Get Ready for the Season Part III – Get Those Sponsors
Even though you’ve survived the past few seasons without sponsors, but in this economy, it’s time to start locking down those boxes of free product. Right now is the perfect time to hit up companies, as most TM’s are just sitting around bored waiting for the snow to fly. Once they start traveling for the season, you’ll have a much more difficult time getting them to pay attention to you. These days, there are several websites dedicated to getting you sponsored, but they are all bullshit. Rather, follow our foolproof five-step plan, which will guarantee you at least new board this season!
Step 1: Make yourself a Facebook fan page
Any brand that has been paying attention knows — it’s all about your Facebook fans. They say each fan is worth something like $3, so the more fans you have, the more dollar signs a company will see next to your name. It’s imperative that you suggest everyone be fans of yourself before you even begin the rest of the process. Once you have fans numbering in the double digits, some serious stunts in your video section, and a few candid lifestyle shots to show your great personality, you’re ready to move on.
Step 2: Send your Sponsor me video to YoBeat
It’s important to show potential sponsors you can get coverage in places other than Vimeo, Youtube and Facebook. Since you’ve already created an amazing sponsor me video for your Facebook page, send it to YoBeat and ask really nicely for us to post it. If we post it, then it’s likely everyone else will too, and it will make the next step that much easier!
Step 3: Send out your resume to all the cool companies.
Pick your top 5 dream sponsors and really concentrate on those. There is no reason to dilute your efforts by contacting brands whose stuff you’d only use cause it’s free. You only need to draft one letter, but remember to change out the names to the appropriate one! You don’t want to email Kevin at K2 and start with “Hey Java!” Those guys totally talk.
Step 4: Lower your standards
When you don’t hear back from your dream companies, maybe you will have to stoop to a strange fringe company with lower standards. They’ll be so excited you’ve even heard of them, they’ll pick you up in a second, right?
Step 5: Buy a board
If, after a few months of self promotion, you have not received a single response, maybe your swivels aren’t up to snuff. Head out to your local shop and purchase the newest, hottest gear with your parents’ hard earned money. That way, you can at least pretend you’re actually sponsored to your friends.
few shots at the beginning were weak, but overall video was sick!
never ever start a letter with hey java, its just an open invitation for him to ask your for something
Hey Gray you have the best sponsor in the world, 720 boardshop! Who else is gonna feed you, cloth you and give you all free boards and crap Im done with or don’t want? Keep up the good work and lose those first few weak shots that Java was talkin about! Sorry I broke your window and peed on your porch I must have been drunk cause I dont remember that! Haha
love 720 TM
that kids sucks
step 6: when all else fails and your parents are too broke to buy your shit, go to nick’s and steal the boards he was supposed to review but decided hang out at jiggles instead.
#7 If you’re a girl, have sex with the team manager and/or marketing director.
#8 Be sure to go to SIA, get drunk all day and wear your sunglasses inside.
hmm… well my top 5 dream sponsors would totally be monster, red bull, rockstar, target, and taco bell. oh yeah, and ed hardy too. energy drinks and ed hardy are cool, right?
Getting sponsored by your parents is definitely the way to go! Companies are going to try and get you to do stuff like promote their gear and tell people about them. Your parents just don’t want you to smoke pot and drive drunk. Plus your mom will cook you dinner. No other team manager is going to do that for you!
Joe Booth, way to put it like a genius. My mother to this day buys my gear.
Not true Joe, I cook weekly for these kids, I provide fake ids for some of my kids, pretend I’m their father when they give their teachers my number when they get in trouble and I let my groms watch Jersey shore and talk shit about snookie and the situation!
@720boardshop
That’s great. Why don’t you sell a snowboard or something
wheres the pretzels, swivels and liquorish twists at???
where the hell is all the snow!??! thats what i want to know, Septemeber and its still hotter than the devils balls! what the hell is with this, i have to keep hiking st. mary’s for an extra month now if it keeps going this way!