How to get Sponsored

You are streaming, and you have followers and viewers. You have your community, and maybe you are even partnered or affiliated. Now you want to get a sponsor, so where do you start, and what should you consider?

Getting into the right mindset

The first step is getting into the right mindset. A lot of people looking for sponsors are approaching it wrong. They think selfishly, and their approach is usually:

“What can this brand offer me?”

“I would like to have that gaming chair for free.”

“I could use some sponsor money.”

That is a losing approach.

Instead, you should view the process as a win-win situation for you and the sponsor. To be a win-win situation, you need to figure out what you can bring to the table. What can you offer the brand? How can you convince the brand that they will benefit from sponsoring you?

What can you offer the brand?

The second step is figuring out what the goal of the brand is. Fortunately, we can already give you the answer. The brand is most likely interested in making sales and building brand awareness.

It is your job to create a good offer and opportunity for the brand by being as creative as possible. It is also up to you to figure out how to help the brand sell its products and build brand awareness.

If you already have many viewers and followers, you are in a great position. Especially brands that sell products aimed at general consumers are looking for broad exposure. Many brands want to build brand awareness by being cool by association. If you have great social media metrics, you can try to convince the brand that exposure to your audience can boost sales.

However, a sponsor will not always be interested only because you have a large following on social media or many viewers in your stream. Your reputation is just as important a factor as your number of followers and viewers. Most brands do not want to be associated with people who have a bad reputation, no matter how famous that person is.

For the large majority of streamers, you will not have tens of thousands of viewers, so how should you approach a potential sponsor? Maybe you are a niche streamer, broadcasting something that not many others do. For a brand with niched products, a viewer interested in a specific topic is more important than thousands of viewers having no interest at all.

Maybe you are a creative streamer, and you can incorporate the brand in some way over several streams and on all your social media platforms. For instance, if you stream cooking, you could reach out to a food or kitchen supply brand. If you stream traditional art, you could reach out to an art supplier. If you stream games, you could reach out to a game studio or a software or hardware producer.

There are no limits on what brands you could reach out to if you are creative. It is all about if you can present a deal that makes sense. Will your setup sell more products for the brand or create more brand awareness? If the answer is no, it will be tough to convince a brand to sponsor you.

Reach out

The next step is reaching out to the brand. If you do not have any contacts within the brand organization, you can e-mail, phone, or tag them on social media. Do not be afraid to reach out, and be mentally prepared to get a no the first time. Prepare to get a no 99% of the time. But keep on being persistent, and offer a deal with the best exposure for the brand possible. If and when you get a no, politely ask what you could improve to make a future sponsorship possible. Sometimes, the explanation could be as simple as having too few viewers and followers.

It is harder to get a sponsor deal with a big brand since they often only deal with those who can offer the best exposure. That is why you also should look for newer and younger brands. Look for brands that are not present at all on your streaming platform. Remember that many brands still have no clue about the world of streaming. You could be the one who opens their eyes and becomes their brand ambassador.

Make a great deal

You can make a sponsorship deal in many different ways. The most common arrangements are where you get a product as payment, monetary compensation, or where you would get a percentage of sales. The offer will often be a take it or leave it deal. But with some brands, you will be able to negotiate.

The important thing is that you will feel comfortable with the deal. Never be afraid to walk away from something that does not feel right. Sometimes, no deal is better than a bad deal.

However, it is still necessary to have realistic expectations and think long-term. You will most likely not be paid a lot of money on your first sponsorship deal. Most brands prefer to give products or a percentage of sales through affiliate links. If that is the case, it is up to you to decide if you think it could lead to something bigger and better.

Make sure that everyone is happy

The final step is to monitor that everyone involved is doing their part and honoring the deal. When making the deal, there should be clear goals and guidelines for what you and the brand should expect from each other. There should always be a timeframe for how long the sponsorship is running. It should be clear what your compensation for your work will be. As with any agreement, it should also be clear how to terminate the contract.

Keep in touch with your contact at the brand and do follow-ups. Usually, the brand manager will keep in touch with you since that is their job. If you do not hear from them for some time, we suggest you reach out and ask if they are satisfied.

Good luck!