Finding a travel sponsor for your event, travel blog, or adventures is an essential part of achieving success in your field. This comprehensive guide will show you how to get sponsorship for events or travel.
Developing partnerships and relationships with travel sponsors has proven to be valuable not only for past adventures but also for future travels.
Table of Contents
1. Define Your Goals
Having a unique angle will greatly enhance your chances of securing sponsorship.
Businesses are often hesitant to sponsor a general travel blog. You need to distinguish yourself from others. For instance, participating in the Mongol Rally provided an extraordinary adventure and attracted numerous readers and sponsors. Driving a significant portion of the way around the world certainly sets you apart in the vast landscape of travel bloggers. Moreover, collaborating with other bloggers resulted in greater exposure through combined audiences.
Mongol Rally Sponsors
Other successful travel bloggers in sponsorship, such as The Professional Hobo, Go See Write, and Nomadic Chick, have secured substantial sponsorship for unique expeditions. Their adventures, such as the Ultimate Train Challenge and European Train circumnavigation, attracted significant attention from sponsors.
2. Have an Attractive Package
Your sponsorship package is crucial for successfully obtaining sponsorship.
Be clear about the value you can provide in return for sponsorship. Initially, we focused on creating a compelling package for the Mongol Rally. We compiled our statistics into a concise PDF that detailed our journey, what we would offer sponsors, and how their brand would be showcased.
We created three sponsorship tiers.
This approach not only provides value to smaller companies but also encourages larger corporations to invest more. When a sponsor contributes financially alongside product sponsorship, they receive added visibility in our content, merchandise, and promotional materials.
3. Be Clear on Exposure
1. Clearly specify how many posts, tweets, and Facebook shares each sponsor will receive.
2. Communicate your expectations clearly. Provide exact details on what you require from your potential sponsor to avoid confusion.
4. How to Find Travel Sponsors
5. Approach Companies in Your Niche
As travel bloggers, we focused on reaching out to travel companies and those related to adventure. The Mongol Rally opened doors to sponsors outside traditional travel businesses, allowing us to engage with cellphone, satellite, GPS, and audio companies, in addition to our essential car rental partner, AllWAysRentals, based in Christchurch, New Zealand.
6. Involve a Charity
Giving back to communities while traveling is rewarding, and integrating a charitable aspect into your sponsorship can attract interest. Many companies support charities, making it advantageous to approach preferred sponsors with proposals that highlight charitable contributions in exchange for premium visibility.
Intrepid Travel generously contributed towards our carbon offsets for the journey.
7. Start Early
The sooner you initiate sponsorship discussions, the better your chances of success.
In hindsight, we started too late for the Mongol Rally, ideally, one should pursue a primary sponsor at least a year in advance for optimal results. Approaching potential sponsors earlier in the year would allow companies to allocate budget effectively.
8. Just Ask
One valuable lesson came from Andy Hayes, who advised, “Have you ever thought to ask?” This simple inquiry can open doors. Many fear rejection, but overcoming that fear often leads to opportunities. Expect some no’s but be prepared for encouraging responses too.
9. Fulfill Your Commitments
Ensure you can deliver on your promises. During our travels in regions with limited communication, we adapted to meet our sponsors’ expectations. By leveraging social media management resources, we maintained our commitments and scheduled important updates in advance, ensuring our sponsors received the needed visibility.
10. Follow Up
Keep records of the exposure provided to sponsors. Document your interactions and results, including analytics from social shares and engagement. After completing your project, share your findings with sponsors. Good follow-ups strengthen relationships and set the stage for future collaborations.
Travel Planning Resources
Looking to plan your next adventure? Utilize trusted travel resources carefully curated for your needs.
Find Flights: Begin your travel journey with Skyscanner, renowned for excellent flight deals.
Book Accommodations: Secure the best hotel prices on Booking.com or TripAdvisor.
Apartment Rentals: Access competitive rates for apartment rentals through VRBO.
Travel Insurance: Ensure your safety with recommended plans:
- Safety Wing – Best for occasional travelers.
- Medjet – Global air medical transport and travel security.
Book Experiences: For guided tours and activities, consider Get Your Guide.
For additional planning support, explore our Resources Page for trusted companies worth considering during your travels.
