You can get partnerships and sponsorships as a creator to grow your business. Brand collaborations allow you to share your unique voice, and content and monetize your platform.
By teaming up with brands, you can provide value to your audience, boost your income, and help other people transform their lives. It’s wonderful.
Whether you blog, create videos, host your own show, push out your social media, or have a podcast, monetizing your platform is the difference between an expensive hobby and a great lifestyle.
I’ve been working with sponsors for over 20 years and I also teach people how to take advantage of the awesome power of corporate sponsorships.
Money and Time Freedom
You can create content anywhere, even when you travel. Some people take off a few months at the end of the year to celebrate the holidays with their families. It’s up to you.
I’ll tell you about the landscape of creator partnerships including sponsorship deals, one-time collaborations, and my favorite, long-term sponsorships.
Sponsorship is a relationship business; the key is maintaining good relationships with collaborators. I recommend having many different sponsors because it puts you in a better financial position.
Key Takeaways
- Creator partnerships enhance your brand and provide great information to your audience.
- Different sponsor deals give you and your partners different benefits
- Communication and measurement will enhance your long-term success.
The Landscape of Creator Partnerships
Brand deals have changed and evolved and influencer marketing is so hot it’s scorching.
What is the Definition of Creator Partnerships?
Sponsorship is connecting a company to people who buy things. The reason that sponsors pay you money you don’t have to pay back is that you connect them with their core consumers.
I wanted to do an event, the Women’s Small Business Expo, but I needed money to make it happen. It was my passion and I had a mission to help women get empowered by starting and succeeding in their own small business.
My first sponsor was Bank of America because I showed them how they can connect their brand to the biggest spending block on the planet, which is women. I also got Wal-Mart and IBM as my first sponsors before I opened the door for my first event. I love working with sponsors because they let me do what I love and they foot the bill.
With creator content, you produce authentic messages that resonate with your target market. This helps brands increase their loyalty, grow their customer base, create goodwill, and drive sales. Everybody wins.
What are the Current Trends in Creator Partnerships?
The creator economy has exploded with proven results. It’s all about community and the influencer’s relationship with their audience. You can promote the products and services of your sponsors with authentic content and get in-kind benefits, free travel, products, and cash.
Here’s some great news. A hot trend is the desirability of micro and nano influencers. Brands find smaller influencers compelling because they have higher engagement rates and niche audiences. There is a deeper understanding of demographics and trust.
Another trend is the de-prioritization of followers. At one time, sponsorship was a numbers game. Now your fan base is not as much of a deciding factor with sponsors.
What are the Different Types of Sponsorship Deals?
Affiliate Deals
With affiliate relationships, you get paid when a sale is made. It’s a performance-based opportunity that uses a URL (unique referral link) or a code. This is a great way to get commissions on the brands you promote.
Affiliate partnerships give you flexibility in the products you promote and it has the potential for unlimited earnings based on performance.
Be sure you’re working with reputable companies that pay commissions promptly and let you track your conversions accurately. Amazon has one of the best affiliate programs because it’s easy and has a track record of success.
Product Placement Sponsorship
Product placement deals involve showcasing a brand’s product within your content. This form of sponsorship focuses on integrating products seamlessly, enhancing authenticity without overt advertisements.
Product placement is about showcasing a brand’s product within your content. It’s a great strategy and lets you focus on messaging without in-your-face advertising.
Be sure that the products you’re promoting work organically with your content, or it can seem contrived and you lose credibility. Make sure you promote brands that align with your core values to create trust with your audience.
Spokesperson’s Benefits and Brand Ambassador Roles
Some of my clients are spokespersons for brands and they promote their sponsors when they do media interviews. Sometimes the brands fly them to trade shows, satellite interviews and events.
Being a brand ambassador means that you promote the brand during an extended period of time.
This is all about sharing the brand values consistently. You can share the messaging about your sponsors across multiple content pieces.
How to Find Your Sponsors
Securing partnerships involves identifying the right platforms, crafting compelling pitches, and negotiating agreements that benefit both parties. Below, you’ll find actionable steps to help you build successful relationships with sponsors.
Securing your partnerships is all about compelling benefits for your sponsors, creating the right pitch, and showing how you will add value to the sponsor’s brand..
Demographics are Your Destiny
When you’re doing your sponsor outreach, give sponsors as many data points as you can about your demographics. When my company writes sponsor proposals, sometimes we have many pages about the target audiences including custom infographics and personas.
What’s the Perfect Pitch?
To create the perfect pitch, start with your wish list of potential sponsors. Then research their target market, goals, visions and how they measure success. Go retro. Call someone in the company and ask them about what they look for in a sponsorship.
When I first talked to FedEx, I asked them what their marketing goals were and how I could help them. To my surprise, they didn’t want signage at my event or a vendor booth. They said that those benefits did nothing for their bottom line.
They wanted to re-brand FedEx to capture the women’s business market and let female entrepreneurs know that FedEx isn’t the white-glove expensive delivery service.
We gave them social media campaigns, press releases, speaking opportunities, and award presentations. If I assumed they wanted signage and an exhibitor opportunity, I never would have secured the sponsorship. The happy ending is that they sponsored me for over 5 years because we listened to them, rather than assuming what they wanted.
