This is part two of the Plan Your Next Blogging Aventure series.

Hello! Welcome back to yet another fun-tastic Blog Labs (I am loving this mini series about blogging). Today we’re going to talk about How To Fund Your Next Blogging Adventure. In part one, we talked about choosing a conference that suits your needs. In this second part, we’re going to tackle the scary part of planning – the money!

HOW TO FUND YOUR NEXT BLOGGING ADVENTURE

I’m gonna go straight to the point – the best way to fund your trip are sponsorships. There. I said it. But wait, I’m not just talking about sponsorships from big and mighty companies – I am also talking about funding from your work, and even your friends! Yep. Everything is possible with the power of collaboration. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Ask Your Boss: I know, scary right?! But come on, it’s for their own good! They just don’t know it yet. If the conference you’re attending relates to your daily duties, then create a pitch to illustrate the benefits of your trip. Include things like:

– Meeting with potential new clients.
– Create brand awareness.
– Learn about new trends in the field.
– Find other creatives that could collaborate with your company (cross merch).
– Spy on competitors (my fave! hehe).

If you have a tough boss that won’t loosen the purse strings, then ask the all mighty Google for more guidance. Don’t be pushy, but be firm and look serious when you’re asking for partial or full coverage of your trip. After all, it’s business (avoid saying shit like “it’s gonna be fab” or “sooo many hot people go to that one” yeah. No.). Don’t be afraid. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?

2. Ask Your Friends: How many times have you seen a friend going to a killer conference, the one you’ve always wanted to attend – and all you do is daydream about it, sitting at your desk, having a sob party for one with a side of kleenex. Wouldn’t you like to see all the notes from his trip? To learn about the latest and the greatest? Of course you would! Well, now let’s reverse the roles – who in your circle of friends (or even acquaintances) would like to go but totally can’t? (for different reasons: kids, huz, school, etc). Pitch them a mini sponsorship:

– “Friend, wanna pitch-in and I’ll share all the knowledge with ya?”
– “Friend, wanna help out and in exchange I’ll pass around your swag and products to la crème de la crème?”
– “FriendS (plural), wanna give me a list of the companies you’d like to connect with and I’ll hunt them down for ya?”

They don’t have to pay the whole trip – but if they can help to cover part of your hotel bill or flight (friends have airmiles!) then it’s a win-win!

3. Ask a Company: Go local, national and international! Create a mini pitch (similar to the one you’re sending to your boss) and show them how they could miss out on a big opportunity for product/brand placement. Remember, they don’t know they need you…yet – you have to go all like “how could you live without me!” – in a professional way of course. Potential businesses you can approach:

– Blogs and magazines (report/tweet/blog LIVE from the event!)
– Suppliers (connect them with new buyers)
– Market places (discover new design gems for their site/store)
– Local boutiques (wear their outfits, photograph them and bam! Instant fame).

REMEMBER: ANY sponsorship is better than NO sponsorship at all – be careful when you pitch your idea – ask for something specific and include as many details as possible (amount in $$, merchandise, etc). Set the bar high, and negotiate from there.

I can assure you, these tips will definitely help you score a sponsorship (they got me one for Alt!). Be creative, be kind, and you’ll be fine! (oh, don’t you love ending a post with a rhyme?)

So, have you decided where to go for your next blogging adventure?

IMAGES: Super Famous