With the power of social media,Athlete SponsorshipIt's not just for world-class athletes anymore. Crowdfunding with MAKEEACHAMP allows athletes to take matters into their own hands. Social media tools allow athletes to harness the power of content marketing to find sponsors and receive funding. As an athlete, all you need to do is follow these important steps. Most importantly, you should NOT be shy about asking for sponsorship!
Nowadays, many companies spend a lot of money to build their social media profiles, creating streams with relatable and shareable content. Businesses need content that their target audience can relate to as this will help them build a brand that resonates with customers. Since we are more likely to buy from a company we follow on social media, many companies are hungry for social media ambassadors.
That's where you come in. As an athlete, this is your chance to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to help these companies with their content marketing and get sponsorship in return.
When a company sponsors you, they expect you to publicly represent the company on social media. This means that if you want to be sponsored, you need to have the right image on social media.
Sponsorship is all about credibility and building a relationship. The importance of your public image cannot be overstated. To illustrate this point, imagine you've been working at a brand for a long time and you meet a person who you think would be a good match for your brand. However, before making the offer, you need to know what people think of this person and what kind of person he or she is. If that person is viewed negatively, they will immediately be associated with you and negatively impact your brand. This is similar to our scenario when you apply for a promotion, you are applying as the face of a company that has been working to build a strong and positive image for many years, so this is no joke. However, with a little work, it is possible to create the image that companies expect from a sponsored athlete.
Many athletes say they want to be sponsored, but they don't know exactly what that means. As athletes and in our sports activities, we know that the more specific the goal, the more likely it is to be achieved. We must use the same logic to seek and obtain our sponsorship. Let's see what exactly sponsorship means.
The four most common levels of sponsorship are:
1. Step 1: Donation/Contribution -A person or organization donates funds to a cause or activity. Essentially, this is a one-way transaction with maybe a little thank you to the sponsor.
2. Level 2: Store Sponsorship -A local store or business provides free or discounted gear/equipment to the athlete.
3. Stage 3:Sponsorship by fans -athlete receivesFfree or discounted equipment/equipment and also financial compensation for travel expenses or competition fees.
4. Level 4: professional sponsorship-Equipment costs are covered and a paycheck is also received.
The key is to level up
As you advance through the ranks of sponsorship levels, you gain credibility, experience, and important knowledge to help you with future sponsorships. Also remember that not all sponsorships are created equal. The levels given here are guidelines only - each company has its own preferences. But the most important thing is to start small and work your way up the ladder. With each successful sponsorship, more opportunities open up with the same sponsor as well as with other sponsors. For example, if you get a Tier 1 sponsorship with your local sportswear store, a nutritional supplement company might take notice and offer you a Tier 2 sponsorship.
1. Build credibility
If you contact sponsors, know that they will look into it (as you should look into them, but more on that later). It's important that you "control" what they find, or at least create the appearance you want. For example, you might want your sports profile or website (on MAKEEACHAMP you can create a page for free) to appear as the first result on Google when your name is searched. That way, you can create an image that will increase your chances of getting a promotion. Your page must contain:
- Your biography or sports history. - Professional sports photography. - Compilation of all your media and press appearances
- Sponsors (to have more credibility)
- Links to your social media channels2. Play your role as an athlete
Social media plays multiple roles when it comes to sponsorships. The first is that it helps you market yourself as an athlete with your profile picture and the content you share. The second thing that social media helps in terms of sponsorship is that it helps you give your sponsors a return on their investment. To do this, you need a decent number of followers. We'll be expanding on their social media soon, but first, let's start with athlete branding on social media.
1. Create a Facebook page
2. Create a Twitter profile -Here's a Twitter Guide for Athletes.
3. Create an Instagram account -Here is a guide for Instagram.
4. Create a Snapchat account
All such accounts must link to your "Athlete Center or Main Site". They should also look professional and include a good photo of you playing your sport. You should also have a description that describes your passion for the sport and also sets you apart from other athletes. You must answer the question "What do you stand for in your sport?" or "What makes you different from your teammates?"
