use our landing page builder to create a professional-looking online presence that showcases your brand to potential sponsors.