How To Get Sponsored For Longboarding: Step-By-Step Guide
You love longboarding, but how long can you hold yourself up without money and opportunities? Moreover, the roadmap of professionally engaging with a sport can be soothed with sponsorships. Sponsorship will surely lengthen your longboarding career and can put it at the top of your career.
So, how to get sponsored for longboarding? The more you get noticed, the more the chance of getting sponsored increases. Join workshops, participate in competitions, and reach out to peers. Lastly, send your attractive videos while practicing longboarding to the companies offering sponsorship.
The process of getting a longboarding sponsorship is long. But where to start for getting sponsorship? To help you out, in the below section, an overall guide for getting sponsorship is added. Now, let’s skate into it!
Understanding Longboarding Sponsorships
You must be already aware of what sponsorship is. But what about longboarding sponsorship? Well, the longboarding sponsorship is different as it depends on the exposure of the competition and localities.
In order to understand the longboarding sponsorship and its benefits, follow the below section.
What Are Longboarding Sponsorships?
Generally, sponsorship means taking a person or a team into account and paying for their necessary items. But in exchange, the players have to promote the company or their product. In the case of longboarding sponsorships, the company or local shops can provide facilities to the individual or to a team.
They may offer you free merchandise, gear, and products. Meanwhile, you or the team of longboarders will promote the company or shops wherever possible.
You would need to post for the product and make people convinced that you are the user of the product.
Thus, influencing the people will get you into bigger sponsorships. Here, the bigger sponsorship comes with bigger responsibilities. Furthermore, you might need to shoot for the company and post pictures of the product occasionally.
Ultimately, the sponsors will fulfill the necessity, while you will have to benefit the sponsors similarly.
The Benefits Of Sponsorship
Sponsorship is not only about getting free gear and merchandise. It’s also about getting exposure. Surviving in the professional world is not easy if you have no name. You would need exposure, connections, and win competitions.
Otherwise, in the long run, carrying your personal cost and living expenses would become tough. In the end, you might need to leave your beloved sport and focus on earning.
Sponsorship will get you a place in the professional longboarder space. This will not only benefit the longboarder in getting financial benefits but also getting more followers.
Thus, as a professional longboarder, one can successfully have a job promoting longboarding with financial stability.
Building Your Longboarding Skillset
Getting sponsorship is not an easy task. You have to showcase your skills, which is the sole reason for getting sponsorship. To know more about the basics of sponsorship and its foundation, follow the rest.
The Foundation Of Sponsorship
Showcasing the potential skill and performance is the foundation of getting sponsorship. There are plenty of competitors in the longboarding field. Now, what makes you different?
What is your unique style? You would need to make your own unique moves and style to impress the sponsors.
Apart from that, longboarding is a sport of balance and speed. Maintaining skilled performance and balance with adventurous speed will get the eye of the people.
Nevertheless, improving the skills to get a place in the eye of the sponsors is definitely a must-have.
Types Of Sponsorships
Sponsorship will give you benefits, but to what extent? There are several types of sponsorship depending on the facilities they give. Let’s take a look at them.
❖ Shop Sponsorship
Local shops generally keep an eye on the local competitions and longboarders. Afterward, they reach the longboarder and offer sponsorship.
The sponsored player can get merchandise, gear, and equipment at a reduced cost. Conditionally, the player has to promote the shop at local events and social media platforms.
❖ Flow Sponsorship
Flow sponsorship gives exposure to an individual player in the longboarding community. This sponsorship provides free merchandise to the player and offers opportunities in the long run.
Similarly to shop sponsorship, flow sponsorship is not for free. Promoting the company should be prioritized by the player.
❖ Amateur Sponsorship
While stepping on the route of becoming a pro longboarder, amateur sponsorship can be a milestone.
It includes providing exposure to the player by making them a brand and face of the company. The player would get free travel and living costs while promoting the company everywhere.
❖ Professional Sponsorship
Finally, when you are no longer a newcomer and become a successful pro skater, you might get professional sponsorships. You would become the face of the company, and your name would carry the value of the brand.
Your work activities will now be connected to the company. Moreover, you would become a contracted employee of the company. At the same time, the company will cover the living costs, travel costs, health care, and cost of the merchandise.
You might also need to participate in the product and logo development projects. Your participation will help to promote the brands to your followers. Moreover, you might get paid for selling the products.
Overall, professional sponsorship can give one a lavish life that a player would desire.
