16
03
2010
Do you remember when the internet first launched? Do you remember how long it took some organizations to jump on board and admit that it wasn't just a passing trend for IT gurus? Well, my 84-year-old grandmother is now pretty savvy with her email, even if she does CONTINURE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS. And my mother, bless her heart keeps asking me if she should get on Facespace... I take that to be Facebook or Myspace, she's not quite sure though. Well the internet is here folks, and now, so is social media, and its not going anywhere.
Over the last several weeks, I have posed the following question to several of my sponsorship colleagues; "How are you incorporating Social Media into your Sponsorship programs?" The response I get is varied.
I either have people come back with awesome programs, like Chris Yates with Huddleproductions.com and their search for Bud Light's Ultimate Tailgater. Chris tells me that his efforts in social media have been more effective than those of traditional media. Their Youtube channel has given them over 400k views and their Facebook page offers their fans a place to interact with each other. Way to go Chris, you've effectively offered your fan base another outlet to promote your product, and you've done it in such a way that your fans are driving the traffic with minimal effort from you. Kudos!
On a side note, also consider that I initially had this conversation with Chris on LinkedIn, where our conversation was public for all to see and learn from, and has now reached out to the SponsorPark blog reader base, and will be retweeted and posted on Facebook with people linking through to Huddle Productions Youtube channel. Viral Marketing at its best!
On the flip side, I get people who say they can't find effective ways to sell on social media and that they aren't seeing any ROI for their efforts. Well my first suggestion to these people is to stop trying to sell. People don't want to be sold to on social media. What they want is for you to add value, offer them an insight or an opportunity to connect. Chances are if you're trying to sell you're being intentionally ignored.
So where do you start if you're completly new to social media? Mashable.com is a great source for beginners, and offered this article about using social media as a tool and not allowing it to become a distraction. Want a few simple ways to enhance your sponsorship package? Tweet about your sponsors, link to them on your blogs, chat them up on Facebook. These simple ways really will set you apart from your competition that isn't using social media. Also take quick look at this article on where sponsors fit into social media.
Do you have a proposal listed on SponsorPark? Use the "Share This" button at the bottom of your proposal to push your link out to many different social media sites. This is a non-intrusive way to get your proposal in front of potential sponsors without much work. For the more advanced social media users, check out a recent blog post from Jason Peck, with some great ideas for extending your reach.
For those of you who still aren't convinced, I encourage you to do your research and come up with a plan that works for you, even if it is minimal. A small presence is better than none, and it’s something to grow from, and I promise you, if you build a legitimate network with valuable information, your followers will come.