Sponsoring local organisations, such as sports clubs and social groups, or events can be a great way to get your name out in the local community.
Even if your sponsorship is about supporting a local organisation or event that is important to you and/or your family, if you’re going to part with your hard-earned, you need to make sure these marketing activities provide good value for money.
Sure, it’s great to see your logo on a team jersey, or on a billboard, or on a monthly newsletter, but what effect will that have on your business?
If done right, sponsorship can be a fantastic way to create fantastic relationships with people in your local community and fellow business.
It also provides you with a brand new content marketing channel.
This week, our marketing blog will look at how you can best leverage new and existing sponsorships to get relevant and engaging content in front of a highly targeted audience.
To give, or not to give? Three questions to ask before making sponsorship a part of your marketing plan.
Before you commit to any sort of sponsorship, there are a few questions you should definitely consider.
First and foremost, why are you looking to sponsor the organisation or event in question?
If you are considering sponsoring a charity, or your kid’s sports club, then perhaps this is less a marketing decision and more an emotional decision.
There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s good to be honest about your intentions. If this is a charitable play, then you might be less concerned with any potential return from this activity and perhaps the next two questions aren’t as important for you.
Nevertheless, sponsorship isn’t a donation and it’s fair to expect something for your money, so it’s worthing thinking about these questions regardless.
What sort of audience does the organisation or event have?
A sports club is going to have quite a broad audience, as you will potentially have access to senior players, parents of juniors, fellow sponsors and members who support the club.
They might all have a shared interest, but they will be a broader audience in terms of demographics.
Sponsoring a conference for accountants will provide you access to a much more specific audience.
Consider who your target market is and spend any sponsorship budget you have accordingly.
Check out their following on social media, ask if they send a monthly newsletter and to how many people it goes to.
The more you know about the organisation’s or the event’s audience, the better you’ll be able to judge if the sponsorship is right for you.
What access will your sponsorship give you to their database?
Enquire about the level of access you will have to the organisation’s database and audience.
This might depend on the type of sponsorship you are giving to the organisation or event in question.
If you’re taking up a premium sponsorship option, you want to make sure you will have plenty of opportunities to provide the organisation content for them to include in their regular communications.
You will probably need to create and produce this content yourself, but if you understand their audience and can tailor content to that particular audience, then you will gain a lot more traction with your sponsorship then you would if they just include your logo on their communications.
If you’re sponsoring an event, make sure you get a prominent booth or the opportunity to leave materials with those attending. If your sponsorship is big enough make sure you get a speaking slot as well.
Tailor your content marketing for the organisation’s or the event’s audience.
Most local organisations you can sponsor will happily share any content you provide them with their database.
So be specific about the content you give them and where you want them to display it.
If you’re sponsoring a local sports club, you’re more than likely dealing with a lot of young families.
What part of your business is most appropriate for them?
What content can you provide that when put in front of that audience is going to leave an impression?
If you’ve got a strong and consistent content marketing base to build from, consider tailoring some of the content you’re already producing for that specific audience.
The important thing is to be proactive. Your success is their success.
There are some great opportunities to get a lot of value out of local sponsorships and sometimes it’s as simple as being more active than the other – potentially higher-paying – sponsors to get the most out of your agreement.
If you’ve got a special offer for members of the organisation or attendees of the event, make sure its publication is a part of your sponsorship package.
If you’ve got some great news or a good testimonial, share it with the organisation and ensure they share it to their audience.
Be present
If you’ve gone to the effort of sponsoring an organisation, make an effort to show yourself whenever possible.
Aside from providing good networking opportunities, you’ll get some good insights into the people you’re marketing too.
Sponsors are generally very well received when they show their face and more often than not there is a lot of goodwill towards them. Use this to your advantage by ensuring you’re consistently present.
Are you looking to get more out of your next sponsorship arrangement? Content Hype can help you assess the suitability of your intended sponsorship and help you get the best out of it.
Get in touch with us today to start a conversation about how your content marketing can make your next sponsorship play much more effective.