Preparing Your Sponsorship Portfolio
Though most companies choose players through street hunting, your portfolio can still have a chance. Building an eye-catching portfolio will bring attention to you. Well, the below section will provide you with an idea of making a good portfolio and video for getting sponsored.
Creating An Impressive Rider Resume
Though words would not attract the sponsors, a resume will give them a brief idea about yourself. The resume does not have to be exaggerated. Keep it simple. Highlight your experience, tricks, events, and achievements in the resume.
Attach a letter with the resume and emphasize why you are the best candidate for their sponsorship. Do not go with a “pick me” letter. Rather, make it interesting. The letter should reflect your cheerful personality.
Also, while mailing the company, make the mail seem amusing and fun. Otherwise, the company will consider it as the average mail sent by longboarders as usual and might ignore it.
Compiling A Video Portfolio
No one would know how good you are in a sport unless they witnessed you playing. Similarly, to get sponsorship, you should showcase your talent. Making videos of longboarding can get some attention from people.
Moreover, video attracts the sponsors the most. Sometimes, companies search for sponsoring the longboarders. When they ask for a resume, attaching a video would be more helpful.
Through the video, they can learn about your potential, which might not be visible in the resume. Words would not be able to describe the skills as much as a video can.
Below there are a few suggestions that can help you to make a good video.
- Try recording marvelous stunts by you.
- Cool stunts but not risky ones.
- New tricks are always welcomed.
- Try revealing unique ideas that would make you different from your fellow longboarders.
- Show a cheerful and fun-loving personality.
- Unique style, in combination with an attractive personality, gets the most attention.
- Do a great edit and make it seem professional.
Identifying Potential Sponsors
It’s not only hard to find sponsors but also hard to find the right one who will provide benefits to you. If you are going into a contract, you have to be cautious before signing it. You have to be wise while attaching to a company. Some helpful guidance to find potential sponsors is added below to help you out.
Researching Brands And Companies
In order to reach the sponsors, you need to identify the right brands and companies. Reaching out randomly would not do you any good. Thousands of people will send the same message with “sponsor me,” and you would go unnoticed if you have no name.
Only people with skill and unavoidable charms will get the attention. Let’s check the below steps that can help you to search potential brands and companies.
❖ Through The Help Of Piers
The easiest way of searching for brands is through the piers. Your good communication will draw people towards you. The piers and pro longboarders can suggest the best and show you the path.
Connecting with peers and teammates would lead you to potential companies and leave you with some good advice.
❖ Search For Sponsorship Posts
Though companies search for longboarders by themselves, some might make posts to attract the longboarders. Keep your eyes open and search on the company’s website, and always keep track.
❖ Search The Interest Of The Companies
Companies will try to hire people who share the same values as the company. Moreover, they will look for people who exhibit incredible performance.
Apart from advancing the skills, research through the products of the company. What they want, what products they will endorse, what they need from the longboarder and previous experience of the sponsored longboarders.
Thus, you can get information about the company and know if the sponsorship will benefit you or not.
Local And Grassroots Opportunities
Try to communicate with local shops and companies to arrange sponsorship for the longboarding. Well, local shops will love to sponsor the local competitions. So, reaching them would help individuals and the team to get sponsored.
Participate in events, competitions, and community services so that people can notice you more. Winning competitions will help you to get more attention. Being part of the events would help you to reach more people. Thus, helps in communication and in getting sponsorship.
Try to communicate and send emails to those who provide opportunities locally. Expand your communication. Research the companies very carefully and approach them with good videos.
Crafting Your Sponsorship Pitch
If you can not show your potential to the sponsors, there is no chance of getting picked. So, focus on your potential and skills. Well, the below section will help you with building a good pitch and communication with the potential sponsors.
Tailoring Your Pitch
Do not think of copying the same email and sending it to all the sponsors. Probably, they are already getting thousands of similar emails. Instead, make the emails seem like you have been a regular consumer of the product. And you would love to be a part of the company.
Reach the companies according to the products they produce. You must have already made a list of companies and what products they offer. Now, do some research on the product and try to incorporate the product into the video.
Next, communicate with them by showing how relatable your intentions are with them. This will highlight how interested you are in the company. But remember, everything will go in vain if your skills do not impress others.
Articulating Your Value
After knowing what products the company and shops offer, you can move forward with the depth of discussion. Well, any company will sponsor a person who will offer them profit.
