How to Get Sponsored in Motocross: The Ultimate Guide

 

Getting started in the world of motocross can be an exciting feat. Many riders dream of being sponsored by big named brands and receiving free and discounted products while living the dream as a professional motocross racer. But how do you go about getting sponsored in the first place?

It’s important to reach out to small business owners and fill out multiple applications when looking for a brand that you want to work with and promote. Marketing yourself correctly through an active online presence is also essential in reaching an audience, including future sponsors. 

In this article, we’ll be going in-depth into how you can successfully get sponsored in motocross and other factors you should be aware of to promote yourself and the brands you’re working with correctly. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, keep on reading. 

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Reach Out to Multiple Companies

Taking the time to reach out to multiple different companies is key to getting your name out there, and eventually securing a sponsorship. 

Introduce Yourself in Person 

Before you start filling out applications online, it’s good to start reaching out and interacting with business owners face to face. This is a great way to make a strong first impression and stand out from the crowd.

If you plan on dropping in to speak with management, you should call ahead of time and schedule a meeting to speak with whoever is in charge. Communicate over the phone before you get there that you’re a dirt bike rider looking for local brands to promote and work with.

Before speaking with businesses face-to-face, plan out a pitch that correctly verbalizes what you’re looking for and what you can do to promote these companies and their products successfully. 

Speaking to the right kind of people face to face is key to getting your name and brand out there and making connections with local businesses that may be interested in sponsoring you. 

Fill Out Applications Online 

Reaching out to businesses online is another great way to get your name out there.

If you’re debating on what kind of businesses to reach out to, ensure these companies you’re looking to work with have an appreciation and understanding of motocross and dirt bikes in general. 

If you’re looking for an ideal place to apply for sponsorship, right here at Risk Racing is a great place to get your contact information out there and connect with various brands and companies. 

Risk Racing is also a great option for riders of all different levels. We are full believers in helping amateurs and beginners branch out and gain support at the beginning of their motocross journey.

As you can see, there are multiple ways to successfully reach out to companies you’d like to work with and be sponsored by. Reaching out and getting your name out there is the first step to becoming a sponsored motocross racer. 

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Continuously Show Up to Races 

Once you’ve successfully gained a sponsor, you’ll be expected to show up to races and other gatherings often to publicize your sponsors' brand and products.

It Shows Current and Future Sponsors You Are Loyal  

Regardless of your race results, showing up consistently is key to keeping your sponsor happy. Companies won’t simply hand over free or discounted merchandise for someone that isn’t there in person showcasing their brand.

Not only will continuously showing up help maintain your relationship with your current sponsors it will also get you noticed by other companies who may be interested in collaborating with you. 

Even if you’re displeased with your race results, it’s important to constantly show up to other races, no matter where you end up on the podium at the end. Not only does it open you up to new opportunities, but it shows your current and future sponsors that you're reliable and will be loyal to their business. 

Helps Build Your Moto Resume 

As we stated above, no matter how you place in these races, there are many benefits to constantly showing up to every motocross race you can.

The more races and events you participate in, the more you can fill up your resume with all the experience and expertise you have. Resume building is important for motocross racers, as having a full and impressive rap sheet will keep the sponsors coming. 

It’s important to remember that your sponsors are looking for consistency. They want you to show up as much as possible to advertise their brand. The more exposure their company gets, the better, and that can’t happen if you aren’t showing up to races or placing in the top ten.

When you constantly show up, you’re proving your loyalty and reliability to these companies, which will, in turn, help improve and grow your relationship with them. It also allows you to grow your resume, which will also help you establish relations with other sponsors in the future. 

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Be Professional 

How you act on and off the track matters. 

When you become affiliated with a company, you become one of the many faces of that brand. How you choose to use your platform and how you behave on and off the track affects the way people view not just you but also the company you work with.

Your Attitude Reflects Onto Your Sponsor As Well

As we stated above, if you choose to be a rude, hothead on the track, that can poorly affect the way others view you and the brand you’re affiliated with. This kind of behavior can also poorly affect your chances of gaining future sponsors. 

This is also the case for the way you conduct yourself off the track, and at other non-racing motocross events. It’s important to conduct yourself professionally, no matter where you are. Especially online.

If others find you hard to work with, that poor image you have created for yourself will also reflect on the company and the products you endorse. The last thing companies want is to be affiliated with someone who does more harm than good for their business.

Chances are if you ruin one relationship with a sponsor based on your unfavorable actions, it will be quite hard to find a business that would like to work with you again in the future. 

Being mindful of how your words and actions not only reflect your brand, but the company you’re affiliated with is key to having a successful motocross career. 

Be Appreciative of Your Sponsors

Another key way to be professional on and off the track is by being vocally appreciative of your sponsors and all the good they do. 

Being vocal about how much you appreciate your relationship with your sponsor is key to having a long-lasting deal and contract with them. 

If you’re caught bad-mouthing the company or brand you’re working alongside, you’re likely to ruin your relationship with them for good. It’s also likely other companies will be wary of working with you in the future, as they don’t want one of their main affiliates to be caught talking poorly about them in public.

Being appreciative also involves being kind to the company you’re working alongside. If those who choose to sponsor you soon find you arrogant and difficult to work with, you’ll likely find yourself without a sponsor very quickly.

Take the time to vocalize to your sponsor, as well as those around you how appreciative you are to be partnered with a business that believes in you and helps you on and off the track.

