How to get paid sponsorships during the Holiday Season

Happy holiday season! ❄️

My wife April and I are always trying to think of ways to give back to our community, especially this time of year, and thanks to a partnership with Nickelodeon we got to do something really special…

And while this is definitely a time of year for generosity… there’s also a huge opportunity for creators like you to MAKE more money too!

That’s right…

You can still get paid sponsorships THIS month.

As in…before the year ends.

“But Justin, you said it’s basically impossible to get a hold of brands from December 20 - January 10?!”

Well, by my count, that means you have 15 DAYS LEFT to make some easy money!

Lemme explain:

First off, spending is almost always at its peak during the holiday season.

People are dropping a ton of cash on gifts for their partners, software for their businesses, toys for their kids, and light-up reindeer antlers for their pets.

So…what does that mean for brands?

It means they’re spending a LOT of marketing dollars right now because they want people to buy their stuff.

A particular quirk is that brands often need to spend as much of their budget as possible before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.

Why?

Because, for many brands, their fiscal cycle runs from January 1 to December 31, and if there’s “leftover” budget in a particular department by the end of the year, the brand’s head honchos might think:

“Huh, I guess they didn’t need as much cash as we thought. Might as well reduce their budget next year!”

In other words, the brand’s marketing department had better use it or lose it!

This puts you, Dear Creator, in a strong negotiating position.

So let’s look at three types of partnerships you can pitch quicker than Saint Nick can squeeze down a chimney.

(And I heard he does that pretty fast lol)

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1 - The Quick Turnaround

If you pitch a last-minute holiday activation that you can turn around extremely quickly, some brands are gonna look at you as their savior.

They’re anxious to use up their budget, right? And, sadly, most don’t even consider trying to forge a partnership with a creator with that money because let’s face it…

…most creators kinda suck at turning things around quickly (sorry, it’s true lol).

So imagine the brand’s excitement when they receive a super compelling pitch from an exciting creator (you!) offering to effectively promote their brand.

To them, it’s gonna be like Christmas came early!

And guess what?

They might even offer you a LOT more than your usual rates, simply because they have to use up their budget ASAP!

2 - The Stretch Activation

But what if the brand is interested but doesn’t quite have enough budget to meet your usual rates?

No sweat.

This is a great time to offer them flexible payment terms.

How about you suggest stretching the activation between Q4 and Q1?

So even if their Q4 budget doesn’t jive, you can extend the partnership into next year and let their Q1 budget cover the rest.

This is a win-win, because not only are they probably gonna pay you more overall for a longer partnership…but the brand now views you as a level-headed, flexible partner, rather than a commodity.

3 - The Sown Seed

But what if the brand says "thanks...but no thanks"?

I guess it was all a waste of time, right?

Wrong!

The truth is that the point of a pitch is NOT just to get the deal.

Huh?

That’s right.

The next phase for your creator education begins when you realize that a pitch is just Step 1 of your Sponsorship Wheel.✌