Getting sponsorships for business events seemed quite easy few years back. Say, from venue spaces to media kits to teacups, money is to be invested, and seeking event sponsors might help organizations get free promotional products or “swags†such as calendars, pens, coffee mugs - sponsoring the event as well giving donors as chance to put up their logo on the goodies or even in the ballroom. But as the
technology world surrounded the event industry, organizers started to
go digital, gaining sponsorship via mobile platforms.
Get smarter apps. Go sell sponsorships!
Innovative
mobile event app companies like Propeller Mobile, have developed powerful event engagement solutions- Event Engine, brings
elevated engagement levels on the audience, measure it, but also provides organizers new revenue streams.
Digital Era - Sponsor Demands Changed
Marketers who work on
new strategies, automated techniques and highly measurable campaigns are now more suspicious on the sponsorship benefits. Many are watchful on the sponsorship programs, though the event is a fall or pass; achieving measurable ROI for their investments is the main concern. Around
54% think measurable ROI from lead generation is the top priority in modern marketing. And these demands, put event organizers under pressure, scrutinize on the available opportunities, precisely - the digital solutions.
Clearly, events started paying forward the efforts of those who executed on digital event sponsorship appropriately, creating tangible value for sponsors, thereby generating revenue from digital platforms for their events. The good news for events are, better measurable results to sponsors and switched events from cost center to a profit streaming arena with technology solutions.
Going green or
paperless technology is what you are pondering? Then it’s not any hard to meet compelling demands of event sponsorship, consider these strategies to gain better results with the technology investment plot in your mind.
Any Device To Sell Anytime, Anywhere
With the
mobile revolution, most of the digital event sponsorship possibilities are focused around mobile apps. Though data shows around 85% of attendees depend on computers for planning and networking events during and after, however, mobile has become more disruptive for attendees than web. In fact, about 82% of users spend their time on mobile apps and just 18% with web browsers, indicating the
dominance of mobile apps. That’s quite an effective engagement, as networking starts even before the conference begins! In order to make use of digital grounds for sponsorship, utilise the content-rich functionality of web portals, create sponsorship packages and focus on delivering ads in the right way. If attendee wishes to share sponsor collateral after the event, there is chance that the person uses computer than mobile. Don’t restrict digital possibilities when it comes to selling sponsorship, though mobile comes the lighter, faster and easier platform.
Let’s see what you can sell here.
Quality Leads: As attendees wander for precise solutions days before your event, it urges them to follow the sponsors and gets the material downloaded, hence turning it to quality leads. Sponsors go delighted when notified each time with an interest. This helps sponsors understand the prospects and happily pay them.
Digital Distribution: Sponsors can distribute digital collateral and even on demand video for better engagement during or after the event. This environmental-friendly method drives sales of the event.
Planning Event: Attendees gets thrilled in planning the event ahead and this could encourage them to have a meeting scheduled with your exhibitors or sponsors. As sponsors meet qualified prospects, nothing will stop them from paying them.
Advertise Contextually
Undoubtedly content marketing has become the cost-effective
B2B marketing strategy to generate leads on internet. Before getting a purchase done, B2B buyers at least research on seven reviews. When there is valuable content for the event, it can be tied with sponsorship program, ideally paying contextually. Sponsors are often assigned with a tab on the event website or an item on a mobile app. Users rarely pay a click on sponsors, whereas ‘qualified prospects’ (those attract sponsors) look for ways to interact with true sponsors, attain exact solutions and content for better networking at your events. Probably, linking rich content with sponsors will be a good idea to sell sponsorship. Here, event organizers get a new floor to lock up sponsors in the context with the right content, hence inviting valuable prospects for exhibitors. When sponsors are associated appropriately in context with the relevant content, let’s say, a session or discussion topic highlighting the sponsor in the content, attendees get needed information, meanwhile satisfying sponsors with more qualified prospects. This shows the event promising and profitable.
Let’s see what you trade here.
