Selling sponsorship

These days, sponsorship for most companies is a port into a niche audience, of reaching out to the audience of an industry-within-an-industry. It's a multi-level bet based on credibility at a super-niche level.

Today's super-niche sponsorship principle applies to any industry. After spending millions sponsoring Tiger Woods, GM finally realized he can't sell Buicks. He's not a credible car geek. GM kicked Woods upstairs to corporate marketing, which will probably employ him behind the scenes as a draw at events for dealers and suppliers, which is a far better investment.

Sponsoring bloggers is a matter of the right company sponsoring the right blogger at the right time. For your product or service, sponsor the super-involved bloggers who've built their credibility around the category and live, breathe and die by it.