How to Have Great Sponsor Relationships
Sponsorship is a relationship business and engagement with your partners is key. Build trust, align with the sponsor’s values, show them fulfillment reports and do information sponsor relationships.
Your Credibility and Integrity
Here’s something I talk about when I do public speaking that nobody else talks about. Your integrity is part of your brand. Get to meetings early. Do consistent follow-ups and get people their requested materials on time or early. Return all calls, texts, messages, and emails within 24-48 hours.
Your Word is Your Bond
Your authenticity is crucial in any partnership. Audiences can detect insincerity and it will harm your brand and the reputation of your sponsors.
Have great storytelling including your personal story and the stories of the people you’ve helped with the work that you do.
I learned about integrity from my father, Robert Hollander. He taught me about respecting people’s time. All of the successful clients he worked with as an accountant were very punctual. If my father said he would call you at 2:00 pm tomorrow, you could set your watch by it.
Consistency and Brand Alignment
For successful partnerships, consistent messaging is king. You also want to work with brands that align with your core values.
If you have any doubts about a potential sponsor and their credibility, don’t even approach them. In your sponsor deal, you’ll need to promote that company and it will feel very inauthentic.
How to Evaluate Success with Your Partnerships
When you’re measuring the success of your sponsorships, there are tangible and intangible outcomes.
Intangibles include brand-building, goodwill and cause marketing.
Tangible results include engagement rates, reach, and conversions. A share is better than a like, so track everything to increase your sponsorship renewals.
Multiple Sponsorship Deals
I recommend that you have many sponsors because it puts you in a better financial position. If you only have one sponsor and they don’t renew the contract, you’re devastated. With many sponsors, it’s not a big deal if one of your partners doesn’t renew. You’ll also get more revenue streams.
Exclusivity
I was surprised when I first started getting funded by sponsors because not every sponsor wanted exclusivity. This is when they are the only company in a category so you don’t work with their competitors.
Review non-compete clauses and communicate openly with your sponsors. Consult with a legal professional if necessary. Set clear boundaries and timelines to avoid conflicts.
Balancing Diverse Brand Interests
It’s essential to keep track of the unique goals of each of your sponsors. Understanding these different goals will help you create successful long-lasting partnerships.
Do regular check-ins with your sponsors to see what they like about your programs and encourage them to tell you what they don’t like.
When I found out that one of my bank sponsors had an objection to something in the sponsor program, I was devastated. I went to the company and made a suggestion If I removed what they found objectionable, can I come back and talk to them about it?
We changed their program and they loved it. They renewed their sponsorship for years because we didn’t allow “residue” in the relationship and we listened to them.
What’s the Future of Creator Partnerships?
Brand partnerships are always changing. If you know the innovations in sponsorship models, you can create new opportunities for success.
Innovations in Sponsorship and Partnerships
Virtual and augmented reality are being used in sponsorship for increased engagement. This technology allows consumers to try out products. When I attended a recent fashion exhibition at a San Francisco museum, I “tried on” a high-fashion outfit and even saved the look to my smartphone with the sponsor’s branding.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) enhanced content is also being used to tailor sponsor campaigns.
Subscription-based support and blockchain technology use new ways to manage payments and contracts, ensuring transparency and security.
Data-driven insights will also be used more to fine-tune brand collaborations and allow for more effective partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a small content creator, how can I get sponsorships?
Start by defining your audience and niche. Build a strong brand identity and create consistent content. Make a wish list and create an industry-standard sponsor proposal. The proposal is mission-critical because it’s how sponsors make their funding decisions. It you don’t present yourself professionally, you’ll be rejected and you may not be able to re-submit to your sponsors.
What’s the difference between creator partnerships and sponsorships?
Sponsorships are about a company funding your event, business, book, public speaking, non-profit charity, or projects. Creator partnerships are collaborations where both parties work together in branding, promotion, and marketing of content.
Both sponsorships and creator partnerships give you in-kind benefits and money you don’t have to pay back.
What strategies can I use as a content creator to approach potential sponsors?
When approaching sponsors, do your homework and find out what their marketing goals are and how you can help them. Personalize your sponsor offering and talk about how you can connect them to their core consumers.
How can content creators showcase their value and benefits for sponsors?
Focus on engagement and how you connect with your community rather than vanity statistics such as the number of followers you have. Offer compelling benefits and tell sponsors about your unique skills and how you can educate people about their products, increase brand loyalty, grow the sponsor’s customer base, and drive sales.
Final Thoughts
Sponsorships changed my life so much that I started teaching other creators about the awesome power of brand partnerships.
Sponsorships let you do what you love and have a company foot the bill. You get paid while transforming lives and being the architect of your own life.
Starting my business got me out of the poverty trap and an abusive relationship. Deciding to strike out on my own was the catalyst for the good things that happened in my life. I was able to travel the world, buy my first home as a single woman, create transformational events, and become an influencer.
I went from being a victim to having my life make a difference and I’ve learned to be more vulnerable by talking about my mistakes and challenges.
If I can be a content creator from my kitchen table with just an idea, so can you. Focus on your sponsorships, grow your relationships, and live your life of dreams. I’ll be waiting to hear your success story…
Deckard & Company.