Getting Sponsorships for Your Upcoming Virtual Event

Why You Want Sponsors

You're on a mission to grow your business and ensure your message is shared far and wide. While you work to pull in your audience, there's an entirely untapped market you may be missing if you don't consider working with partners.

Consider finding a potential sponsor who aligns with your mission, who has a similar target audience, and offers products or services that complement your own. These kinds of partnerships will not only give your attendees a high-quality experience, but it opens the doors for you to network with other businesses and impact even more lives.

How to Attract The Right Sponsors For Your Virtual Event

If you don't have a network of potential sponsors you can already reach out to, you need to set yourself up for success.

After all, sponsors don't want to attach their brand to just any event! You've got to show them the value your virtual event brings to your attendees and create a no-brainer decision to become a sponsor for your event! Before you start outreaching potential sponsors, make sure your ducks are all in a row:

Choose a virtual platform that's easy for your attendees to use. Give them options for ticket tiers, live + recorded options, and ways to be notified when new talks or speakers are added. 

• Create a slick landing page. Your virtual event's landing page needs to grab your sponsor right away. Have a strong description at the top of your page about your event and add more details throughout. Make sure the objectives of your event are clear and captivating. When a potential sponsor reads your landing page, you want them to feel inclined to join immediately.
• Video options. If you're like many people who don't have a professional camera studio, you can do things to improve the video quality of your talks on budget. Try different lighting methods in your room, like facing a window when it's daylight or having a light behind your webcam. Test out different backgrounds, like setting up a plant or picture in your frame or hanging a cloth behind you for a more visual effect. Play around with backgrounds and lighting!
• Show off your speakers. Once you have your A-List speakers lined up, make sure their speaker and talk pages are filled out. You want potential sponsors to see the kind of partnerships you make and the value you bring. Sponsors want to feel like everything about your virtual event – down to the talks – will help them amplify their brand.

Once you're confident in your virtual event's set up, it's time to start reaching out to potential sponsors.

5 Tips to Get Sponsors For Your Virtual Event

Your virtual event is ready to rock and roll! The only thing you need to do now is to find sponsors.

Here are a few of our favorite tips for outreaching and retaining the perfect sponsors:

1. Create a list of targeted sponsors that you think would be a good fit for your event.
2. Create a winning selling proposition. Sponsors want to know what your event is and why you think they'd be an excellent fit for it. In your proposal, be sure to include things like: your mission, values, and cause; the value for the sponsors; the key differentiator between you and your competition; your event's audience size; how it can lead to a long-term relationship with your company.
3. Reach out via email and social media (initially). Be personable in your approach, as you're just gauging interest at this point. Let the business know why you chose them as a potential fit for your virtual event. Show that you put thought into this partnership!
4. Know their interest and show them the benefits of joining with you. Sponsors want exposure just as much as you do. If they agree to become a sponsor for your virtual event, you can sweeten the deal for them! Offer things like sponsor breakout rooms during your event or printed assets with their brand to be given to attendees.
5. Offer long-term partnerships. Sponsors want to work with brands they trust. By presenting a clear plan and delivering a high-quality experience, you'll inevitably retain lasting relationships with sponsors for your upcoming and future virtual events.

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