Sponsored Solutions: Sponsored content is a part of every event; whether it is educational, business oriented or about speakers at the session; sponsors get mentioned. Event organisers can deliver branded sponsorship as well as support sponsors’ giveaway for those attendees who are following the solutions.
Mobile Texts: Selling mobile messages can be an efficient way to track attendees and generate extra revenue at needed times. You can alert attendees about demonstrations, social events, sessions, by putting your sponsors in context. It brings more exposure to the sponsors.
On-Demand Video: Now you have seen putting sponsors in context of the content, similarly sponsors too can create live streaming content. Give live experience to attendees - get life to the presentations by on-demand video, viewed on any device. Sponsors will be excited of the attendee participations and likely pay them.
Aim At Quality
Sponsorship aims at earning exposure. For example, Bosch is your sponsor and if they are selling refrigeration downloadable white papers to 1000 people who doesn’t actually care about it and 200 people who are searching for it. From which group they get more exposure? Obviously it won’t be from the ‘most numbered group’ rather from the small group. Reaching the most won’t be profitable where b2b marketing is concerned, whereas selling quality over quantity should be the right approach. Now you have the chance to sell results-focused sponsorships to desired audience, thereby buying exposure for the sponsors and gaining a venue to sell different things.
What you can sell here.
Interest-Based Search: Attendees browse on solutions or interest-based recommendations. This is where your sponsors should act accordingly, not to disappoint those who come for the events. Provide right and personalised solutions for attendees, making search easier and pay them to get placed top in the list.
Personalised Tag Sponsorship : As you integrate digital capabilities to your event, you can easily find out what your attendees seek, their interest, the people they are searching, the content they are looking for and anything. This is where sponsors get exposed, as you put them in front of those who were satisfied with the solutions. As an event producer, you can monetize the communications by permitting sponsors to display ads or send custom messages to attendees.
Custom Advertising: Mobile app industry being the
revenue streaming platform, the popular way of sponsorship is splash page advertising - ads which comes on the screen while app is loading. With digital opportunities, sell apps targeted to your audience base. Targeted ads can be based on attendees’ interest, brand logo, event sessions and anything which they prefer. These can place sponsors more exposed within the targeted audience, hence boosting sales and future meetings.
Generate Sales From Sales
Sponsors get into event venues, fundamentally to increase sales. In today’s scenario, possibilities are plenty and leaned towards customer base to drive investments. Hence, event organisers should be on the lookout for promoting sponsors without hurting the event experience. Ads are moving from disruptive kind (that is not audience targeted) to customer-focused ones. Create the list of sponsors or exhibitors and as audience search for interests, they can express their like in those vendors. While they seek for interaction, as event organisers, you can provide an app for this communication type of marketing. Sponsors can generate significant number of leads via follow up, and will be willing to fund it.
You can sell here too.
Apps: With the growth of digital advertising, especially in events, certain apps have come on-stage for event organisers. Lead generation apps assist sponsors to increase leads - as customers express interest, scan a QR code of the digital media kit at the booth and as exhibitors scan the QR code of the supportive attendee. Sponsors can connect with active prospects outside the booth, during the event or after the show wind up.
Advertise Vendor Profiles: The emergence of mobile applications have paved way for sponsors to present their resources and themselves in a new, appreciable way. The profile includes video, digital kit, product description and live sessions.
Linking Ads: Standard ads which got a clickable link to homepage is disruptive - linking banner ads (those that seen top or bottom of the screen) generate leads. Link ads to sponsor profile, which offers perk for your exhibitors with specific lead generation, same time re-direct sales to your event.
Hope this will encourage you get rid of looming thoughts on how to reap sponsorship taking advantage of digital opportunities. Now start thinking of creative and powerful ways to engage your prospective sponsors, which they would not discover otherwise. Â Once you have put things in order, you can easily add more sponsor proposals to generate income.
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About the Author:
Blogger by passion, Katie Lewis has extensive experience in digital marketing, advertising, branding, media and communications and PR. Creative and engagement consultant at large across non-profit and private sectors, she is a research person on the disrupt tends- covers mainly on Small Business, Marketing and PR.
