Lessons from Alt: Building Relationships with Ad Networks and Sponsors
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 7:33AM ;)
You guys seemed to enjoy last weekend’s homework assignment, so I decided to give you more this weekend.
Here are some of my key takeaways from the wonderful women who presented the Building Relationships with Ad Networks and Sponsors panel.
* Ask for what you want.
* Figure out which type of sponsors match your brand and find them. What are your top 10 dream brands? What brands are related to them?
“This is your brand land!” Sponsors should only be “adding to your awesomeness.” - Erin Loechner (I love her!)
* Create a clean design for your blog and run ads that complement it.
* Be cognizant of your mobile presence. What does your site look like on iPad, iPhone, etc.? How many of your site visitors are using mobile devices to read your blog?
When thinking about how to work with brands or sponsors:
* Go outside the box. The more outlandish your proposal, the better. You will stand out and people will want to see what you do.
* Make your proposals personal. Why do you love that brand? Why are they a perfect fit?
* Let sponsors know how you’re different/special.
* While your proposals should fit with your brand as well as your sponsor’s, it’s important to find out the sponsor’s business goals and solve their problems. Develop ideas that match their plans.
* If you have lower readership numbers on your own, consider partnering with a group of bloggers to approach larger brands.
* Be sure to define your mutual objectives when you’re negotiating with a brand. Clearly lay out what the sponsor will get from you (e.g., 5 tweets, 3 sponsored posts in x amount of time).
Questions to ask ad networks:
* What brands do you work with?
* Do you have ad channels - food, family, fashion, etc.?
* What do your ads look like? Can I see some examples?
Thank you so much Erin Loechner (who was just as sweet and charming as I imagined she would be), Danielle Wiley, Meg Keene, and Sarah Stringfellow!
What do you guys think about these tips? Do you have any of your own that you’d like to share?
Photos: Taken by me, featuring a few decorations, sponsors, and attendees of the Alt Summit mini-parties, including UPPERCASE, Squarespace, The Girls With Glasses, Pinhole Press, Kirtsy, HP, Emily Henderson, and HGTV.
alt, blogging, design, lessons from alt, photography, technology 
Reader Comments (5)
This was super helpful as I begin to even think about this. Here's the thing though - doesn't it boil down to numbers? Is there a "magic" number that allows you to even consider approaching a potential sponsor? Thanks!
Hi Thanks for this recap. I Loved all the panels from ALT but this was an incredible panel and your key points are right on the *money* ;-)
Thanks for sharing.
xo Jennifer
Sheri - Magic numbers weren't mentioned. In fact, I heard over and over again that having a "small" blog (whatever that means) with an engaged audience can be just as valuable to sponsors as a large following who might be less engaged. Also, things like activity/followers on social media is a part of it too.
Hi Jennifer! Good to "see" you again. :) I miss Alt.
I was in the same session and totally missed the suggestion to team up with a group of bloggers to approach a brand. So glad you wrote that down. Who can we approach together??
I'm not sure yet, Brianne, but it's on my big to-do list!