So, you want to come to The Influence Conference? We want you to be there! Let’s work together to make that happen.
One option to subsidize the cost of attending blog conferences is to find a sponsor. Now, this essentially means the weekend will be a “business trip” for you and you’ll be doing some work for your sponsor–but you may be able to get them to pay some or all of your expenses.
Here’s how you do it.
1. Estimate your costs. The ticket is $200, your travel may be $200-500, the hotel room is $115/night (but can be split between up to 4 people), extra meals and spending money should be factored in. Now you have your “nut”, the amount of money you will be seeking from a sponsor.
2. Brainstorm companies you’d like to represent. I see this working two different ways. One, I can see someone representing a company and essentially being a brand presence for them at the event. Another way to go about this, is offer to be a “learner and teller” for them at the event. You go, you listen, you take great notes…you teach them when you get back. I see that working especially well for small (or large) churches that want to grow their social media presence without spending a ton of money. Ideally, these are companies or organizations with whom you already have a relationship. It tends to be more successful that way, because they know you are already an advocate for them.
3. Imagine all the ways you can bring value to your sponsor. Maybe you could wear logo clothing at the event (no joke, there were women wearing cow spotted pajamas at the Got Milk! breakfast at Blissdom!). Maybe you offer them an ad spot on your blog for a determined amount of time. Maybe you do sponsored posts before and after the conference. You could tweet and Instagram while you are there with their hashtag.
4. Know your stats and create a media kit. A media kit can be as simple as your basic stats in a basic .pdf form. Check out Amy’s impeccable post about compiling a media kit. You can email this media kit out to potential sponsors.
5. Approach the companies you are hoping to sponsor. Put together an email laying out the basic idea you have (no need to include all your information at this point). Let them know the conference information and how you plan to bring value to them. Ask if they’d be interested in continuing the conversation. Then, send them your stats and all the ways you can bring value to them. It is also helpful to ask if they have any social media needs you could help them meet.
Now, keep these things in mind, too.
* Most people do not attend a conference with a sponsorship, so don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t work out. However, keep in mind that every little bit of money helps. If the company cannot pay for the whole trip, it doesn’t hurt to ask if they’d just cover your ticket in exchange for a slightly less robust offering from you.
* If you are planning to come, act now. Your companies may need time to plan and budget.
* Don’t go after a company who is already sponsoring someone else attending. Unless the two of you can brainstorm a way to have a synergistic relationship with different ways to cover and add value–it is likely they won’t want to work with (and pay for) two people.
* Think out of the box. Host a twitter party. Do a webinar. You don’t have to do what’s always been done.
* Check out this helpful post, too.
If you are a business that is interested in either being an official sponsor of The Influence Conference or being matched with a blogger to sponsor, please email thetinytwig @ gmail.
Have you ever worked with a sponsor? Do you have any questions or ideas about getting a sponsorship to a blog conference?