How to Find Sponsorship Opportunities
Knowing how to find sponsorship opportunities is important for every professional athlete. According to Forbes, sponsorship makes up 47% of the total income for the top 15 athletes in the world, and for some lesser known athletes sponsorship can make up to 80% of total income. Figuring out how to find sponsorship opportunities is thus very very important.
We all know that athletes such as LeBron James and Serena Williams do not have a problem in finding sponsorship opportunities, but what about the non top 1%? Let's go down the checklist of things you may have tried:
- A website with contact details
- Social media channels to engage with a fanbase
- A powerpoint presentation on why you are worth sponsoring
- An agent who has found you a few deals
- Cold calling or emailing the top brands such as Nike
OpenSponsorship
Well, we have a better solution. Think about if you wanted to find a job, you wouldn't do the above points, you would go straight to Monster.com or if looking for a house you would go to zillow.com.
Seeing these industries become so efficient we decided it was time to do the same for ours, hence why we started OpenSponsorship, the largest two sided marketplace for sports sponsorship connecting brands directly to athletes, teams and events.
At OpenSponsorship we have you fill out your basic information such as your name, age, and gender. In addition we have you fill out:
- What sport(s) you play
- Location
- Your interests (pets, family, technology, etc)
- Social media followers on various platforms
- What kind of deals you would be willing to do (social media posts, appearances, photo shoots, etc)
By taking in all of this information, we pair you up with brands that fit your interests. If you are a pet lover, we will put you in contact with a pet brand looking to promote their product. If you're into the latest technology, workout equipment, or clothing, we will put you in touch with the right contact.
Additionally, our brands offer various types of sponsorship deals. Brands can ask you to post about them on social media, grant you free product to use and give a testimonial for, have you come in for a photoshoot, or even have you as their brand ambassador. The range of sponsorship opportunities are endless on OpenSponsorship.
Signing Up as an Athlete
As an athlete, the process is simple. Here is a quick step-by-step guide of how to sign up:
- Go to OpenSponsorship
- Click the sign up button and select “I am an Athlete, Team or Event”
- Create your account and fill in your profile
- Once you have finished creating your profile, click on the “campaigns” tab to see a list of all of the sponsorship opportunities available
In conclusion, we have found a way to make sponsorship available to all athletes. There’s no need to search up how to find sponsorship opportunities anymore.
Make sure to like our Facebook page. In addition, make sure to like our OpenSponsorship athlete community group for tips and pointers on how to best market yourself.