Unleashing the Power of Your Association’s Sponsorship Value Proposition to Attract Industry Partnerships
The key to successfully seeking sponsorships lies in understanding your association’s value.
But that’s not all. You’ll also need to communicate this value to potential partners, by presenting a creative and compelling sponsorship proposal that creates an undeniable “win-win” situation.
The good news is, there are several strategies you can use to gauge and unlock your association’s unique value proposition. With these practices, you can greatly increase your chances of making a successful pitch to your soon-to-be sponsors:
1. Discover How You Can Provide Value
Sponsorships are a give-and-take relationship. To attract the right sponsors, you’ll need a solid understanding of your strengths and the special value that comes with partnering with your association. It can be your member demographics, expertise, events, or industry influence.
Some good questions to ask may be: What will a sponsor gain from supporting our association? What sets us apart from other organizations seeking the same sponsorship?
2. Clearly Define Sponsorship Benefits
Once you identify the unique value proposition that your association has to offer, you can start creating your own sponsorship package. This will include a detailed list of perks and benefits that your sponsors will enjoy, which may include:
- Logo placement on merchandise and materials
- Branded videos and social media promotions
- Sponsored swag bags and goodies
- Recognition on your website, blog, and email newsletters
- Speaking opportunities during events
- Booths and panel spots during association conferences
- Access to your association’s membership base
3. Tailor Your Sponsorship Packages
Potential sponsors may come to your association with varying interests, needs, and budgets, so a one-size-fits-all approach is not ideal for sponsorships.
A more flexible strategy would be to offer sponsorship packages that are specifically tailored to the objectives of each sponsor. Another option is to allow sponsors to customize their own package, choosing which opportunities and benefits align best with their goals and resources.
4. Support Your Proposal with Data
Dig into your association’s data to demonstrate the value of a partnership with you. Show charts, case studies, and testimonials to tell the story of successful past sponsorships.
You can also draw out information on what makes your membership special, using demographics, social media analytics, and engagement surveys. The goal is to back up your sponsorship proposal with tangible, measurable evidence of your proven performance/success.
5. Build Strong Personal Relationships
Building strong, lasting bonds with your current and potential sponsors is crucial to long-term success. After all, sponsorships aren’t just transactions, they are meaningful relationships.
Instead of sending generic emails and formal phone calls, try to have face-to-face interactions. Communicate often and openly, and strive to understand each other’s goals, values, and challenges.
At times, securing the best sponsors and partners for your association can seem like a job hunt and it can be highly competitive. Much like a resume, you’ll need to craft a great sponsorship package that highlights your strengths and value and pitch it to organizations that match your mission and goals.