When seeking financial support for a new project of custom trading cards, the notion of turning to crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter often comes to mind.
Nevertheless, did you know that some of our TCG clients have achieved remarkable success by securing sponsors to cover the expenses associated with their trading cards? This arrangement proves mutually beneficial!
But securing sponsorship is no walk in the park. To persuade the sponsors you desire to be generous, you must employ effective tactics. In the following section, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to secure sponsorship for your custom trading card printing.
Who Can Provide Sponsorship For Custom Trading Cards?
Local Businesses include auto stores, insurance agencies, pet supply retailers, coffee shops, convenience stores, real estate agents, restaurants, and more.
Large Corporations include McDonald’s, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Goodyear, Sprint, Interstate Batteries, State Farm Insurance and Wells Fargo Bank.
Organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, city councils, clubs, and charities are also potential sponsors.
What Advantages Come With Your Sponsorship?
1. Heightened Awareness
Sponsorships serve as an effective means to promote your business or concept. Trading cards stand out as distinctive promotional items with inherent collectible worth.
This uniqueness ensures that people are less likely to discard these cards, allowing your promotional materials to linger longer and subtly enhance people’s familiarity with your company or organization.
2. Promoting a Content Society
Sponsorship qualifies as a tax-deductible donation. When a company embraces social responsibility, it not only fosters goodwill but also boosts employee morale.
Team members appreciate working for an organization that aligns with their values and supports worthy causes, fostering a happier and more content work environment.
How To Get Sponsorship For Your Trading Card Printing?
When seeking sponsors, it’s important to recognize that the company or organization you approach is likely inundated with sponsorship requests from numerous project organizers in the area.
To ensure you grab their attention amidst the competition, here are some valuable tips to set yourself apart:
1. Provide Overviews Of Your Custom Trading Cards
Much like tailoring your cover letter for a job application, crafting a unique trading card sponsorship proposal is crucial.
Considering that the company likely reviews proposals of a similar nature regularly, it’s essential to distinguish your proposal. Why should a company choose to sponsor your card over other opportunities?
Within your proposal, it’s vital to paint a vivid picture by including the following key elements:
- Narrate the story behind your project. Did it originate from humble beginnings? Was it founded with a compelling vision or ambitious goals? Forge an emotional connection that resonates with the prospective sponsor.
- Elaborate on your mission statement. Explain how your team consistently upholds it in your day-to-day operations.
- Provide a detailed profile of your target audience. Ideally, your audience should align with that of your potential sponsor, ensuring that their support reaches the right demographic.
- Be clear and transparent about the financial support required. Avoid ambiguity and specify the purpose of the financing, whether it’s for production, logistics, promotion, leasing, or any other necessary aspects of your project.
- Show your landing page in advance. Landing pages play a pivotal role in the email address acquisition process. A well-constructed and aesthetically pleasing landing page enhances investor confidence in your venture.
- Furthermore, having a transparent project timeline is advantageous. Every organization values individuals who are well-prepared.
By addressing these components, your proposal will stand out and demonstrate the unique value your project brings, increasing the likelihood of securing sponsorship.
2. Offer Incentives to Sponsors
Sponsorship should be a mutually beneficial partnership. Sponsors naturally seek a substantial return on their investment. So, what can sponsors expect when they support your project?
Here are some suggestions to sweeten the deal:
- Engage in local TCG events or exhibitions, providing complimentary space for sponsors to showcase their products through posters or brochures.
- Feature the sponsor’s name or logo prominently on all project promotion materials and banners.
- Highlight sponsors in your blog posts, email newsletters, and social media updates. Encourage your social media followers to engage with and share sponsored content.
- Extend card-related perks or discounts to customers who purchase the sponsor’s products or subscribe to their services, further enhancing the sponsor’s exposure and reach.
3. Present Low-Risk Solutions
Securing sponsorship for your project can be a daunting prospect, particularly when your team and project are on the smaller side. To mitigate these concerns, consider proposing a low-risk solution.
