If you have found your way to this blog, you probably know that here at OpenSponsorship - we are super passionate about connecting brands with professional athletes through sponsorship. Sports sponsorship is essentially a powerful form of marketing whereby brands can leverage the power, reach, influence, and appeal of sports properties to drive their marketing goals and objectives, while running fun successful campaigns.
Where we see brands having the most success in terms of ROI and overall experience is when they work with the right athlete for their unique brand and marketing objectives. Who is the right athlete for your brand, and what factors should you be thinking about when making your athlete choices? Here are 3 key considerations for brands to be successful in sponsoring professional athletes.
Clearly Define Your Marketing Objectives Upfront
The phrase don’t put the cart before the horse dates back to the 1500’s. Now, while we have upgraded from horse and buggy to nearly driver-less cars, the phrase still holds water when thinking about sports sponsorship.
Before thinking about who the right athlete is for your brand, we suggest clearly defining your marketing goals at the onset, and letting this be your driving compass when considering professional athletes. In fact, by doing this simple step, you give yourself a 429% greater chance of reporting successful campaigns.
The Stronger the Content, the Better the Results
When considering which athlete to work with, we suggest brands look through an athlete’s social feed and review their prior content. No one knows your customer as well as you, so comparing the athletes prior content to your company’s buyer persona will set you up for success. By creating high-quality, personality-infused content, you’re more likely to engage with your targeted demographic, thereby leading to better results.
Some brands like to review or approve an athlete’s post prior to go-live, while some prefer to just ideate with the athlete and afford them more creative freedom. We have seen brands successfully utilize both strategies, with the common theme being prioritizing athletes who produce strong content that engages their core audience.
Measure ROI: Wash, Rinse, Repeat:
At the end of the day, the right athlete for your brand is the one that brings you measurable, quantifiable results at the best possible price. For any athlete influencer marketing campaign, you should be considering several key metrics including:
- CPE (cost per engagement) on each social media post
- New followers acquired for your brands social media page
- Increased activity created around your brand
- Demographic change for your brands social media platforms
Where to Find the Right Athletes to Sponsor?
At OpenSponsorship, we won’t stop until your brand is working with the perfect athlete for your marketing strategy. Want to get started today? Request a demo, and once you do, our team will not only show you the infinite athletes you can access, but get you started on your first campaign.