3 Ways To Get Sponsored As An Influencer
- Laurie Rivers
- Mar 3, 2020
- 4 min read
Ever wonder how companies choose people to sponsor? Or how people get into the articles and their work gets into the public eye? The GIGABYTE USA Notebook team is going to let you in on some fun industry not so secret best practices for getting your creative work seen (or heard) by the people you want to see (or hear) it the most.
Getting sponsorship for yourself or your projects can be nerve wracking when you're getting started. Whether you're an award winning film maker, artist, game developer or an active Twitch streamer, professional gamer or have some kind of amazing project you're trying to get off the ground having a sponsorship of some kind can really move you forward.
Sponsorships help lend you credibility and help give you leverage for other sponsorships, and help keep you paying the bills or making the content that helps you pay the bills. In the case of our filmmakers Mark A.J. Nazal and Sylvia Ray, they both came to us through recommendations by people who knew their work. It wasn't just their awards that interested the GIGABYTE Notebook team, it was being told how amazing they were to work with as people. Easy going, dedicated to excellence, willing to collaborate; just a few of the things we were told about the filmmakers, which helped us decide we wanted to reach out. Let's face it, marketing teams are crazy busy doing a million things, we want people who are easy to work with who have a great body of work to show their skills in a relevant way to the product involved in the sponsorship.
But even if you're not an award winning film maker or pro e-sports player, there's still room for you at the table. Here's 3 ways you can get noticed and attract quality sponsorships:
3 Essentials For Sponsorships
1. You don't need a million followers to get your work highlighted, but you do need a loyal audience.
Today companies are getting smarter about how they work with people on and offline when it comes to sponsorships. A few years ago, companies would go for the big numbers, but today's marketing teams know the value is in engaged audiences.
Josephine McAdam, is an actress and Twitch streamer who has an amazing online presence. Her fans are loyal, engaged and she has done an amazing job at keeping in touch with her audience. It's why GIGABYTE Notebooks sponsored her with an AORUS 15 XA notebook. You can view her stream here.
Josephine McAdam unboxing the AORUS 15 XA
2. Respond to calls for submissions or interviews.
On LinkedIn and Twitter when a company or writer is asking to interview people in your field for marketing articles or press articles, respond to the call. Writers and marketing specialists are insanely busy and don't have time to hunt you down. If they had that kind of time they wouldn't put out a call for submissions or interviews. Make yourself easy to approach and respond promptly to requests to ensure you get quoted.
3. Stand out Authentically
It might seem like a no brainer, but have your social media profiles up to date with profile icons/photos that represent you and your work. Make sure you have a web presence, if not your own website, having an ArtStation Page, LinkedIn profile, Facebook Group/Page and other social presence with a congruent image. Don't fake it though, if you're a three piece suit unicycling juggler be that person, likewise if you're a t-shirt and ponytail kind of artist be that person. Highlight your most authentic self and keep it in the public eye as much as possible. Again, referring the first item on our list, if you're obviously engaging a community and building your presence you might find a great sponsor willing to work with you.
One of the reasons GIGABYTE Notebook reached out to Anthony Jones of RobotPencil Designs, was because of his easy going, yet professional manner on his livestreams and across his social media channels. Anthony doesn't just come with numbers, he comes with a great authentic brand that is all his own, which was obvious before we even had our first conversation. Checking out his ArtStation profile we saw that he was both engaged, prolific and brought value to his audience. Anthony brings a great blend of technical expertise and authenticity to the table, plus he shares his passion and dedication readily with his audience. It was these qualities that lead the team to approach Anthony to sponsor him with an AERO 15 notebook, as an on the go artist and educator it was the perfect pairing for GIGABYTE Notebooks.
Even if you're just beginning your journey in seeking sponsorships, remember companies are looking for people they can work and play with to build a mutual relationship. Follow these simple best practices and you up your chances of being tapped on the shoulder for sponsorships or being mentioned in the press. For more information about how to have you and your work standout make sure you subscribe to this blog. Who knows, maybe one day one of our team might be the one's tapping your shoulder!
Got questions? Ask in the comments below, our team will be glad to answer your questions regarding sponsorships.
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