Nothing is free, particularly in the music industry, and putting together a fantastic tour or festival requires money. One of the best ways to secure funding for these sorts of events is through sponsorships – but doing so requires careful planning.
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Guest post by Randi Zimmerman of the Symphonic Blog
So, you want to create an amazing sponsorship deck? Here’s how.
Nothing is free in this world. If it was, we could all fund our freshest festivals and events without anyone’s help. Sadly, none of us have figured out how to grow trees that sprout hundreds, but luckily we can ask for help when it comes to funding our big ideas. If you’re looking to reach out for sponsors to assist you in your next tour, festival, or any cool event you’ve got in mind, you’ll need a sponsorship deck.
The biggest issue people face when presenting their sponsorship deck is when they haven’t researched the company before creating the proposal. The key to a good deck is to make sure to include exactly what the brand is looking for in a client. Anticipate what they want before they ask. They’ll be impressed by your preparation and see that you’re taking whatever it is seriously.
First Things First…
Please don’t send your possible sponsor a huge Powerpoint with 100 pages to read through. Established brands have a lot on their plate, and the last thing they want to do is read through pages and pages of info. Realistically, you shouldn’t be sending a Powerpoint presentation at all. Please turn your presentation into a PDF or at least provide a link to it’s own website. You want to present yourself and all you have to offer in the most professional way you can. If you know what you’re talking about, look like it!
If You Got It, Flaunt it.
What value do you have to offer to their organization? If you have any cool personal attributes and skills, capitalize on them. Show companies that you have a way to positively impact their brand. An important aspect to this is understanding their marketing objectives. If they want to increase their revenue by x%, how can you help with that? Maybe they want to increase their brand awareness? Let them know how you can make that happen. Bring to the table things that can help them reach their goals as well as yours.
With Your Brand As Your Guide, Go Forth.
Your sponsorship deck should be a reflection of who you are. Always include your logo, adhere to your brand’s theme, and be sure to throw your contact information and website on there, too. You always want the pathway for communication to be as clear as possible. We all love some good collaboration.
Back to Basics.
These next things might seem kind of obvious, but they’re absolutely crucial in creating the best sponsorship deck that doesn’t miss a beat. These next things should ideally be at the beginning of the deck, making your vision clear. Showcase your ideas, and always make sure your deck includes the following:
- What is it? What’s the point of the whole thing?
- The tour dates. When is everything going down?
- How many people are you expecting?
- Where is all this going to happen?
- How much will it be to attend?
- What’s the target audience?
Why can we trust you?
You want to show your sponsors that you’ll be able to pull all this off.
Show how credible you are by including things like how many followers you have across your social media platforms, your media engagements, and your reach (paid media engagements), etc.
If you’ve successfully executed the event before, make sure to include pics and videos from past events! If you’ve got some positive feedback from attendees about how much they loved it, definitely include that in your deck. Brands love to see the success you’ve had in the past with hopes that you can bring that positive success to their brand as well.
You Got This.
A great sponsorship deck can open many new doors to success, and having a sponsor secures you, not only a steady source of income to fund all your ideas, but also a whole new breed of fans that might not of heard of you otherwise.
The more insight you have into the mind of who you’re pitching to guarantees you a higher chance of being accepted. This might seem like a lot, but don’t stress too much. Believe in yourself, and your hard work will pay off.
Literally.