I’m going to go through some quick examples of what to do and what not to do and how to potentially get your esports team sponsored. Another article I wrote has some general sponsorship guidelines in esports. Feel free to read that as well but this one will be specific to teams. OK, let’s begin!
What NOT to do to get your esports team sponsored
Don’t do any of these if you want a sponsorship in esports. It’s not to say you won’t get one but it’ll be that much harder if you do these.
Don’t give an email with no info
Telling sponsors “money now, bro” in a one liner is not going to cut it. You’re going to have to outline exactly what sponsors want to hear and it’ll take some practice. Include just the right amount of information to entice them but don’t be too long where you put them to sleep.
If you include emails like this, chances are you’re going straight to the trash bin.
Don’t misrepresent yourself
Don’t say you’re part of a pro team when you’re just starting your own team own. The esports community is small and getting blacklisted is a quick way to not work in the future. Don’t do it, it’s not worth it. Chances are, the sponsor will do their own diligence and figure it out as well.
Say how you’re the best team ever with no proof
So you say you’re the best team in the world? OK, show your results. Saying you’re going to be the best also doesn’t matter because everyone pitches that each and every day. Show proof with everything you do.
Email me from a free email
yobroswagxxoxo@gmail.com is not gonna get through a lot of filters and will more than likely be ignored by a lot of sponsors. Have an email with a custom domain that can send emails properly. Having a non free will help build trust over time as well.
Multiple spelling errors
I can’t spell well, my grammar is OK. Please don’t have 40 spelling errors in a paragraph. Get a tool to spellcheck or turn on your browser’s spell check. Sponsors get 100s of emails a day and they are going to toss it if it’s riddled with errors.
Have absolutely no web presence
A sponsor shouldn’t have to google your obscure name for 5 minutes to find out who you are. If you don’t include basic web presence items like social media, websites, who you are etc. You’re not going to get sponsored. No one is going to sponsor a phantom team with no web presence. Metrics and reach are absolutely everything and competition is fierce. Present your best self or be ready to face rejection.
What to do to get your esports team sponsored
These were some things that worked for me in my experience. I’m not a super sales guru and there’s people way better than me. However, I’ve sold my fair share of sponsorships and got my fair share of no’s to understand what can work and what won’t work.
Have a team / product that sponsors are interested in
Got a team with up and coming players? Nice. So does everyone else. Sell yourself and your team in a unique way that makes it hard for sponsors to ignore. Pitch your esports team like you’re pitching yourself. If you’re not going to believe in yourself why should anyone else?
Have a product that sponsors want
Have a solid sponsorship deck
A solid deck that you can get made professionally will go a long way. I’m not talking about a regular powerpoint slide. I’m talking about a deck in adobe indesign that can last a long time. Pinpoint spacing, logo placement, 10/10 layouts and a slick presentation will go A LONG WAY. Be ready to spend some money on a deck that you can re-use and make edits to. Make sure you learn some indesign basics otherwise it’s a bit harder.
You can also do powerpoint as well but make sure it’s a non standard template. It shouldn’t look like the default white background powerpoint slide.
Have statistics about your team
Include some stats about your team. Ie, we have 5 players, they have 50,000 followers on tiktok and twitter combined, they tweet 10x a day and get about 100,000 total impressions. With this money we expect to be able to grow 5x and get 500,000 per month in 4 months. Include stats like that and especially around how it’ll benefit the sponsor.
Bonus! Include CPA / CPM modelling if you can. Example, if you spend $1,000 on us we hope to get 100 conversions. This will be a $10 CPA
List your accomplishments
Make sure you include accomplishments and press coverage if you have them. Here’s an example of my press coverage or accomplishments.
Show photos about yourself / the team
Photos go a long way. Show who you are and what you stand for. No photos may decrease your chances of getting a sponsorship.
Be realistic
If you’re just starting out, don’t ask for $1 million. You’re going to get laughed at and rejected. A more realistic goal is to show your worth, ask for a mix of hardware, cash (tough if you’re new or just starting out) or in kind services to enhance your reach as well. Sponsors have serious reach and if they’re offering retweets it can help you enhance your brand early on.
Sponsorship asks depend on numerous factors such as reach, what sector you’re in (tournaments, streaming, esports teams etc), results, brand awareness and more. It’s tough to know what to ask for so sometimes it’s trial and error. You can also ask around too.
Have a clean, easy to read deck
Spend a bit of money or work on a deck yourself. The important thing is to personalize your deck and make it look good. No one wants the default slide from Microsoft PowerPoint.
Persistence and politeness is key
If a sponsor says they’ll get back to you. Don’t be afraid to follow up at a reasonable time. Don’t spam them or you’re going straight into the rejection bin.
Personalize it
Want that pizza hut sponsorship? Make a video! Check out loom.com for some short video personalization you can include in a video. I was pitched that way by someone else and I replied. Was a nice touch!
Networking is everything
Make sure you network in esports. Chances are you’ll meet some cool people and be able to see where they land. They can also help you out in the future potentially with job opportunities or sponsorship asks. Don’t be self serving and make it a two way benefit.
So there you have it! A bunch of tips on what and what not to do in esports sponsorship. What do you think? Do you need help with your deck or a deck built? If so, send me an email.