Top 4 Ways To Get A Major Corporation To Sponsor You

By: Anjuli Mack

Most people believe that they need to be at the top of their game to get any form of sponsorship. To make matters worse, those who have already received sponsorship from businesses and companies are often hesitant to let others know how to get sponsored.

The truth is that there are actually sponsorship deals no matter if you are an amateur or a seasoned professional. Here’s how I was able to secure sponsorship from one of the most recognizable brands in the world. It all began with signing up for a gym membership.

It started with the bike and sometimes the treadmill but eventually, it grew to so much more. I was trying all the other gym equipment and before I knew it, I had fallen for lifting. I absolutely love challenging myself to become stronger, healthier and happier every day. I created my social media channels to track my progress and keep myself accountable and I was surprised to discover that a number of people started following my journey.

I saw how many people lacked a support network and needed positive messages to keep them going. This inspired me to be the one that makes them smile every now and again if not every day. I decided to create my “Fit For Life” Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels to motivate more people to find a happy balance in their lives. I chose the name “Fit For Life” because being fit is so much greater than just the physical aspect, it’s about being healthy – physically and mentally.

One thing lead to another and eventually, I found myself enjoying a healthy life with a balance of nutritious food, working out and constantly traveling whether it’s to fitness expos or to explore the world and meet new friends. In 2017, I set the goal of challenging myself mentally and physically to step on stage and compete in my first ever competition – The Bikini Diva category of the WBFF in the Gold Coast.

I learned so much about nutrition and training along the way and had many questions online about what I did to take my body to the next level. In 2018, I was noticed by none other than footwear and apparel giant Reebok, and they decided to sponsor me. I also decided to compete again in the WBFF in where I placed second. My whole shape and mindset had changed and everyone could tell. The results reflected my daily commitment and hard work ethic.

With so many people struggling with nutrition and a lot of fad diets and “quick fixes” being promoted online, I want to help inspire people to live a healthy, happy and sustainable lifestyle. A proper nutritional program combined with an exercise regime is essential to transforming. Eating well isn’t hard and it doesn’t have to be as complex as many people make it out to be. I no longer view my eating as if I am on a ‘diet’ but it’s simply a change in lifestyle.

How to get sponsored

A lot of people message me asking how to get sponsored as I work with global brands such as Reebok and EHPlabs. I think it’s time to finally share all the tips I have to allow you to maximize your chances of getting a sponsor whether it’s in the fitness, beauty, travel or any other industry.

It’s more than just having a great body and a pretty face, there are definitely other ways to get the attention from brands.

Build Your Social Media Following AND Personal Brand

I have worked for brands helping with their social media accounts and have seen many people message in wanting sponsorships but they haven’t got any followers or are even writing from a personal Instagram account. Brands are businesses so you need to think about what you can offer the brand — think big, they don’t need you to just share their brand with a few friends and your family. Ultimately the brand’s goal is to sell products to services so you need to show them that you have reach around the world or at least in the countries of interest to them. Don’t stress! With the power of social media, you CAN do this. It will require you to build your social media whilst working on your personal brand. Who are you and what do you stand for?

How to Build Your Social Media Following

Over the past few years of being active on social media, I have done a few things that I believe have lead to a loyal and interactive following. The number one thing is to BE GENUINE. Be authentically you, people will be able to tell if you aren’t as you portray online – especially when they meet you in person. Make sure that you are posting QUALITY content that adds value to others, before posting think “does this help others?” instead of “how many likes will this get?”

Other tips include always replying to comments, using relevant hashtags as well as including the location of the photo and even tagging other big pages in posts (brands, modeling, fitness and lifestyle pages).

What Sponsors Want (In My Opinion)

I think it’s SO important that you align yourself with brands that you truly believe in. Brands want people that live and breathe their lifestyle – people that share the brand’s visions and values. Characteristics that I think stand out for brands on a sponsorship level as well as in a promotional role: personality, attitude, work ethic, loyalty and knowledge of products. The ability to create content for yourself is great but it’s even better if it’s good enough for the brand to repost as it may save them the time and money creating the content themselves.

Write A List of Your Dream Sponsors

Research the brands that you love and create a list of the top 1-5 that you would like to team up with and why. Once you have worked on your social media profiles and done the above, think about what you want and what you expect from the company in terms of sponsorship. There are different types of sponsorships but in a fitness type situation, you could expect – donations (towards an activity or cause), shop sponsorship (discount or free products), amateur sponsorship (free products and competition/travel expenses) and professional sponsorship (equipment, competition expenses, and travel). Identify what you can offer the brand in return for the sponsorship so that it is a mutual relationship. Lastly? Contact them! Write them an email including who you are, why you want to team up with their brand, what you can offer them in return and anything extra that makes you stand out including all links to your social media channels.

Keep in mind that brands only sponsor a certain number of people regardless of the industry.

Not every bikini competitor will get signed just like not every model will get to work at an international level. Don’t lose hope! Stay optimistic and keep working hard.

I hope these tips help you on your journey!