How to get sponsorships? (A gist for TSEC Codecell committee)

points_for_Sponsors.md

I went through many articles online,regarding how to get a sponsorship for an event.It can be mastered like any other skill by

breaking it down into parts.

The key to choosing the best sponsor for your event is to fully understand your event goals, know what you want out of a sponsorship, and get really clear how your event provides value to potential sponsors.

Here are some key points that one should keep in mind:

1. Which companies should you reach out to?

   1. Sponsors who understand the value of this type of marketing. (Its upto you to convince)
   2. Sponsors whose audience matches yours in both demographics and interests.(Sponsors want to know their audience’s age, gender, and location, but you can go even deeper with education level, job title, and income to show purchasing power.) Basically this means your target audience should be alike.
   3. Sponsors focused on event ROI(Return of Investment)
   4. Public image is what they want,so accordingly serve them.

2. Consider these questions:

   1. What products and services does you target audience use?
   2. What business / social connections do you have to a sponsor?
   3. Who sponsors events, teams or organisations similar to yourself?
   4. Who are their competitors?
   5. What products and services would you recommend to someone else? This gives you an idea of where your brand loyalty lies

3. Some websites to find sponsors:

   1. https://www.sponseasy.com/
   2. http://sponsormyevent.com/
   3. https://opensponsorship.com/
   4. https://sponsorpitch.com/

4. Get really specific about your event goals.

5. Reach out to sponsors from related events,this makes pitching easier.(Since we are hosting a college committee event we better have a look at other college committee instagram page)

6. Narrow down your options to brands who strongly align with your event values.(In our case this maybe some online course providing start-up or some new coaching centre)

7. Your target market research should reveal all the interests, social media accounts, and brands your audience loves.Reach out to companies which provide incentives within their interests.

8. Killer ways to attract sponsors: ( Your proposal has to stand out. After all, the company likely reviews proposals like yours almost daily. So why should the company sponsor your event over other opportunities?Do not send same proposal to all companies.)

   1. Tell your company story(committee in our case) Make an emotional connection to strike a chord with the sponsoring company.
   2. Describe what your committee does.
   3. Describe your audience’s demographics. It’s best if your target market matches the potential sponsor’s. That way, they know they are reaching the right audience by contributing to your event.Use attendance records to show how many people a sponsor could reach and how much your event has grown each year.
   4. Your proposal should be data heavy which means past attendances,anticipated attendance for current event etc.
   5. Make a long term deal i.e not only the current event but also in future events.

9. Be specific about the funding you need. Don’t beat around the bush. Break down what the financing will go toward, such as venue rental, food, flying in guest speakers, and so forth.Also be direct and ask what they want in return. How you can sweeten the deal: Mention the sponsor’s company in your blog posts, email newsletters,social media and event promotions.Encourage your social media followers to “like” or share the sponsor’s content.

10. Instead of requesting the full amount you need, ask for a smaller portion in exchange for something small in return. Hence have multiple sponsors.

11. Check what the sponsor is upto.Check their recent sponsorship deals and if they have launched a new product of theirs then its definitely an advantage as you can propose to promote it for them.Keep on checking their social media handles.Timing is very important while trying to get sponsors due their budget constraints.

12. Use data to make investors feel confident. Give your past event detailed stats and also about your atendees,their background,their interests and the area from where most of them live.

13. Last but not the least while talking to a company ask if you are talking to the right person regarding the sponsorship.

Some_compatibility_points.md

Some points to check compatibility with a sponsor:

8 Compatibility Attributes:

1. Relationship – Do you have an existing relationship or connection with the sponsor?
2. Objectives – Do you fit with the marketing objectives of the sponsor?
3. Audience – How closely do you share a common target audience?
4. Competition – Does their competition use sponsorship in your area as a marketing tool?
5. Attributes – How closely do the attributes of what you have to offer match or compliment that of the sponsor? E.g sophisticated, smart, loud, family orientated, original.
6. Geography – Does the sponsor operate in the same geography as you and have marketing objectives targeting the same level? E.g. National, state, region, city, district, suburb.
7. Comfort – How comfortable are they using sponsorship as a marketing tool? Do they have a strong sponsorship history?
8. Size – How big is the sponsor compared to the value you can provide? The bigger the gap the less compatibility. For example, Sony is unlikely to sponsor the local junior soccer team.