Personal Sponsorship: Crafting Your Pitch

At this point you have begun defining your personal brand, assessed your ability to provide a valuable service for a potential client using your website, and addressed any potential issues with contractual obligations to a third party.

Let’s get started developing your marketing plan.

When developing your plan it is important to keep in mind that the goal is to produce as much exposure and promotion for your client as possible. If you are free to host private ads on your site and publish articles that discuss your client’s sponsorship, then you have a great start.

When offering advertising in your sponsorship proposal be sure to clearly define the size and location of the ad placement(s). Sidebar advertising below the fold is generally not as valuable to companies. Below the fold  is the area that is not seen when your blog appears on the screen. To see below the fold ads your readers will need to scroll down. The prime real estate on your blog is above the fold.

Ads should be offered in accordance with IAB Ad Unit Guidelines. These are the 300 x 250 size button, 728 x 90 Leaderboard, or 160 x 600 Skyscraper.

Secondary platforms for promotion are Twitter and Facebook. Of course, you do not want to use your Twitter followers as marketing tools, so planning your Twitter and Facebook promotion should be done with respect for your social network.  A few authentic tweets thanking your sponsor and discussing the brand is better than spamming your community. On Facebook, a few mentions of the sponsor when it is appropriate to your discussions of conference attendance is excellent.

The most successful marketing on personal blogs are connections that make sense. Your readers know your passions, interests and voice. Take some time to plan how you will write about the client on your blog. If the client has a product, focus on how you have experienced/used that product in the past. Who would you recommend the product to?

It is very important to keep in mind that successful promotions stem from authentic experiences. If you are a organic foodie, don’t sell out for snacks. Your readers will be appalled and the promotion will be a huge flop.

Smart marketing involves combining what you are passionate about, the items you are familiar with and promoting them from an authentic place.

Finding possible sponsors-

Prior experiences- The best place to look for companies to partner with are the brands with which you have an established working relationship. Successful participation in previous campaigns are a ready-made endorsement for your professionalism and ability to produce excellent results.
Twitter- If you are new to partnering with companies, you can utilize the reach of your online voice to help connect with potential sponsors. Many bloggers have successfully connected with sponsors using Twitter.

My favorite example of Sponsorship via Twitter is from Stephanie at The Daily Blargh. She made a creative video, prepared information on her site and sent a Tweet.

If you plan to send a Tweet in search of sponsorship be sure to link it to a page/article on your site about sponsorship information. Do not  link to your site’s main URL. Direct potential sponsors to a specific post with related information.

Crafting the Perfect Pitch-

Now that you have focused in on your personal brand, identified potential sponsor leads and planned options for a marketing campaign; it is time to get the party started.

Create a document with two key components

Who you are

  • Your brand
  • Your blog
  • Online Reach
  • Larger sites are you affiliated with

Define the business proposal

  • Clearly state what the benefit is for the company to sponsor you.
  • What is needed exactly from company?
  • What will your site provide (sidebar ads, integration in articles, vlogging) before, during, and after the conference?
  • Will you have special ads designed to promote the company in gratitude for sponsorship or host official ads provided by the company? If you offer to customize the ads be sure to let company know that they would have the ability to approve graphics before they are published on your site.
  • What information will you provide the company afterward?
  1. -Will you use trackable links to company website to prove your site drove traffic? (bit.ly or tr.im)
  2. -Will you use a specific hashtag and screenshot your Tweets?
  3. -Will you have company logo on your computer bag, your clothing or laptop at the conference and then provide pictures from the weekend?

Sending a professional proposal that clearly defines the benefits to both parties is key. Feel free to be creative with promoting your sponsor request. A vlog is an excellent way to introduce yourself to potential sponsors.

We love to hear all the stories of success from BlissDom Alumni and the future BlissDom attendees. Be sure to Tweet with the #BlissDom hashtag and stay connected to the BlissDom community. No one is ever a stranger at BlissDom, with Twitter we can all become friends before we ever walk in the door.

Good luck. See you at BlissDom

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