Social media strategy to supercharge your sponsorship

Social media breathes life into your sponsorships. So why is it so often an afterthought for brands engaging in partnerships? This article highlights six techniques to supercharge your social media sponsorship strategy and get those creative juices flowing.

1 Behind-the-scenes content

To make the most of a partnership, sponsors must contribute to the fan’s enjoyment of the event. Fly-on-the-wall documentaries like Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing or Netflix’s Drive to Survive have shown a massive demand for behind-the-scenes content. Sponsors are uniquely positioned to share similar content on their channels.

This doesn’t have to be a full-scale production. It could be a video clip of the artist preparing to walk on stage at your sponsored concert. This is unique content fans would not otherwise see, so it engages a passionate audience.

2 Ride the rollercoaster of emotion

Social media offers brands the chance to show a human side. Sponsorship allows brands to supercharge this relatable characteristic.

What were your thoughts on the game? What was your favourite song of the night? How did you feel when she missed that shot in the last minute? These conversations occur amongst the fans, and your social post should be of that.

For the brand to be relatable and engaging amongst the fan base, it’s essential to speak from the heart. Share the good times, and don’t hide when the chips are down.

3 Competitions, prizes and more

Running competitions and giving prizes have long been an effective way to engage fans and spectators. Many brands, however, continue only to offer these benefits to existing customers through their websites.

Social media opens these competitions to an ocean of highly engaged audiences, many of whom may be interacting with your brand for the first time.

4 Get the fans involved

Another common mistake is asking fans to enter a competition by filling in a form of some sort. This may help increase visits to the sponsor’s website and create new business leads. However, to enter a competition, why not ask fans to upload and share their own images directly to social media while tagging your brand in the process?

This technique results in higher levels of engagement and creates more brand impressions amongst a fan’s personal following.

5 Reach out to new audiences

One of the most common reasons for engaging in sponsorship is to reach new audiences. Certain audience demographics, such as Gen Z, are more challenging to reach than others. Sponsorship gives brands a genuine reason to connect with hard-to-reach audiences. Social media provides a powerful platform to do so.

Another way to reach elusive audiences is with a brand ambassador; if this is a route you are considering, check out our Brand ambassador checklist.

6 Create a direct link to sales

Traditional sponsorships utilising perimeter boards are great for increasing brand awareness. They also can significantly impact the various forms of memory amongst fans. See our article here: Have you forgotten about memory?

However, the likelihood of attending an event, seeing a perimeter board, and visiting the sponsor’s website is slim. Social media sponsorship posts provide an easier journey taking fans directly from a post to the point of purchase via a link.

The most impactful campaigns involve new content shared exclusively by your brand to a highly targeted audience. Taking the time to create and plan such a campaign can be a low-cost method to supercharge your sponsorship.