Sponsorship Tips
Get Paid To Do What You Love!
Want to know how to get sponsored and turn professional? Atheletes, competitors, exhibitors, and artists can go pro and get sponsored by sporting equipment makers, popular supply companies, and even nonprofit groups looking to promote a cause. Generating sponsorships saves you a lot of personal expenses and may even replace your "day job" with a full time opportunity. Some sponsorships require more work than others, whether you are scheduled for commercials, magazine shoots, or public appearances, and other sponsorships simply require you to use the equipment and wear the brands on your clothing.
You don't have to be a NASCAR driver to get sponsored. There are several different steps to gaining attention from sponsoring companies, which are listed below:
1. Be the best, and be conspicuous. If you compete in a lot of tournaments, and win them, the sponsors are going to be coming to you! However, you don't always have to be the winner if you are prominent and active enough in your sport that people see you all the time. Plenty of second and third tier sponsoring organizations would be proud to have you wearing their colors if you are always in the top of the standings, especially if you're the only one who is not festooned in a dozen advertisements. If you can make a name for yourself, the sponsors will seek you out, but you have to be visible, and you have to practice, and the initial up-front cost of competing is going to be borne by you.
2. Ask. The author of this article has run several e-commerce websites, and got requests for relevant sponsorships from people who were on the semi-pro racing circuit and classic car tours. (I sold auto accessories.) Even though the answer was always "no" because we were on a shoestring, we certainly weren't the only people asked to sponsor someone. If you have access to a search engine, a few searches should give you a long list of companies that could potentially sponsor you. Also, why not start with the people who make your equipment? Artists who want to get sponsored should contact the makers of their art supplies. Hobbyists could contact the model glue maker, the paint manufacturer, and the hobby shop down the street.
3. Make unsolicited endorsements online (but don't EVER trash the competition). Guess what? Most of the bigger brands monitor their reputation online. If they see someone making unsolicited positive endorsements, or referencing added uses for a product, there is the potential for an endorsement. Secondarily, and this is why you should always stay positive, the competition may come to you asking you to try "their" product. If you are seen as an expert in the field, which is easy to do on the internet, then you can get sponsored or just paid to write more postings. Sponsored blogs have become so popular that they now require disclosure, but that doesn't mean you can't come out and say your getting paid to shill a product or service.
4. Create a Press Kit. If you're pitching yourself to different companies, you can take the same route Hollywood actors do to land a role. Get some glossy 8 by 10 head shots made at the local photo studio, and put together some biographical information about what you do, awards and contests won, and interesting information about yourself. If you use certain branded products already, and they are ones made by your prospective sponsor, make sure to include a letter explaining which products you use and why you like them.
5. Behave. If you've watched any news and gossip shows in the past year, you know that even the most famous and best athletes in the world become sponsor poison when things happen. If you're courting sponsors, you don't want to have any negative publicity that would scare companies away.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: The sponsorship process comes with a lot of rejection, so don't be surprised if people say no. Also, sponsorship often requires endorsement from you, so you should be willing to stand behind the products and services that are giving you endorsement money.