Have Conference Ticket Need Sponsors

So you want to go to a blog conference and you need a sponsor. I’ve read a million blog posts, seen a gazillion tweets and still I wonder. Do you really think that just posting your need for sponsorship is going to get you what you want?  What you’ve done with your tweets and posts equates roughly to cyber-begging. And from a business perspective, I can tell you NO.

You’re doing a few things right, but you’re NOT doing the work. Lets get to the point. If you want “sponsorship” or “scholarship” (as someone called it) then YOU have got to do some work. Sponsors are not going to flock to your blog and give you money just because you ask for it. Bluntly,  they’re just NOT THAT IN TO YOU.

1. So, first I recommend you download my book. Yes, I went to the trouble of putting the details into print. Find out about why companies sponsor and what they are wanting from you. Its a little more than a symbiotic relationship. YOU are going to have to give them “value added“. And you’re going to have to prove what you’ve done. So don’t think that once you’ve found a sponsor, your work is over. Its just begun.
2. Once you’ve downloaded the book and read it. Yes you’ll need to READ it. There’s no tried and true secrets in the book just tips and information you’ll need to write your Media/Press Kit and help for writing your contact letter to a proposed sponsor. You’re going to need to do the down and dirty work of deciding who you want to approach, why and how you can provide that proposed sponsor with value that  no one else can. Yes, value that NO ONE ELSE CAN. You need to be valuable to a sponsor, start by figuring out what you have to offer to a sponsor. Something more than a casual tweet is necessary here, you’re asking a company to fork over big money to you. A couple of tweets about the conference are hardly going to be “value” to a corporation who’s in effect “donated” hundreds to your plan.
3. Once you’ve put a value on what you have to offer, search out appropriate sponsors for your “opportunity”. This might be a company you’ve worked with over the past year. One that you had a particularly successful review/giveaway for. This might be a “dream” company. One you have dreamed about working with.  But make that list. Find the appropriate contacts to approach on their website. Most large corporations and small ones too have a contact page. They’ll list everyone from the CEO to the administrative assistant to the janitor. Your job..decipher this list and find the most appropriate person to contact. Make a note of the email address, the snail-mail address and the phone number of the contact you’re choosing to approach. (All three are important in the process)
4. Write that proposal letter. Yes a proposal letter is necessary. Just posting your availability on your site is lovely. But you’re going to need to craft a “pitch” letter.

• This letter needs to be succinct, business like and informative. But it needs to be authentically you.  If you’ve worked with the representative before, remind them how you became acquainted and how much you enjoyed working with them and on what project.
• In the next paragraph explain what it is you are wanting sponsorship for, telling your contact a bit about the event. Not everyone has heard of your event, I can assure you, so fill them in on what its about, the expected attendance and any information about the event you think that your contact needs to know. Include links to your event and the conference coordinator’s contact information too. This will add info for the contact as well as give you some street cred.
• This is your time to shine. The remainder of the letter you should spend time explaining EXACTLY what you want from the sponsor. Don’t keep them guessing. Simply telling them you need to raise funds will get you nothing in response. Let them know what you’re asking for in clear terms. And in clear terms what you can offer them. How YOU can help them.

Conclude your letter with a thank you and let the contact know that you’re looking forward to discussing possibilities with them. Don’t forget links to your site, blog, and products in your signature.

Don’t forget to spell check your letter and read it aloud. Be sure your grammar is impeccable. This letter is YOU.

Print your letter, sign it and enclose it in an envelope (preferably a flat 8×11 manila envelope)along with your Media/Press kit, address it, stamp it and mail it. VIA snail mail.

Tomorrow, we’ll follow up by email. Stay tuned here for part 2.

photo: jaywalk.blog-city.com

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