It’s no secret that the number of organizations hosting virtual events doubled in the past year. But with everything new comes a learning curve. Many organizations really struggled with translating sponsorship from in-person to virtual event sponsorship!
But I’m here to tell you that the reason why many people aren’t able to totally master virtual event sponsorship is because they’re overcomplicating it. No joke. Sponsorship is 100% based on building relationships and proving value—it’s as simple as that. It seems more complicated when you try to totally reinvent the wheel because the event has gone virtual. Make sense?
To help put virtual event sponsorships into perspective, I’m going to share my top 5 secrets that will help you simplify your virtual event sponsorship acquisition process. I promise it will help you land those sponsors your team has on their vision board.
Less is More…
I can’t tell you the number of times I have received a sponsorship ask email from someone I don’t know and it’s like reading a novel. If I have to scroll to find that ask, your email is going into the trash, my friend. When you’re targeting anyone for sponsorship or relationship building, in the beginning, less is more—regardless of their role at the organization. But especially if you’re asking a CEO or Director-level employee. So, keep those initial reach outs short and sweet and keep the chit chat for when you land that phone call.
Plus, creating a short email ask is so much easier than drafting your next New York Times Bestseller in the body of an email.
Virtual Event Sponsors Are People Too…
When you’re dreaming up those big sponsors who you know will totally transform the message and clout of your event, it’s easy to idolize them and try to give them the world to make them sign on the dotted line.
But what you need to remember is virtual event sponsors are people too.
They’re business people just like you.
Think about what type of email YOU would respond to.
Think about what would spark YOUR interest if you were giving away sponsorship dollars.
So, while you absolutely want to fluff up their ego a little bit, don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t forget that they too are just humans trying to make a living and increase the bottom line for their business.
Your Sponsorship Media Kit Needs to Pack a Punch…
Think about this one like you would your resume. You have less than a minute to impress a hiring manager with your resume. The same goes for a sponsorship media kit.
This pretty little guide is your key to landing the virtual meeting where you will be able to close the deal.
These days, your sponsorship media kit is likely your company’s first impression for a potential sponsor. There are few scenarios now where you’re shaking hands on the show floor and then talking business, now it’s reversed. And that sponsorship media kit needs to be bold, beautiful, professional, and intriguing at first glance otherwise it’ll end up in the trash.
Come up with a catchy tagline. Share your value prop. Make it known that YOUR event is the one they want to be a part of and why.
Metrics Are Your Best Friend…
Numbers talk. They show success, convey reach, and ultimately close deals.
One thing about in-person events is that it can sometimes be hard to quantify and measure the “success” or “reach” of a specific sponsor benefit. For example, did everyone pick up their swag bag at check-in? Or did some people opt not to grab one? At a virtual event with a virtual swag bag, you can provide click and open data to sponsors to show their reach. You can provide numbers of attendees who logged on live for their keynote session and engaged in their poll. You can provide them with cold hard numbers that don’t lie. These points will truly show the benefit you were able to give them with your sponsorship.
So many people don’t leverage this effectively! Make it your mission to gather as much data as humanly possible for every virtual event so you can not only impress your current sponsors but use those numbers to engage sponsors for future events, too.
Associations Now reports that 77% of virtual event platforms have the data capture capability a sponsor wants. That being said, not all virtual event platforms are created equal and some may not have the capabilities you need. Eventistry by Alecia can help you find the perfect one for you if you’re stuck!
You Need a System…
Even if you have a gorgeous and data-filled sponsorship media kit, if you go about your sponsor acquisition willy nilly with no plan, it’s not going to work. You need to have a system in place that guides your team through a sponsor acquisition start to finish. This may include template emails, a set timeline for follow-ups, messaging that can be personalized for each touchpoint, etc. Ultimately you need an end goal that all these steps are going to leading you to. It can be a doozy to set this up, but I promise that once it’s done right, that’s when you will start seeing results!
It takes an average of 8 attempts to just get a meeting with a prospect, never mind close the deal. So, the more streamlined your process is to get there, the greater results you’ll achieve.
P.S. I have a full system ready to go if you’re in a pinch or just looking to level-up! It’s helped me manage millions in sponsorship for my team and clients.
Need a Little Help with Virtual Event Sponsorship? Eventistry by Alecia Has Your Solution…
I know I say this is simple because I do it day in and day out. For you, it may be a little more complicated when you’re dealing with a million and one other tasks to get your virtual event sponsorship and program off the ground. I totally get it. That’s why I’ve created a simple, all-inclusive guide with ALL my juicy tips, tricks, processes, and procedures to let your team in on my tried-and-true virtual event sponsorship secrets. It’ll help you streamline and take the guesswork out of how to land sponsors for your events. Grab your Virtual Event Sponsorship System by Eventistry by Alecia today! I promise it’ll be a game-changer for your virtual events and sponsorships.
