How to Sell Sponsored Engagement Campaigns that Drive Revenue and Engagement
Tap into big dollars by selling sponsored engagement campaigns.
Sponsored engagement campaigns are great for advertisers who want to align their brand with your media company. These solutions are something EVERYONE should be selling.
To plan effectively, build a year-long promotions calendar. You know which holidays, sports, and events are happening during each month, which means you know the perfect contests and promotions to run, and when, before the year even starts. The more organized you are, the more successful you will be.
Your plan should include deciding how to sell, price, and pitch your package. Check out these guides to help you with this. Remember: the price your advertisers pay is a product of your execution, media, and results.
Lastly, a great follow-up can go a long way. Sharing results with your advertiser and planning the next initiative on your calendar is the way to ensure future success.
How to Sell Advertiser Results
The job of a sales rep is harder than ever before. This is why we are changing the way we sell and we are focusing on solutions that provide measurable results. This means figuring out ways to dedicate more time to prospecting and developing the right solution with measurable results for each advertiser.
When selling to advertisers, remember: they look for new opportunities. There are good reasons why you and your advertisers should participate in more engagement campaigns, rather than other forms of advertising, because:
- They are a unique opportunity because they are customizable and targeted
- They deliver measurable results that gather data, generate leads, and grow their database
- They generate more revenue for you
When choosing the right campaign for your advertiser, you must think about which will give your advertiser hot leads, grow their database, feature their products, and drive foot traffic. You market the benefits of the campaign so that they see the worth of the promotion. To get started, conduct a successful Customer Needs Analysis (CNA) by asking all of the right questions. Listen to the advertiser so you can give them what they need and want.
When setting goals for revenue, you must make them big enough to matter. With that said, make sure they are manageable. Then when you solidify the goals you have set, exceed them. Use the tools available to you to ensure that both you and your advertiser find success in your next promotion.
For ideas to target 40+ advertisers in your market, get your copy of our Seller’s Guide.
How to Build and Empower your Team to Drive Success
Your priority in the office is to create a team that is excited to sell engagement campaigns.
A lot of us aren’t putting the focus and emphasis on the right things to drive results; this starts with our teams. We have to give our teams the time and resources they need to be successful in selling engagement campaigns.
There are some specific roles that you need on your team to see well-rounded success. First, there has to be a champion – someone that knows the stuff backwards and forwards. This person has a strong understanding of the opportunity, they have the drive to try and learn new things, they have passion for helping advertisers, and they are someone who has a solid relationship with all people/departments in your media company. In addition, you need an admin coordinator, a sales team, and cross departmental team. Cross departmental collaboration is essential because it allows for shared resources.
Lastly, motivation for your team is huge. Motivate them by training them well; the better they know what they are selling the better they will be at selling it. Here are some other ways to motivate the people who will collaborate to bring your company success:
- Show them the revenue potential
- Create a little ‘friendly’ competition
- SHOW them the results – advertiser results are a huge motivator to take these to advertisers
- Make it FUN
- Include everyone in the plan
- Compensate
A little bit will go a long way when it comes to empowering your team. Get them excited about promotions because this is fun stuff. So have fun with your sales teams!
Sales Workshop
The last session gave attendees the opportunity to share their successes, ask questions, and brainstorm new ideas to take back home with them after the Summit.
Whether you attended or not, take the time to reach out and connect with those who have valuable takeaways you can learn from in the world of engagement campaigns.
Sales Breakout Session Slides
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Liz is the Senior Director of Customer Success and has an extensive background in media. She is a huge advocate of the power of promotions for every department within an organization, including sales, marketing, audience development, and editorial.