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Find Different Ways to Reach an Audience  

To reach a large audience, including potential sponsors, it’s important to make your presence known outside of sent resumes and motocross events.

Have Social Media Accounts for Your Brand 

Building a social media following for your motocross activities and brand is a great way to reach a whole new following of people. It’s also a free way to create a brand and create a loyal following of people who support you.

Marketing yourself and your talents correctly through social media allows future sponsors to find you and assess whether they’d like to work with you or not. 

To make a lasting impression on your audience, it’s important to regularly update your social media and keep those who follow you updated on things such as your progress and winnings. 

Having high-quality photos and videos will also keep your audience interested and come back for more. It also looks a lot more professional and neater when you’ve laid out an impressive set of high-quality content on your social media feed as opposed to grainy and unprofessional shots. 

Social media is also a free way to promote the sponsors you’re working with. Getting their name and message out there is a great way to keep your sponsors happy while advertising them off the track.

Start a YouTube Channel 

Starting a YouTube channel is a great way to promote yourself online by uploading a compilation of videos about a variety of things.

You can easily promote yourself and your sponsor by uploading videos of yourself racing, showing off your gear, and talking about how much you enjoy partnering up with different brands. 

Many motocross racers also insist on investing in a GoPro to produce high-quality content that will immerse your audience in the action and thrill of what you do. Taking the time to produce fun and enjoyable content for your audience will separate you from the pack and open you to a large number of opportunities in the long run.

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Know the Product/Brand You Are Promoting 

It’s important to know a good amount about the brand or company you’re affiliated with.

If you’re sponsored by a company that sells energy drinks, it’s vital that you do your research and know enough about the product to publicly speak about its benefits and why you enjoy it. 

Do Research on the Company 

Not knowing anything about the company you’re working with doesn’t look good, and won’t make your sponsor happy when they see that you can’t speak positively about their products when asked about them.   

Before you even reach out to a business, look into their products and/or services extensively to see what they do. You want to be able to connect with them and the work they do in the beginning before you begin branding their logo onto your gear.

In the same way that sponsors expect you to speak positively about their business and advertise for them often, they expect you to know what kind of services they provide and correctly communicate that to an audience. 

Use Their Services Often 

If you can, allowing the public to see that you use your sponsor's product or services often definitely looks good and is great advertising. 

For example, if one of your sponsors is a local tire shop, always using their services when you need tires or any other similar service is a great way to show your audience that you genuinely trust this company and enjoy doing business with them.

You can also post on social media platforms every time you stop by that local tire store to showcase how much you enjoy doing business there, which is another great example of free advertising. 

The public will be more likely to use their products or services if they see you supporting them off the track as well as on. It’s also a great way to build and strengthen your relationship with your sponsor, and it’ll allow other businesses to see how loyal you are to the brands you work with. 

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Stay in Contact With Your Sponsor 

This is another key way to strengthen your relationship with your sponsor. 

Send Your Sponsor Semi-Regular Updates 

Keeping them updated on things like your wins and other important developments in your motocross journey keeps them in the loop, while also showing your appreciation for their support.

When you have a big win, sending them an article clipping and a photo of you is a great way to show them that you are serious about your relationship and partnership with their business. In turn, your sponsor is likely to reciprocate that appreciation right back to you.

Tag Them on Social Media Often 

Giving your sponsor regular shoutouts on social media and tagging them in posts, is a great way to publicly show your loyalty and support to their businesses and what they do.

It also paves the way for them to be introduced to a whole new audience who may not have known about them before. Doing this also enables other brands to see how often you speak about the companies you’re affiliated with and how loyal you are. 

Doing this will have other companies banging down your door to be a part of the large social media presence you have created along the way. 

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Prepare Yourself for Rejection 

If you’re really dedicated and constantly reaching out looking for the right sponsor for you and your brand, you have to prepare yourself for a lot of rejection.

If you give up after a few rejections, you’ll never get sponsored, so you have to keep at it. In the same way that you’re looking for just the right sponsor that fits your brand, these businesses are doing the same. 

So if you don’t fit the bill for the first couple of companies you reach out to, don’t take it personally. Keep going, and you’ll eventually find a match that’s right for you and your future sponsor. 

Introduce yourself, fill out applications, and brush up your resume every chance you get. You’ll eventually find that perfect fit if you refuse to quit, and you keep pushing. 

It’s important to remember that when you speak with potential sponsors, you communicate what you can do for them, notask what they can do for you. It’s also a good idea to ask questions about what they do and what they hope to achieve within their business.

Initiating a conversation with a business by asking them what kind of free products you’ll get if you partner with them is not a good move. Be curious about what they're up to as a company, and be clear about what you can do to keep them moving in the right direction. 

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Conclusion 

Now you have a better understanding of how you can get sponsored in motocross. We discussed multiple factors that go into successfully pitching and marketing yourself to secure a sponsor that’s the right fit for you. 

We went over how you should begin reaching out to different companies in person and online to build connections with possible sponsors. It’s also important to show up to races constantly no matter how you’re placing in these events.

Businesses want to see that you’re reliable and show up to showcase their brand and business regularly. You’ll also want to keep your sponsors updated in terms of what you’re doing and your progress and winnings during the season.  

So get out there and start pitching, your ideal sponsor is waiting for you to get in touch.