3. Know your worth!
At this point I would like to make a brief comment on the severe inferiority complex that most amateur athletes suffer from. Almost all amateur athletes feel that they are not good enough to promote themselves on social media OR they don't want to appear arrogant OR they feel that nobody cares about what they do. This attitude comes from his sport and constantly looking for his mistakes to improve his performance. I know it was my case.
Remember that you are very competitive. You are determined and passionate. You have exceptional stamina. They push the limits of human abilities. Your body is a machine you've trained twice a day for years. You are an example in many ways!
Expand your following on social media
My point: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU ANYMORE
it isThinkabout sharing that grueling workout on your social media? Are you thinking of letting the world know about your nutrition program and your total commitment to a healthy lifestyle? Do you hesitate because you're worried about what your teammates will think of you? STOP thinking and press the share button. It's not just about your image anymore, it's also about the millions of kids who are hungry for inspiration. You need to see how you train and understand the sacrifices you make to reach your full potential. Sharing online is the way to grow your following, and that's important for becoming a sponsor. In short, when it comes to social media and your experience as a high-performance athlete, think less and share more.
1. Show them the ROI
Now that you have a community of followers on social media, you can show the companies you sponsor a return on investment. You can do this by simply adding an image or video to your social media and tagging the social media or company website in this post. The result is that your community of followers is driven by you to follow your sponsor on social media or even buy his product.
This is known as using your influence. And that's how many companies grow their fan network and expand their market: by tapping into someone else's loyal, hard-earned network.
2. Inspire your employees
Athletes have an incredible ability to bring people together. Companies often ask athletes to attend seminars, forums and various corporate events to connect and motivate their employees. Athletes have inspiring stories that help create the right atmosphere to build community within an organization. This unique skill, possessed by all competitive athletes, is of great value to sponsors.
3. Product tests
Another aspect of the business where athletes can add exceptional value is product research and testing. This is especially true if your sponsoring company markets products or services to athletes. For example, a company that manufactures sportswear may ask you to test some of their products and provide valuable feedback and comments before moving to mass production. This can be an important aspect of sponsorship, as for many companies the opinions and advice of highly successful athletes are hard to come by. Therefore, it is up to you to provide the best and most complete feedback possible when requested.
This step involves finding sponsors that you are interested in and who might be interested in you, getting to know them and following them on social media.
How do I find companies?
Most athletes turn to large companies for funding. The idea is that these companies sponsor more athletes because they have more money. However, the opposite is the case. The more money a company has, the fewer athletes it sponsors. Large companies are very demanding and tend to concentrate their spending on a few athletes, instead of allocating their resources to many athletes. Because sponsorship is partnership, megabrands like Nike and Adidas do not allow any athlete to represent them. They cannot afford to risk their reputation or damage their brand. But don't despair! There are countless small and medium-sized businesses that you will be happy to sponsor. You just have to ask. To give you some ideas, here is a list of the types of companies you can look for sponsorships with:
- Local companies specializing in your sport
- Companies highly specialized in their sport
- Local store.
- Athletics companies in general
- Companies that you can help for your personality or for your achievements
- Companies you like, even if they are not sports related
- Companies that can help you with certain things, e.g. B. Travel or nutrition providers.
Using a spreadsheet, create as long a list of potential sponsors as possible, including website address, physical location(s), social media, and status in your industry.
I cannot stress enough the importance of this step. If you just take that step, you're already ahead of the game. I know this because I made that mistake myself when looking for sponsors. Also, many athletes are constantly applying for MAKEEACHAMP sponsorships, but they don't even know what we do and who we are. Visit all potential sponsor sites and do your research. Understand your mission, your vision and your team. Learn everything you can. Subscribe to his e-newsletter, read his blog and follow his social networks. This will give you enough information to answer the following questions:
- Where are you?
- What is special about this company, how does it stand out from its competitors?
- What are your values, what is your mission?
- Do you sponsor athletes? Which athletes do you sponsor?
- Who are the key employees? Who is the leadership team?
- Do you fit in well?
