Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Any business that sponsors your band will want an audience that needs to use said business. Determine the purchasing habits and overall needs of someone who would come to hear your music and approach companies that would benefit from the exposure.

What type of music do you play?
Who are your fans?
How many fans do you have?
How do you connect with your fans?
How do your fans interact?

These are questions that any potential sponsor will ask, to determine if you have the right audience for their message, and if there's enough of an audience to make sponsorship a reasonable part of their marketing plan.

So what's in it for a company to become a sponsor? What's the benefit for them? And what's that worth to them? Why is sponsorship a more effective tool for them than more traditional media?

You need to think of this from THEIR point of view. That's how they'll think of it.

Check with band members and fans as to what products and/or services they purchase/use. Then go to individual companies with numbers--how many potential and/or existing customers/clients will their sponsorship likely be exposed to? It's all about the $$--return on their investment in sponsoring your band.

Best of luck!

You need to target companies who want to reach 30-40 year olds who like your music. What is a trait of your audience that's attractive to sponsors?

This is a very mobile audience, so start by looking at companies who appeal to this group. The possibilities are mobile phone companies, soft drink and alcoholic beverage manufacturers, gaming programmers, etc.

The sponsor wants a return for their money, and without some hard evidence about your popularity and audience size, they won't spend the money.

You say your audience communicates by email and text - I'm not talking about how they communicate between themselves personally, but how they communicate as part of your "tribe." If you don't have a social media presence, you need to build one, so they can interact with each other there. This gives your potential sponsors some idea as to the reach, power, and popularity of your band.