Most teams don’t have a huge budget accounted for printing sports programs.

Most teams don’t have a huge budget accounted for printing sports programs. The easiest way to cover the costs is by selling ads. Local businesses, especially those connected to your school or community, are often more than happy to pay for ad space to support the team and get their name in front of families. Even parents will sometimes buy an ad to feature their athlete. With a few ads sold, you can easily cover printing costs or make a profit.

A well-designed program is a magnet for sponsors eager to connect with your audience.

Read more in this refreshed guide

Who to ask for Sponsorships

The best sponsors are the businesses and families already connected to your school. Here’s where to start:

Alumni business owners, in particular, enjoy supporting their alma mater while getting valuable advertising in the process.

Selling Ad Space

When reaching out to potential sponsors, it helps to keep things simple. The key is to show that advertising in your event program will benefit all parties involved and that it’s a great way to advertise their business and connect with the community. Make sure they know how many programs you’re printing and where they’ll be handed out. Highlight that program ads offer a return rate compared to traditional newspaper and digital ads.

The students (teams, clubs, band members, cheerleaders, etc.) are your most powerful selling tool. They are the focal point of the event and proof that the money from program fundraising and ad sales are going to a good cause. They can pre-sell the program advertising to sponsors thus ensuring an extra profit from the sale of the programs.

Get motivated! Take time to teach your students or members on how to sell an ad, a confident ask makes a difference. Make sure they know:

• What school or non-profit organization are they supporting?
• What will the money will be used for?
• When does the event begin and end?
• The size of ads and what they cost.
• Where the ad will be placed.
• And above all, spread the excitement to your sponsors, students, parents, families, friends, relatives, colleges, customers, members, contacts and supporters of your school or non-profit organization.

Ad Specifications & Ideas

Price ads based on your print run and audience size. Higher quantity means you can charge more. Keep it simple and offer a few price points.

Different size ads can be sold at different prices to sponsors (full page, half page, quarter page, business card size, eight up on the individual page). Research what similar programs charge in your area to get a ballpark figure.

Base this on your program distribution size and ad placement. Our Pricing Suggestions for Ad Space

• Full Page: $20 – $200
• Half Page: $10 – $70
• Quarter Page: $5 – $45
• Business Card: $5 – $20

After ads are placed, create a dedicated sponsors page in your program. Listing all your sponsors in one place acts as both a thank-you and an easy way to encourage future support. You can also sell copies of your program at games to bring in extra fundraising beyond ad sales.

Be sure to keep a record of your sponsors each season. Saving contact details, ad sizes, and artwork will make it much easier to reconnect next year, repeat sponsors are often your easiest sales.

Program advertising can make money for non-profit organizations, schools and businesses, take these tips and apply them to your own event program. Become a prime source of ad space for local businesses and sponsors. To get started today, give us a call at 800-995-1555 or click the button below to order online!

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