How To Find Sponsors For Your Blog
If you have been blogging for while, you have probably thought about finding sponsors for your blog. Blogging is fun. It’s not every day that you get to write about what you are passionate about and make a living out of it. But you can’t expect to fully monetize your blog without going after sponsors. Many bloggers just assume that their blogs are too small for sponsors to take on. There is some truth to that. Apple is not going to sponsor a blog that has only 1000 visitors a day. But that doesn’t mean a small company won’t take a chance on your blog.
Blogging can be an expensive business. Monetizing your blog through sponsorships is a great way to make money and cover your blog costs.
Money is Out There
We are in a recession. But that hasn’t kept companies from spending millions on super bowl ads. The money is out there. Companies do want to sponsor you. If you have razor targeted traffic, you can provide enough value for sponsors to want to invest in your blog. So don’t give up before even getting started.
Prepare Your Elevator Pitch
When you contact sponsors, you want to sell your blog. Nobody cares about what platform you use or how many hours you tweet online. Put yourself in the position of your sponsors. What would you look for in a blog if you were to sponsor it? Once you have an answer to this question, you can share that with folks you want to work with.
Find Sponsors
Have a thorough look at your niche. What products can add value to your blog. What would your readers look to buy after reading to your blog. Let’s say you have a blog on HP computers. Folks would be interested in buying RAM, media, canned air, computer cases, network cards, and … Just do a search on Google and contact advertisers who are advertising using Google Adwords. Don’t stop there. Take a look at affiliate programs and contact these guys directly about sponsorship opportunities.
Don’t Be Shy
If you don’t ask, you won’t get it. It is as simple as that. You want companies to sponsor you? Then contact them. Call them up. E-mail them. Be couragous and offer ideas. Don’t be too pushy, but show them why they need to work with you.
Don’t be Scared of Rejection
Rejection is a part of life. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. A lot of companies that you choose to contact will turn you down. That shouldn’t stop you from contacting them. Remember, you goal is to find sponsors. These guys are out there.
Provide Value:
What you work out with your sponsor is obviously between you and your sponsor. But don’t neglect your blog or your sponsor once you have the money. Sponsorships don’t have to be on a short-term basis. Once you have sponsors, you should double or triple your efforts to show them it was all worth it. There is a chance that some of them will not be with you for more than a short time. Don’t sweat it. If you do a decent job providing value to your readers and expanding your base, you are going to find other sponsors.
Build Relationships:
Don’t treat your sponsorships as one night stands. You want to build relationships here. Contact these guys. Talk to them about ways you can help them get more value out of your blog. Track things and provide your sponsors with information that can help them make better business decisions. Building long-lasting relationships can be very valuable in the future.
Finding a sponsor for your blog doesn’t have to be hard. Don’t let the fear of rejection stop you from getting what you deserve. Not every blog has thousands of visitors each and every day. As long as you have a decent number of people visiting your blog, you can get a sponsor. You just have to be proactive about it and take action. This industry has the tendency to reward the brave. Go get them now!
