Getting sponsors is SO much easier with a strategy in place, otherwise, you end up asking people for money for the sake of getting money … and everyone feels it.
When you invest the time and energy into building the experience that will pull the sponsor and the attendee together it becomes fun. And everyone will feel that as well … it’s a much better feeling 🙂
Below are a few areas of lessons learned, researched content that helped when I first started, and then links to some resources we’ve created to get you running fast.
Common Mistakes #
Sending a Mass Email to Multiple Companies
While I’m sure you want to contact as many companies as possible, never just send out a mass email. Finding good sponsors for your podcast takes time and work, and you simply cannot take shortcuts if you want to be successful. Make sure you always send your emails one at a time and create an email tailored specifically for that company that shows off your personality and your familiarity with what they do. This will help get your emails read and not automatically deleted.
Sending a Boilerplate Email #
Another common mistake people make is sending boilerplate emails that are lacking in both their personality as well as any specifics about the company they are trying to attract. These canned (or boilerplate) emails are easy for seasoned marketing professionals to pick out. If you try this method, you will find that most of your emails will simply be filed in the trash.
No Follow Up #
One of the most common problems that can plague even seasoned sponsorship sellers is failing to follow up. Following up on the first email contact could lead to a successful sale or an outright failure. Once you’ve sent that first email, make sure you follow up in a reasonable amount of time, but don’t overdo it, either.
Getting Started #
You may want to set up an Airtable Base or a Docs file to start jotting down every business in your local area that would have a reason to want to be in front of your audience. Then I’d create a second place (maybe a field in your Airtable Base) where you can brainstorm why your audience wants to know about them … what kind of experience (typically called an activation) would support the connection in a natural flow.
We’ve created some assets to get you started in the Material Bank. You will find some sponsor pitch email templates and a sponsorship deck example you can edit to make your own.