3 Ways to use social media to attract EVENT sponsors

Is your company hosting an event? Are you looking for sponsors and aren’t sure how to use social media to connect with the right people? We have your back.

Here are 3 Ways to use social media to attract sponsors [with examples of posts you can totally use]:

1. Share their content

Say you’re hosting an event centered on diversity hiring. There are a ton of vendors out there that tout their skills in this arena. Find organizations that use their tech for this and take a look at their resources. 

• Do they have blogs about hiring for diversity?
• Are there webinars that their people have been featured on that talk about diversity?
• Are there infographics showcasing how their tech can be used to foster better diversity initiatives?

Find the resources and the content and share it! Tag the company in the post and talk about why you think the resource is so great. It doesn’t have to be a novel. Keep it simple:

“Really enjoyed this blog from [@company name] about diversity and their efforts to increase awareness in the field.”

“This infographic from [@company name] gives great insights on how to build a diversity initiative within your organization.”

“Wow. [@company name] is really doing the work when it comes to diversity hiring. Their [insert tool] is aimed at helping employers remove bias from the hiring process.”

Those kinds of posts work across the board on all platforms. Make sure you’re tagging the right company though. On LinkedIn once the company name appears and you click on it the @ will disappear and you’ll see the company name in bold. That means you did it right. The only platforms you’ll continue to see the @ are Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. On LinkedIn and Facebook the @ falls off after you’ve selected the person or company you’re tagging.

It’s important to remember that a lot of content centered around a topic doesn’t mean their company actually does what they claim. So spend the time doing the research before you start sharing their content. The goal in finding sponsors isn’t just about money [even though that’s a big factor]. It’s about making sure that the recognition that comes with the sponsorship aligns with your efforts. You wouldn’t pitch a sponsorship package to Unwoke HR for a diversity sponsorship - would you?

2. Connect with people that work there

Most people have some form of a social media presence these days. Whether it’s highly active or maybe they’re just a silent observer - people are out there. LinkedIn is a great way to find and connect with people at organizations. [How many people just read that and said, “Duh.”] Well for those that might not know - you simply find the company page on LinkedIn and click the link that will take you to the list of the employees that work there. 

Some companies have positions with diversity in the title. Those would be the best people to target if you’re hosting a diversity focused event. If you don’t see that as an option then look for the people in charge of growth or content. Those people are the ones behind the scenes making sure that the resources are focused on the company’s mission. 

Make a connection with a simple LinkedIn connection request or follow them on Twitter if you see they have a handle. Not everyone is quick to accept a Facebook request outside of their personal circle but if you want to give it a shot have at it.

Then, check out their feed and the content that they follow and share so that you can find a commonality to engage with. A simple message like, “Hey I saw your post about [topic] and I really enjoyed it. I’d love to connect with you,” could go a long way.

If LinkedIn isn’t your forte, Twitter is a great place to find and connect with people. It’s a little more laid back than LinkedIn [for the most part] and it’s a great place to showcase your personality.

Don’t overthink your strategy when it comes to engaging on Twitter. Did their marketing person post something funny? Like the tweet and comment with a gif or a simple ‘LOL’. Little engagements can go a long way. The key is that you’re actively engaging.

Search relevant hashtags too. If the company you want as a sponsor is all about diversity see what hashtags are being used. Type the hashtag into the search box and let Twitter auto fill the rest. That way you can tag the company in the post and use a popular hashtag to gain more traction.

















3. Ask them to sponsor

Seems easy enough, right?

You’ve studied and shared the content and found the people to connect with. Now it’s time for the big ask. If you’ve made yourself comfortable enough to ask on social media start there then transition over to email to make things more formal. 

Tweet options:

“Hey [@company name] who should I talk to about sponsoring our upcoming event? We really want to work w/ diversity leaders.”

“[@company name] what’s the best email for me to send some info about sponsorship options for our upcoming event about hiring for diversity?”

If there’s a particular person you can tag that might help get the ball rolling go for it.

“Hey [@name] I’m going to DM you about an upcoming event we’re hosting to see if that’s something [@company name] would be interested in.”

LinkedIn or Facebook options:

“We are really excited about our upcoming event that will help organizations implement strategic diversity initiatives. It’s not just about checking boxes anymore. We’d love it if your company would sign up as a sponsor to help us spread the word about such an important topic and make our event something that can actually help employers change lives. You can contact [insert person/email/website] for more information or feel free to message me directly and I’d be happy to talk to you about it.”

“We’re looking for companies that do great work to help us by sponsoring our upcoming event. Now more than ever diversity initiatives need to be implemented into organizations and we’re calling on the best in the business to help us education employers and recruiters on the best practices that really make a difference.”

It’s a good idea to talk about WHY their sponsorship matters in the post. What’s the point of hosting an event if there isn’t a goal. Career fairs help people find jobs. Diversity events help educate organizations and change lives for the better. If you’re not sure what the goal of your event is then maybe rethink why you’re hosting it in the first place.

“Calling all diversity tech vendors. Your company claims to have the best tech to help in diversity hiring and recruiting. Ready to put your money where you mouth is and really help companies change lives?”

That one is a little edgy but hey sometimes edgy works.

Look, we get it. Fear is a big factor in what holds people back when it comes to asking for sponsorships. No one wants to be told no. No one wants to feel rejected. Remind yourself that in these scenarios the worst thing that can happen is nothing.

If you’re not confident in your social strategy let us know. We offer affordable options in our partner packages where we’ll take over your social for you or check out our basic content promo where we’ll give you posts for Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter along with graphics so you can just plug them in and post away.

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