When it comes to launching a sponsorship campaign, relations with sponsors are key. No matter how great your offer is or how much interest you generate, if you don’t have strong relations with sponsors, your first campaign is likely to fall flat. That’s why it’s crucially important to focus on building relations from the very beginning – getting to know potential sponsors in person and focusing your campaign on their needs and interests.
Once this preliminary preparation for launching a sponsorship campaign is made, you are in a much better position to succeed.
Below are some guidelines to polish your sponsorship proposal:
First, make sure that your proposal is informative and persuasive. You should give sponsors all the information they need to make a decision, and you want to make sure that your proposal convinces them that sponsoring your project is a profitable use of their resources.
Use your corporate email to correspond with sponsors. Start with formulating a call to action for sponsors and put it right in the title of your proposal. This will focus their attention on what you are asking of them, and it will make it more likely that sponsors will take the action you are requesting.
- In the initial paragraph, start with a brief summary of the project, including its mission and what it is about, who will benefit, and how much money is needed. Your project description should be written in a creative style and should have photos, and videos; an inspiriting speech or a poem would be a plus. Add everything that will build your credibility.
- Detail the costs of the project and show how you plan to spend the money. Think of any possible way to make it easy for sponsors to donate (provide numbers, list expenses, make a checklist, stipulate types of sponsorships, link, etc.).
- Outline the benefits of sponsoring the project for sponsors, such as increasing visibility, reaching new markets, and fighting for the cause. Specify the ways the company or its products will be promoted.
- Create a sense of urgency by adding a date and duration of the campaign to your proposal. This will encourage sponsors to act and donate to your project quickly.
- Indicate who is already in the network of your supporters and what companies have already got involved.
- In the last paragraph thank a sponsor for their time and consideration.
- Be sure to use a professional-looking signature (logo, contacts, links to the website, and social media accounts). This will help create a sense of credibility and show potential sponsors that you are serious about your project.
- Finally, follow up with each sponsor regularly and keep them updated on the progress of your project without overdoing it.
It does take time to build strong relations with sponsors. Find them on social media, read their news, attend their meetings, invite them to your press conferences, and so on. It is important to keep tailoring your collaboration with each sponsor along the way.
With due effort and time, you are sure to find the perfect sponsor for your project.