Artists and athletes work in competitive fields, so if you're looking to make a name for yourself as one, you have to stand out. One way to distinguish yourself in the world of art or athletics is to score a clothing sponsorship. Sponsors can help beef up your credibility and provide you with gear and professional support.
Clothing sponsorships usually come in one of four tiers:
Donation or contribution: The company provides you with financial support, and you respond with a thank you note or something similar.
Shop sponsorship: The company gives you free or discounted gear.
Amateur sponsorship: The company gives you free or discounted gear on top of some financial support for travel fees or equipment expenses.
Professional sponsorship: The company covers your expenses and also gives you a paycheck.
If you want to make clothing sponsorship a reality, remember to start small, probably with a contribution or shop sponsorship, especially if you've never been sponsored before. You also have to approach the brands you're interested in professionally and convincingly.
If you're still trying to put yourself on the map, consider the clothing brands you'll have the best luck with: probably those that are still trying to put themselves on the map too. There are a lot of quality indie clothing brands out there, so pick a few that speak to you.
Make sure your genre matches up with that of your brand of choice. If you're seeking sponsorship for your hardcore band, find a brand with a similar aesthetic. If your athletic career might bring some attention to your little-known hometown, look for local brands that might want to propel your career for that reason. Find a brand that fits your career trajectory.
Prove You Enjoy the Brand
Follow them on Instagram and Twitter. Like their Facebook page. Actually make a purchase.
Tag them in any of your social media posts in which you're wearing their products – especially photos or videos of you performing. Before requesting sponsorship, show that you genuinely like the brand you're after and you support how they do business. You want to be able to tell your contacts from that brand that you actually bought and wear their clothes, and you love them.
Sell Them on Your Value
When you email a brand ambassador, focus on convincing them that you'll be effective in advertising their clothing. Send them links to photos and videos of you performing (if you're an artist) or competing (if you're an athlete) to show that you're good at what you do and you'd be a good choice for sponsorship.
Make your pitch personal, especially if you're sending it to an indie brand. Write a meaningful email showing that you did your research and genuinely enjoy their clothes. This can go a long way, especially with independent companies.
Stick With It
Be persistent and resilient. If contacts from one of your preferred brands are responding sporadically or noncommittally, keep sending them new material and updates on your career accomplishments. Stay in their periphery as a potential candidate for sponsorship. If you get shut down, don't sweat it. Shake off the rejection and start contacting other brands, and perhaps polishing up your pitches, photos and performance videos.
It's all about getting noticed before requesting sponsorship! So, prove that you genuinely like the brand you're after and you support how they do business. You simply want to be able to tell your contacts from that brand that you actually bought and wear their clothes, and you love them.
Figure out what the sponsor will sponsor. Before you can approach a potential sponsor, and before deciding whom to approach, you need to know what the sponsorship will entail. ...
The goal of the first approach is to have a sit-down meeting with the person in charge. Be professional, innovative and creative, particularly during your first contact. And again, remember not to sell yourself short! Want to learn more about how to contact a sponsor and build your brand?
Sponsors can help you build a prominent reputation within the industry. In exchange for exposure at the Event, they can offer a venue, catering, digital marketing, technology gear, prizes, and so much more. Since you are provided with better outreach, they will likely do the same for you.
The list of what companies actually want in return for their sponsorship dollars is usually fairly simple: Companies want exposure. They want people to see their generosity in action. Companies want relevant recognition.
Sponsors often give you money to do things like promote your brand or sell products. Additionally, they can also provide some valuable services, like helping you with marketing or events. But be careful with your sponsorship! Sponsors can be very tempting, but don't forget that they're only making money off of you.
You can use websites like IZEA, AspireIQ, and Influencer.co to connect with great brands that are looking for sponsorship opportunities. IZEA calls itself a creator marketplace. They offer a range of tools and services to help content creators find sponsorships and monetize their content.
While there's no fixed number of followers required to start earning sponsorships, many brands look for influencers with at least 10,000 to 50,000 followers or more to collaborate with. How can you earn by becoming an influencer on Instagram?
Use Social Media. There's no doubt that social media has become one of the most powerful tools in marketing and networking. If you're not using social media to find a sponsor for your event, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. LinkedIn is a great platform to start with when it comes to finding sponsors.
I'm writing to ask you to sponsor [part of your event that needs sponsorship]. With [dollar amount], we'll be able to [insert goal or achievement]. As a thank you, [nonprofit's name] would also like to offer [incentive] and publically announce your partnership with our charitable organization.
How Many Followers Do You Need for Brand Deals? First and foremost, there really is no ideal number to be able to work with brands. I have done brand deals with creators and influencers with less than 1,000 followers because they fit exactly what the brand was looking for.
Unfortunately, there's no simple answer, as the number of followers needed to get sponsored varies depending on the brand, your niche, and the type of sponsorship available. However, with some hard work and persistence, anyone can increase their chances of getting sponsored.
To become a Shein brand ambassador, scroll to the bottom of Shein's partner page, click “I'm an Influencer,” and fill out the official application. To become a Shein campus ambassador, read the program requirements and fill out the application on the Campus Ambassador Program page.
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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