As a longboarder, what can you offer the sponsors? What’s your specialty? Is that even relevant to the company? Now, focus on these small details. For sponsorship pitches, you have to highlight the above points.
Know your value and what you are able to offer. Most importantly, learn if you will benefit from the sponsorship or not. However, the sponsors will also focus on whether you are perfect for their brand promotion or not.
So, prove them by showing your irresistible personality. Also, include the details of how you will promote them. Moreover, how many people can you reach?
Because the sponsors want their product to be reached to the people by you. So, estimating the percentage of people you can reach will give them an idea of whether you are a good sponsorship choice.
Networking and Engagement
Communication with the longboarders community contributes highly to getting sponsorships. There are several ways of connecting with the people in the industry. Let’s get into the details of the communication process.
Building Connections In The Longboarding Community
Networking is one of the most effective ways of getting sponsored. The more exposure you get, the better it is for getting sponsored. Engaging with people in the longboarding community paves the way for communication.
Connecting with the community and participating in races and events appears to be more efficient in attracting sponsors. Most of the people get sponsored due to their exposure and known faces and skills.
In the meantime, playing on the team can also bring attention that attracts the sponsors. Try being in a team and engaging in more events to show your skills. Remember, attracting sponsors would get you to a good place.
Social Media Presence
In recent days, social media has been the strongest platform to connect with people. Nowadays, social media can pull up anyone. Moreover, the popularity you gain through social media can get you real benefits.
Meanwhile, popularity can bring you some good attention. Now, let’s follow the below ways to boost your presence on social media.
❖ Post Videos Online
Try posting new videos of your stunts and attract people. Edit the videos in the best possible way with recent trends. Eventually, it will grab the attention of the sponsors.
❖ Support Fellow Longboarders
Show support to your fellow longboarders on the social media platform. Appreciate their work and skills without sugarcoating. This will help you to gain support from people from different places.
❖ Join In Discussions
Participate in online discussions. Provide advice on improving and making new skills. Appear like a pro and longboard enthusiast.
❖ Keep Up Connecting
Connect to the people as much as you can. Follow people from the longboarding community and reach out to them. Learn their experiences and share a good bond.
The Sponsorship Process
After getting chosen by the sponsors, the route becomes more difficult. Now, you have to negotiate and ask for your facilities. This is an important step in the whole sponsorship process. The below section will give you an idea of the after challenges of sponsorships.
Negotiating And Contracting
After you crack a sponsorship deal, the next phase is negotiating. It’s the most crucial phase if you are signing a contract. Always go through the contract. Check out the benefits of the company, regulations, penalties, and requirements.
You should be fully aware of the details of the contract. Will they allow you to work with others? What are termination conditions? What will be your contribution to the company?
After going through the terms and conditions, do not hesitate to put your opinion. Anything that might seem like a danger to you changes it. Try negotiating with them and grab some more opportunities. You have to convince them that those opportunities will help them as well.
Ultimately, you are becoming a part of them. Anything good to you will bring them good.
Fulfilling Sponsorship Obligations
Once a company sponsors you, you become a part of that company. You represent the company and become their face. That’s why many companies will always walk on the safe route.
Because any bad thing you do can bring damage to the company. No business wants to go through loss. They will try their best to minimize the loss. So they will not even hesitate to cut one off.
Being obliged to their rules and needs should be prioritized to keep the sponsorship going. Also, be aware of the requirements they put on the contract and fulfill the conditions.
Real-Life Success Stories
In order to initiate an approach to the sponsors, you might need some advice and motivation. Well, the most suggested point of the sponsored longboarders is to “get noticed.” They all seem to share the same experience of getting noticed and being well-known.
One of the longboarders added that the gist of getting picked is the good edit and reaching out to the potential sponsors. Now, you know a good edit while showing off skills definitely catches attention.
However, another sponsored player added doing carves would get the most attention from the sponsors. Carves are difficult at the start, but practicing would help one make good turns.
Some more have added crazy social media presence influences getting the sponsorship. As discussed above, grabbing attention is a way of getting sponsored. Here, no other way is better than social media to become known.
Conclusion
Overall, how to get sponsored for longboarding- goes a long way. You need patience and continuity in trying to approach the sponsors. Be the center of attention by showing your potential.
Don’t lose hope if the attempt does not work. It might take time, but your potential will take you up to your desired peak.