Rather than seeking the full amount you require upfront, suggest a smaller investment in exchange for modest returns. For instance, if your funding goal is $10,000, request $1,000. In return, sponsors would enjoy some of the aforementioned benefits at no additional cost.
This low-risk, low-reward approach offers sponsors the opportunity to dip their toes into the collaboration. In the event that the project faces difficulty, the impact on them would be minimal.
This strategy holds particular appeal if you intend to establish a lasting partnership with the sponsor for future projects. Test runs enable sponsors to evaluate whether continued collaboration in printing trading cards is a viable prospect with your team.
While this approach may necessitate multiple sponsors to fully fund your project, it serves as a strategic advantage. By diversifying your sources of support, you avoid over-reliance on a single sponsor, distributing the risk effectively.
4. Research Potential Sponsors’ Activities
Prior to approaching potential sponsors, it’s essential to conduct thorough research. Take the time to delve into each sponsor’s background and current undertakings. Some key aspects to investigate include:
- Recent Involvement: Scrutinize recent news and developments related to the sponsor. Have they been engaged in recent events or activities?
- Company Changes: Keep an eye out for any alterations within the company, including shifts in leadership or organizational updates.
- Assess how major current events might be affecting the sponsor’s business or industry.
- Identify if the sponsor is launching any new products or services.
Leverage these insights to your advantage by incorporating them into your proposal and potentially weaving them into your project.
For instance, if a sponsor has recently introduced a new product, propose a collaborative effort to promote it as part of your project’s marketing strategy. When reaching out to sponsors, position your project as an opportunity to showcase their latest offerings and attract fresh clientele.
To stay well-informed about company developments, the most effective approach is to follow sponsors’ blogs and social media channels and regularly scan news websites for updates related to their activities.
5. Utilize Data to Inspire Investor Confidence
Ultimately, your sponsors will establish their own financial objectives for your project. The greater their confidence in achieving these objectives, the better. However, quantifying the expected return on investment can be challenging unless substantiated with relevant event data.
This advice is particularly effective if you have organized similar projects in the past, and the encouraging news is that it can be highly persuasive. Here are essential data points to incorporate into your pitch materials:
- Total Cards Sold, Total Attendees, Conversion Rate from Visit to Purchase, and Geographic Coverage.
- The current count of active community members, including those engaged via social media or email subscriptions.
- An assessment of potential audiences, encompassing both online and offline channels.
Any pertinent event key performance indicators (KPIs) will be valuable. Presenting such data will significantly bolster the confidence of potential sponsors in the success of your project.
6. Identify the Most Appropriate Point of Contact
Sponsorship decisions within organizations typically involve a select group of key decision-makers. To navigate the varied job titles and hierarchies across different companies, it’s advisable to keep these fundamental principles in mind:
- Steer Clear of the Obvious Titles. In your quest to find the right contacts, it’s essential to position yourself strategically. Recognize that sponsorship managers are often inundated with numerous offers. While others may be following the beaten path, consider exploring less conventional options.
- Engage with the Brand Team. Brand managers, who concentrate on shaping a company’s public image, can be your most valuable allies. They understand the significant benefits of event sponsorship and should be a top priority when initiating contact.
- For Smaller Companies, Follow the Budget. In smaller organizations, individuals responsible for managing national or regional budgets may hold the authority over sponsorship funds. They are worth considering as key contacts.
- Leverage Your Existing Network. Don’t overlook the potential of turning your current business relationships into sponsorship opportunities. Start by reaching out to those in your network who are already engaged in conversations with you.
In essence, the individuals best suited to explore potential sponsorships are those offering the highest return on your time investment.
Investigating less conspicuous job titles and tapping into your existing network can prove to be highly fruitful avenues for establishing direct connections.
7. Nurture Ongoing Partnerships Proactively
Don’t discard your sponsors once the event concludes. Seek their feedback, express your gratitude, and keep them engaged to cultivate their interest in supporting your future projects.
Bear in mind that the magic lies in the details; sending a one-size-fits-all thank-you letter is not advisable. Invest the effort to tailor your expressions of appreciation!
If you’re prepared with the necessary funds to begin, gather additional insights from the Strategies For Kickstarter Promotion!
