Today, technology is progressing fast and offers new opportunities and numerous ways for organizers, sponsors and attendees to interact with one another virtually. With moving forward as per the future of the event industry, sponsors no longer want mere exposure and hospitality bonuses but are now partnering with the organizers to find interactive ways to connect with their attendees.
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Here is a list to guide you on how to find sponsors, win sponsorships, and create long-lasting relationships with them.
1. Craft an Exclusive Selling Proposition
Prepare the event sponsorship proposition like you are selling a product or service because the concept is the same. Draft a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to the potential sponsors, which is a concise statement that outlines:
- The event’s mission, vision, and cause
- The value offered to the sponsors
- The differentiator factor of your event as compared to other events
- The event’s audience size and key characteristics
- How can it lead to a long-term relationship with your company
It feels like a lot, but ideally, this USP should be short and should be the initial communication with potential sponsors to generate interest.
2. Showcase a Professional and Clean Brand Image
The sponsors will evaluate you first by checking your website, reviews, and social media presence, to know if you are legitimate and popular, so be prepared for it. Check your website thoroughly for any broken links, page errors, redirections, etc.
Think from their perspective, what would they want you to have because they will be aligning their brand image with yours. It’s worth it to spend some funds to make your brand look professional before you reach out to sponsors.
3. Identify and Enumerate the Offerings that Would Interest Potential Sponsors
As you progress and get more clarity, start to define the specific things you can offer to the sponsors by providing more details like:
- The size and the kind of audience
- Live presentation opportunities
- Logo placements opportunities during the virtual event.
- Online marketing (Website, Email, Social media marketing)
- Offerings to sponsors – Explore digital swag alternatives instead of traditional ones. Think of some templates, GIFs, and other useful takeaways.
4. Create a List of Targeted Prospects that Align with your USP
Create categories of prospective sponsors and specific industries that would be interested, based on verticals, demographics or products. Prepare an excel or CRM to manage the researched information & the outreach process.
5. Initially Connect Through Email and Social Media, not Calls
You might think a call is more personal and effective, but most sponsors prefer that the first contact be online so they can do their homework before talking about it. Many corporate planners reach out to potential sponsors via social media, because it is more casual and less intrusive.