Identifying Your Assets: What Sponsors Want

To land sponsorship deals, you need to determine what you have to offer. Think about your Audience and content. What makes you unique?

Your Reach and Engagement

Sponsors want exposure to your audience. Do you have a large following on social media or email list? High traffic and engagement on your website or YouTube channel? Share detailed analytics to show your influence.

Your Content and Expertise

If you produce high-quality, shareable content in a specific niche, sponsors may want to tap into your expertise. For example, a cooking show host could attract kitchenware brands, while a marketing podcast may attract software companies. Think of how you can highlight your knowledge and skills.

Brand Authority and Trust

Have you built up credibility and trust with your followers over time? Longevity and a proven track record of success are appealing to sponsors. Mention awards or media coverage you’ve received to demonstrate your brand authority.

Cross-Promotional Opportunities

Sponsors often want to co-promote to each other’s audiences. Are there natural partnerships with brands that complement your content or audience? Pitch how you’ll promote the sponsor through social media, email marketing, live events, and more.

With the right assets and pitch, you’ll attract sponsors eager to tap into your influence and promote to your loyal followers. Identify what makes you stand out, and don’t be afraid to reach out to brands you want to work with. The sponsorship opportunities are out there waiting for you!

Making the Pitch: Reaching Out to Potential Sponsors

So you’ve got an idea for a sponsorship opportunity with your blog, podcast, or YouTube channel. Great! Now it’s time to craft your pitch.

Research Your Target Sponsors

Do some digging to find brands that align well with your content and audience. Check out who sponsors similar creators or media properties. See what companies are actively sponsoring influencers. Make a list of potential partners who would find value in reaching your viewers.

Build Your Pitch Deck

Create a simple slide presentation to showcase your opportunity. Include details about your audience size and demographics, content themes, and sponsorship options. Outline the benefits of partnering with you. Keep this high-level but compelling.

Reach Out and Start a Conversation

Find the right contact at your target companies, usually someone in PR, marketing, or influencer relations. Email them to introduce yourself and your media property. Explain that you have an audience their brand would resonate with. Ask if they’d like to see your pitch deck for potential partnership opportunities.

Be Flexible in Your Approach

Sponsors will likely want to explore various options to find what works for them, so go in with an open mind. They may want to test out different types of placements to determine effectiveness. Be willing to negotiate the details to find a good fit for you both. With the right, mutually beneficial relationship, this could be the start of an ongoing collaboration.

Staying proactive and persistent, customizing your pitch to specific companies, and maintaining open communication are key to landing top sponsors. 

Do your homework, make genuine connections, and keep at it. With time and practice, you'll be securing paid partnerships in no time!

Maximizing the Partnership: Delivering Value for Your Sponsor

Once you’ve secured a sponsorship, the real work begins. To keep your sponsor happy and the partnership thriving, you need to consistently provide value. Here are a few ways to maximize the relationship:

Deliver on your promises. If you pitched certain benefits, activations or metrics in order to land the deal, you need to make good on those commitments. Meet the objectives and KPIs outlined in your sponsorship agreement to build trust and confidence in the partnership.

Promote your sponsor. 

Give your sponsor prominent placement on your website, social media channels, newsletters, and at your events. Mention them frequently in your content and during live activations. Drive awareness and exposure for their brand, products and services to your audience.

Share insights and data. 

Provide your sponsor with regular reports on metrics like impressions, click-through rates, conversions, and sales. Give them insights into your audience and community. The more they understand the impact and ROI, the more invested they’ll be in continuing and even expanding the sponsorship.

Offer added value. 

Go above and beyond by providing your sponsor with additional opportunities and perks. Things like VIP access at your events, product giveaways, exclusive content or newsletters, or co-branded social campaigns. The more value you can add, the stronger and longer-lasting your partnership will become.

Stay in regular contact. 

Don’t disappear once the ink has dried on your contract. Set up quarterly check-ins with your key sponsor contacts to share updates, recap performance, discuss new opportunities, and get feedback. Make them feel like a true partner, not just a source of funding. With open communication and collaboration, you can build a sponsorship that lasts for years.

Maintaining an open, communicative and mutually valuable relationship with your sponsors is key to creating successful long-term partnerships. Put in the effort to maximize their investment, and they’ll keep coming back again and again.