Working with sponsors 101

By Elizabeth, Delightfully Tacky

When to start taking on sponsors

Working with sponsors has become a huge part of blogging for some bloggers, and for those of you just starting out, it'd definitely something you'll want to think long and hard about. Some people are adamant about keeping their blogs ad-free, while others are gung-ho about taking on sponsors. It's a personal preference and people will likely criticize you for taking either route, so just be sure of your decision when it comes to accepting sponsors. Make sure to only accept sponsors that you are passionate about! You don't want to have a beauty blog and promote barstools on your blog! Your readers will be annoyed and confused and may not return. You want your sponsor

Before taking on sponsors you'll want to do the following:

1. Do your stats research: You'll need to figure out your stats! You can sign up for Google Analytics or if you use Blogger, you can track your stats through the stats tab.

What will you want to know? Monthly/daily page views, daily unique visitors and how many readers/subscribers/followers you have. Jot these down.. you'll need them soon.

2. Figure out sizes: What size ads do you want on your blog? Make sure the width will fit perfectly into your right sidebar, you'll want all of your sizes have the same width. Then you can decide if you're going to offer more than one size of ad. I have three sizes: large, small and mini. It's nice to create multiple ad sizes at different price points, that way people who run smaller shops and aren't yet able to afford a larger size ad can still get the exposure of having their ad on your blog!

3. Create a sponsor page or post: You'll need to create a place where you can put down your sponsorship details, ad sizes and stats so potential sponsors can check them out. You can link to it on your blog so that companies can easily find information if they want to sponsor you, plus I always link to that page in my sponsor call posts.

4. Create a spreadsheet or notebook: You'll need a way to track sponsors! It's key to organization. This is the hardest part for me. I just recently switched over to using spreadsheets to track sponsors, and I think it'll me much easier than my previous method of writing it by hand in a little notebook! You'll need to make sure you remember the name of the person you're working with, what size they ordered, how much they paid, and when their ad starts and stops! You'll also want to keep track of which sponsors you need to do outfit feature posts for, giveaways, and discount codes. You want to make sure your sponsors are getting what they paid for!

Sponsor calls

Sponsor calls are a good idea because it gives you an opportunity to alert potential sponsors to the fact that you're accepting sponsors, but you aren't pestering shops to come sponsor you. It's a neutral post that simply tells people that you're accepting sponsors and gives them a little bit more information and then can direct them to a page where you have more information about rates/stats/options and more.

Sponsorships vs. Affiliate programs

While sponsorships are basically you selling ad space on your blog, affiliate programs are based off of getting a percentage of the sales you send to a company. So say during one month people click that ad on your blog and buy $2,000 worth of clothing from that company. If you make a 10% commission, you just earned yourself $200! Affiliate programs are great if you know you can make sales for that company.

Tip: If you know you might not be able to sell anything for a company but can provide clicks, go with sponsorship. If you know you are able to sell items for a company, an affiliate program might be the better option!

There are a few different affiliate programs online that different companies work through. Commission Junction, Google Affiliate Network, etc. Most affiliate networks will either cut you a check each month or send your earnings via direct deposit.

Interacting with sponsors

You always want to be professional when you're interacting with sponsors. Be courteous and timely and remember that they are paying to be able to put an ad up on your blog. Try to be organized so sponsors don't get lost in the shuffle, I'm guilty of that and I feel horrible when it happens, ack! It's hard sometimes to wear all the hats that blogging requires. You have to be webmaster, photographer, designer, writer, bookkeeper, PR specialist, and so on. Don't be too hard on yourself if something slips through the cracks. Just apologize and try to be more organized in the future! If it's totally beyond your abilities to juggle all that's required, you might think about outsourcing and having someone else be in charge of your sponsorships.

Tip: When your sponsors term is ending, follow up with them! Shoot them a quick email reminding them that their sponsorship will be expiring, ask them if they'd like to renew, maybe offer a discount as an incentive to continue? If they say no, ask why and you could learn a lot! They might say, "Because you didn't promote us enough, we didn't receive enough clicks," etc… and it can help you learn how to be a better blogger. For the next sponsorship, you might learn to do a few extra tricks!

Courtesy-of items

Once you start taking sponsors, you may start receiving items from those companies as a way for them to get even more exposure on your blog. It's a great way for them to have their product featured and increase the traffic that you send to their site. When you see "C/O" on someone's blog it means the item was received "courtesy of" that company, i.e. the company sent the blogger the item for "free" as a a gift or in trade for ad space to promote the product! You are legally required to announce that something was given to you, so make sure if you receive an item for free, you say it is "courtesy of" or given to you by the company. Honesty is always the best policy.

Payment

How do sponsors pay you? It's up to your personal discretion. If a company asks if you want to trade a month's worth of ad space for $100 worth of clothing decide for yourself if that makes sense. If you like the clothing and feel it's mutually beneficial to both of you, then go for it! If you want only cash, make sure you say that up front so that sponsors aren't confused. If you want a check instead of Paypal, be very clear. Typically, bloggers use Paypal to receive payment. It's quick, easy and you can keep track of your income. Plus, you can also transfer money from your Paypal account to your bank account, or even get a Paypal debit card. Once you receive payment from the sponsor you can add the blog to your sidebar and start promoting. Make sure to write down in your sponsor log when you put up the ad so you can note when it needs to come down by or when the sponsor needs to renew it!

And note: Don't feel bad if a sponsor stops sponsoring. Most of the time companies are trying out new bloggers constantly to try and draw a wide range of potential buyers from across the blogosphere! Don't get mad at a sponsor and call them out online, you'll ruin some great relationships and your readers might not trust your input! Be professional and courteous.

Also note that it's important to be honest when it comes to sponsors and things you receive from them. If a product is bad, say so. You need to be honest. You have a responsibility to your readers to not lead them into buying a crappy item! You don't have to be mean or snarky about it, just be honest about the quality and your disappointment.