- How can you connect with them?
You need to know the needs of the company, for example. B. what type of content they are currently creating and whether it can help with their current social media marketing. Many athletes skip this step and end up with a company they cannot help. There must be synergy between the athlete and the company so that a win-win partnership with you is possible.
The other reason it's important to connect with these sponsors is simply because you never know. By following them, the company will receive a notification. There is a chance that they will see your name and profile. If you get it right and keep liking and sharing your content, your name and profile can become attractive to decision makers.
If you've spent a few weeks tracking down the brands and companies you're approaching for sponsorship, it's time to get in touch. At this point, you should have an idea of what kind of content they are creating and how you can help them. Also, be sure to read the “information page” on their website for stats synergistic with yours.
How to communicate?
Send them an email Send them a message on social media (via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter DM) and ask for an email address to use. Remission enterprise applications marketing agencies
1. Send an email:
Now writing an email should be easier than you think as you are already familiar with the company or company. In this email, it's your job to introduce yourself, but more importantly, explain your mission and how you can help the potential sponsor achieve their corporate mission.
Examples:
Crossfuel was started by a physician who couldn't find any supplements to recommend to his athletic clients. I mention this because I helped start a business to help myself and other athletes raise funds for the sport.
My email to her looked like this:
Hello #BlueArmy,
My name is David Ancor, I'm an aspiring Olympic judoka and co-founder of MAKEEACHAMP.com. I wanted to say thank you for the amazing products, I really liked the purity of the New Zealand Whey and the Rapid Recovery.
I decided to email him because I heard about Dr. X was thrilled to help the athletes...
2.Get in touch with them on social media
The best way to reach them is to connect with them on social media. Try to help them fulfill their mission and congratulate them on their social networks. I bought your product because I really needed it. And then I used it to share a photo or video. So I made sure to share this photo and tag the company in it. I've done this on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. This impressed the company and they ended up contacting me via Twitter.
3. Reference
There is a person or company in your family/friend circle that wants to help athletes like you.
Landing this type of sponsorship requires two steps that are often overlooked. Most athletes assume their friends and family know they need a sponsor, but this is often not the case! Make sure your friends and family know you are aggressively looking for a sponsor or applications for one. A great way to do this is to run a crowdfunding campaign.MAKE AMPLIFIERS. When running a campaign, rally all your friends and family around your goals. They support your campaign by sharing and contributing to it. When the right family member or friend sees your campaign, they can sponsor it.
4. Corporate sponsorship requests for athletes, teams and clubs
There are many ways for athletes to receive funding. It is up to you as an athlete to know how and where you can get financial support for your sporting career. We've done some research to provide examples of the types of financing options available to you today.
Below is a list of corporate sponsors that individuals, teams and even clubs can apply for. However, every company or business is different and has different requirements. I recommend that you do your research first and then customize your application for each sponsorship opportunity. Also remember that you can reapply each year, but be sure to update your application and meet the new requirements to ensure you qualify:
-CIBC - Guidelines for Funding Donations and Sponsorships
-CanFund - 2014 Athlete Funding Entries
-BMO - Guidelines for Donation and Sponsorship Requests
-Apply for sponsorship with WestJet
-Sponsored by Hydro One- Support for a variety of community events across Ontario
-Petro Canada-Supporting Canadian athletes and coaches
- sports cosmos -supporting organizations
If you are an athlete in Canada, you can also consult this listScholarships and Scholarships for Athletes.
5. Sports consulting and marketing agencies
If you are already sponsored or are just starting to look for sponsors, it often helps to have an agent or agency on your side. They can help you with a variety of sponsorship-related challenges, from creating a compelling story about your career to negotiating with sponsors on your behalf. You can find your local sports marketing agencies online and contact them to make an appointment.
6. Crowdfunding with MAKEEACHAMP
Crowdfunding with MAKEEACHAMP is a great way for an athlete to not only get the funding they need, but also gain exposure and find a sponsor in their support circle. You can start your campaignon here.
If you are lookingSponsors for your sports team, read this blog post.