For all the efforts you’ve been putting into influencer marketing and social media—learning the trends, defining your brand, monitoring your insights—the question still lingers in the back of your mind:

Do sponsors really care about social media?

The short answer: Sponsors are all about return on investment (ROI), but they also care about content that can live forever. If you can provide both, then you’ve got a lifetime partnership!

Earlier this year, I joined the Motorsports Sponsorship Summit with CEOs and marketing managers of big automotive companies such as Eibach Springs, VP Race Fuels, Mechanix Wear, PRI Magazine, NGK Spark Plugs, Maxxis Tires, and more! When asked how they measure ROI, most of them said the ability to help with the buyer’s journey is most import to them. (Want to watch the recorded Summit? You can get access >>> HERE.)

Racers can do this in multiple ways, but the easiest, and most common, is by providing really good content on social media!

Let’s break it down.

When a company wants to partner with you for sponsorship, its ultimate goal is to increase its audience and sales. Leaning into influencer marketing is where they can reach fresher audiences in a really short amount of time. 

And not only are those audiences highly tailored and likely in the markets companies most want to reach, but they are also already primed to purchase. 50% of millennials and 33% of Gen Z are down to invest in a product recommended by an influencer. 

That’s where you come in. You might not consider yourself an influencer, but to companies, you hold some influence over your followers.

While companies might not completely understand the landscape of social media and your role within it, they know that investing in your platform is an investment in your audience, aka potential buyers. 

So when you’re pitching to potential sponsors, how do you share the power of your social media and influencer marketing?

They might care at first about vanity metrics, but you have Insights to reveal to you a true story. What is your overall engagement rate? What previous data can you share about campaigns and product marketing (whether formal or informal)?

Share demographic details about your audience that they’ll care about. Know the kind of market that your potential sponsor is hoping to break into. Arrive with data from your social media to let them know you are the right public figure for the job.

As of 2023, the average ROI for every $1 invested in influencer marketing is $6.50. That’s a 650% return. Hooray! Start keeping track of your conversion rate so that you can accurately present this information to sponsors.

What sponsors ultimately care about is that you help connect their brand to a new audience, one that will become as invested in their products as they are in you. Knowing the company’s unique goals will help you convince them of the power your social media platform has in helping them reach their goals!

I talk all about creating content on social media for sponsors in Part 2 of my Facebook and Instagram marketing course called Driven By Social. Get it now so you can make the money you deserve as a racer and a social media personality.