Growing a brand or business is a big deal, and a lot of times, as an upcoming brand, you will have to organise events to reach your target audience and achieve your brand objectives.

Organising an event is an even more herculean task when you do not have all the resources required to make it a success.

Getting enough sponsors might just be what you need to make your next event a huge success. If you’re looking at increasing brand visibility or making more sales, event sponsorship is an option you should consider.

If you’re a small brand or event planner, you most likely know this already, you just don’t know how best to go about finding and attracting the perfect sponsors for your next event.

Not every event would require you to have sponsors. Still, if you’re organising large events and need to raise funds or purchase expensive items, a source for venues, or build brand credibility, you should keep reading and see the best ways to put an end to your event sponsorship struggles.

1.       Use Social Media and Digital platforms to find sponsors

Social media has proven to be very useful when it comes to finding opportunities and gaining access to platforms these days. If you’re on social media, you should consider allowing your social media audience or target audience, suggest what sponsors they would like to see at your event.

Digital event platforms like Sponeasy, SponsorPitch and SponsorMyEvent can also ease the process of finding your ideal sponsors.

2.       Check out your competitors.

You can do no wrong when you take a cue from those who have gone ahead of you. Look out for companies with similar goals who have held related events and carry out a survey of their event sponsors.

If your target audience aligns with that of a particular brand, the chances are that the sponsors you’re looking for are the same ones who have sponsored previous events held by your competitors.

3.       Come up with a list of prospective sponsors.

In choosing your ideal sponsors, it is essential to ensure that your brand goals align. Event sponsors look at several things before deciding to sponsor events, as it’s a huge risk and a whole lot of investment on their part. So you might want to answer the following questions;

• Does your target audience align with that of the brand?
• Do you have something to offer these sponsors if they agree to put their money into sponsoring your event?

If you answered yes to the above questions, then you have a guide to how your list of ideal sponsors should look.

Once you’ve made a list of who your ideal sponsors are, you’re one step closer to getting your event sponsored. All you have to do is to identify your selling point, craft an attractive proposal with sufficient numbers, enough to convince your ideal sponsors.

In getting event sponsorship, talk is cheap; numbers do the convincing. So, bring your numbers to the table and let the brands know what’s in it for them because that is what attracts them and keeps them coming.

Some event sponsors have a sponsorship budget and a time window within which they offer event sponsorships; you should make your findings of this before reaching out to potential sponsors.

4.       Design sponsorship packages

A sponsorship package allows you to offer prospective sponsors different levels of sponsorship which differ based on funds and the offers they get from you—you should design and tag these plans based on your preference.

For instance; you could have a platinum, gold, or silver sponsorship plan and offer any of these to your potential sponsors. It also provides them room to choose which one works best for them and guaranteeing you a win-win situation even if you don’t get the total amount of funds you need from them.

5.       Partner with more popular or trusted brands

If you’re a small brand just starting, your chances of getting sponsors will be relatively low. Is this a problem you’ve faced? Here’s the solution- Partner with more prominent brands. However, these brands do not have to be your direct competitors; they just have to be within your industry.

Trust, credibility, and brand recognition are significant factors in clinching sponsorship deals. Partnering with more established brands will help you cut down the risk of losing another sponsorship deal because sponsors are more convinced when they see a famous or established brand attached to your event.

6.       Do not rule out companies with whom you already have an existing relationship

It is not in any way impossible for a brand that you’re familiar with to sponsor your event. It’s a great idea to start sourcing for sponsors from a list of companies you already know and with whom you have a standing relationship. It’s even better if you already the brand or sponsorship managers at these companies.

One of the best gifts you can give to yourself when it comes to getting sponsorship deals is harnessing the relationships you already have. So, look within for companies who have previously supported or shown interest in your brand and would be open to sponsoring your event based on trust and already existing relationship.

7.       Follow up on prospects

Your potential sponsors most likely already have a list of other events to choose from, so if you put forward a proposal for a sponsorship deal and do not keep in touch or follow up via emails or phone calls, there’s a high possibility of being forgotten.

If you’re pushing to get sponsorship from a brand, you want to be in their faces and follow up consistently, leaving no room for them to say No. Emails are a great way to keep in touch with potential sponsors.

The best way to increase your chances of getting the perfect sponsors for your next event is by starting early. Event sponsorships are a great way to help you concentrate on other essential areas of organising your event, as they provide the perfect solution to your funding problems.

Now that you know how to find and attract the ideal sponsors for your next event, you should start the process without delay.