“Your Pitch is like LIVE TV – there’s no room for error.” – Michael Platt, president of Design Write
When it comes to sponsorship, many people think of the big companies that contribute so that we all can attend to enjoy the Keynote speakers, breakout sessions and round table discussions at conferences and events. . . but what many bloggers never consider is getting sponsorship to attend these events.
When you list all of the brands that you use (or could use) and look at the opportunity, you will be amazed.
Think for a minute of all the expenses that go along with attending a conference. There is travel, hotel, food, tech items, clothing, pet boarding, beauty products, shoes, bags . . . the list is endless of the brands that you use. But how are you approaching them? Is it as a brand advocate or a business – your answer should be BOTH!
Now that you have the list of brands, you will want to begin working on your pitch. Set the tone of your pitch based on your relationship to the brand. Your pitch can be: humorous, factual, serious but above all it should be helpful.
In order to perfect your pitch, ask yourself these questions :
What will the brand get by sponsoring your trip?
Does your blog get the traffic that would appeal to big name brands?
How often will you write about their product or service?
Will you have packages / levels of sponsorship for brands to choose from?
Will you accept sponsorship in trade for goods/services?
When it comes to reaching out to brands for sponsorship, your goal is to evoke a response. Whether it is yes or no – ideally you should have a firm answer so that you can move forward.
Have you been reaching out to brands online and getting no where? Remember, that many big brands hire companies to manage their social media – so the person who is stonewalling you or not responding is more than likely NOT the decision maker but they can help you if you ask the right questions and are respectful of their time. It is up to you to do your home work and find out the proper way to contact a brand when asking for sponsorship. It may be by email, phone or sometimes larger brands have online forms that you can fill out. (word of caution: ALWAYS follow up an online form with a phone call. Many times those forms are confusing and the information and categories for sponsorships are not clearly defined).
If you are still asking yourself ‘What Do Companies Want in a Sponsorship Pitch?‘ take a minute to assess your brand as well as the conference or event and what you can offer them in the form of exposure and reach. Are you a good fit for their brand image and target market? Does your blog have the traffic and consistency that that makes sponsoring you a smart decision? Is your conference or event sponsorship proposal polished and easy to read?
Here are a few helpful articles to help you perfect your sponsorship pitch!
Kelly Whalen over at The Centsible Life offers : 7 Tips for Savvy Conference Sponsorship
Carol Shiller over at Blogging Basics 101 offers : 3 Critical Tips to Pick the Right Target for Your Conference Sponsorship Pitch
Now I want to share this post by J.W. Cannon, who is a ‘veteran sponsorship marketer with over 13 years of experience in engaging consumers with high-profile brands such as The Home Depot, Bank of America, AutoTrader.com, ING and UPS.‘ Though it is specifically geared toward a different industry – he has some fantastic advice to keep our sponsorship pitches from turning into strikeouts.
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What do you include in your sponsorship pitches?
Are you a company? What information are you looking for from bloggers?
