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How to maximize your sponsorships.

laughaboutitinc

There are many worthy causes that need sponsors (i.e. money) to assist in their fundraising efforts, and they are all going to call you and ask you for your financial support. It can become overwhelming, and even off-putting. The thing is, sponsoring a charity event can be an excellent way to market your business and grow your sales. There is so much to be gained if you approach sponsoring a charity, or one of their events, in the right way.


The most important thing to realize before putting your money behind a charitable event, is that it is first and foremost a marketing decision. Your choice of what event or charity to get behind should be made with the best outcome of your company in mind.


Also important to understand is that your sponsorship money is not a donation for which you receive a tax receipt. That money is used to rent venues, advertise to the public, pay vendors and other necessary things that go into running a successful campaign. It does not go towards charitable works. You buy a sponsorship so that your company looks good. I am not saying that your heart is not in the right place. Helping a charity raise funds is a noble and wonderful thing to do and you have every right to feel good about it. But it is a business decision and should be treated as such.


Before choosing who or what you want to sponsor, you might want to consider your market. Are the people that you sell to going to attend the event or see the promotions for it? For example, if you are asked to sponsor a heavy metal concert you should consider the following: Does it fall in line with your image? Will your demographic be at the event? It may well be a great cause, but that doesn’t mean it is best one for your business.


So let’s say you have bought a sponsor package and you are satisfied that your brand will be visible both in the advanced marketing and at the event. If your contribution ends there – with buying the sponsorship package – you are missing out on a huge opportunity. There so many ways you can use your sponsorship to make a bigger impact. You want to let people know that your company cares about the community and is showing its support. The more people who are aware of this, the better it is for you. Here are some ways that you can make the most out of your sponsorship.


Tell people. It may feel like you are bragging when you tell people about your good works, but I would argue otherwise. Your customers and potential customers want to know. It helps them make buying choices. According to The Edelman Consumer Survey Report Canada, 84% of Canadians are more likely to give their business to a company that supports local causes over a company that simply offers discounts, and 90% of consumers want these companies to post information about their efforts. So get the word out. Your customers want to know. Here are some great ways to do that.


Post your support of the event and charity on social media. Make sure when you buy your sponsorship that you have access to the charity’s logo and all of the promotional material for the event. Tell your audience about the event and promote it in your posts. Tell them in your own words why you are involved with this organization or cause, and what it means to you and to them. Invite people to join you in your support and let them know how they can make donations or buy tickets. You can post once a week or once a day. The trick is to show that it matters to you.


In my opinion, the most impactful way you can gain from a sponsorship is to get fully behind the cause and the event. Fundraising events need people to do all sorts of things. You can personally volunteer your time, and of course you let people know all about it on social media. Take videos and pictures of the people you meet while volunteering and post those as well (with their consent of course). Let your customers see your involvement not just as a sponsor but as a participant.


If you have staff you might think about organizing a volunteering excursion as a team (and promise a reward for participation, like a free dinner or a staff party to celebrate your effort and theirs). It would be even better if you could all be wearing a T-shirt or hat with your company logo on it. Once again, post all of your involvement online and on your website as well. Talk up how amazing your staff are and let them see what kind of people you are as a group and a company. You can even let the local paper know what you are doing. Local papers want local stories. Your volunteering efforts make a great feel-good story. You have done a great job for the community and that is something people want to hear about.


If you and your staff cannot volunteer at the event itself, consider volunteering to assist the charity in its day-to-day work. All the same – posting on social media, contacting local papers, etc. – still applies.




Not every company can put in the hours needed to volunteer, or maybe you don’t have any staff at all and simply don’t have the extra time to give. That’s OK. There are other ways you can show your support for the charity and event. Put up the event poster in your business for all to see. You might even try to sell tickets. Raise awareness with your customers about your involvement, and don’t forget to post all of it online! You can even make your own poster highlighting your company’s personal involvement. Put this in a place where people will see it. It is a really good idea to do your homework and know about the charity and the event, so if your customers ask about it, you can show them how involved you are.


Another great way to show support for the charity and event is to post information about the charity and their good deeds on your own social media feeds. Let the people you reach learn all about the charity and how important their cause is to the community. So much good will come of this. The charity will benefit from the added exposure and your company’s profile will be enhanced. I am not advocating that you raise donations, or even ask for them. I am, however, saying that by posting information about the charity everyone wins.


If you do nothing else, do this: Go! Many sponsor packages give you free tickets to the event, but even if they don’t, buy them and go!


Buy tickets for staff and go in matching T-shirts. Be seen! Show your support. In doing this you are cementing your company’s reputation as a community leader. If you don’t go to the event, what does that say about your motives for sponsoring? It says that you are insincere. It says that you were cynical and only bought a sponsorship to look good. By going to the event you are showing that you really care. You have put your money where your mouth is and you will be rewarded for it.


A well-run sponsorship is a great way to show your customers and neighbours how important you are to the community. It helps you shine as a local leader. It makes you look good and makes a difference within the community in so many positive ways. Good things happen. Take advantage of this opportunity to make your business grow. It is win/win.


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