How to Get Corporate Sponsors
Every couple of years or so I attend Linda Hollander’s webinar on how to get sponsors to learn what’s new in the sponsorship arena. However, it’s the first time that I am seriously thinking about getting a corporate sponsor. To bring my vision of what I would like the next Virtual Literary World Tour to be, I need assistance, and I think that if I had the right corporate sponsor, I would be able to do many things. Please read my February 7, 2011 post, Sponsorships: How to Secure Them.
This year companies with spend $19 billion on sponsorships. They have increased by 50 percent since 2004 and 100 percent since 2000. And they are funding your:
- Small business
- Book or show
- Non-profit
- Projects
Linda Hollander’s Five Steps to Get Corporate Sponsors
- Attract your corporate sponsors.
- Create sponsor proposal.
- Contact sponsors.
- Negotiate the sponsor deals
- Get sponsorship renewal for the next year.
Ways to Attract Sponsors
- Research what organization or people similar to you are doing, and who are their sponsors.
- Attend trade shows and seminars. Speak to the exhibitors when they are on a break.
- Call prospective sponsor companies and ask for the marketing department to determine who you need to speak to.
Reasons Why a Company Would Sponsor You
- Increase brand loyalty
- Drive retail sales
- Connect to target market
- Community outreach
- Get visibility
- Improve image in the community
- Grow customer base
Some Categories of Sponsor Companies
- Banking and Financial
- Insurance
- Automobile
- Health
- Oil and Gas
- Hotels
- Airlines
- Communications
- Electronics
- Food and Beverage
- Personal Care
Hollander advised that we shouldn’t ask for less than $10,000, and that we should be very detailed with the benefits that we have to offer the sponsor company. We have to have a clear understanding of who our target market is – demographic of our customers. If you are not sure of your user profile, a website such as Quantcast can assist you in figuring it out. Hollander also told us to tell our story in the sponsorship proposal, even if it means becoming vulnerable. Linda Hollander has successfully secured sponsorships from Wal-Mart, Bank of America, Staples and many other organizations.
What project have you been trying to get off the ground that you haven’t been able to because of a lack of funds? Perhaps getting a corporate sponsor is the way to go. Please jump into the conversation and provide your input in the comments box below. Have you received sponsorships and how did you go about getting them?