Truth is, the perfect profile is different for everyone - your profile should reflect your personality and showcase your talent, but remain somewhat professional (that is if you're looking for sponsorship).

Here's the quick 101 on how to create the best profile for you:

Formatting: It's really up to you how you how you want to format it, but keep it clean and well organized.  You can pick from 15 different designs or pick color schemes and add your own background image.  Just go to Profile > Choose Theme. Current: Make sure it's current. If you have old photos/vids make sure you label them so the brands can see your progression. Photos: You can share a specific gallery with each sponsorship application. But, make sure the photos you put on your profile homepage are what a brand would want representing them Videos: If a picture tells a thousand words, a video tells a real story. It might be a little more work but it will pay off if you can organize a compilation video of you doing your thing and get some face time so people can see your personality. Results: If you compete, there is no better way to show your skills than to post results.  Many sponsors look to results as one of their main indicators for skill and what level to sponsor an athlete at - make sure your results are up to date. Bio:  Tell people about yourself. Some brands might want "too cool for school", some might want "down to earth", it's hard to fake it so keep it real. Dedication to the sport usually means longevity as a sponsorable athlete. TIP: Go to your profile and click on 'Add Content' - you'll see several modules for creating a Bio info to your profile - The Personal, Self Interview, Favorites and Competition Q&A modules can all be used to show your personality through your profile. Unique: You may be competing against a bunch of other athletes for the same deal. What's gonna set you apart? Why should they choose you? Promote your Sponsors: If you compete and are looking for sponsors, show the world who supports you. Post updates about your sponsors products, riding sessions, and always be promoting who helps you out. ----- For examples of good profiles, check out some of the featured athletes.

Company Name: Christopher Bean Coffee Visit their Profile >
Athlete Support Manager: Chris Brown
Accepting Sponsorship:  All Year
Sports: All

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Tell us about your sponsorship program: 
We offer extremely high quality products at very reasonable price in grocery stores across the United States; it all boils down to making people aware.  As a small company we struggle to do that because we don’t have big advertising dollars like our competitors.  Our goal is to do this thru athletes, athletes like you that are passionate about what they do.



Is there anything unique about your program? Why would someone want to be a part of it?
Christopher Bean Coffee Company is an edgy and socially conscious company that produces the absolute finest all natural and organic products for those living active healthy lifestyles. 

Christopher Bean offers our sponsored team athletes with the following:  I think we operate a little different than some other companies in that we don’t just offer discounts on product we actually send each sponsored athlete a kit.  Depending on the level of sponsorship these kits can include: Free Product, Team Clothing, VIP Vouchers and Cash.  Additionally an athlete is offered incentives to get published interviews, photo shots, and podiums. More details are in the contract.

In addition we have a full line of custom graphic kits.  Our graphic kits cover a wide array of gear from full Motocross graphics, helmets, cycling, skate, snowboard, wakeboard, helmet and just about everything that can help the athlete represent.  In addition to graphics we offer many types of team clothing for competitors.  All of this is available to the sponsored athlete at three levels of sponsorship, Gold, Silver and Bronze.



What do you look for in a sponsored athlete or team?
Passion is number one.  Obviously results get the most publicity and are important, but it’s not always the person in first that can represent our brand the best.  We look for a mix of both.  Age can be important from a coffee consumption standpoint.  However, the younger guys and gals who haven’t come to appreciate a great cup of joe can always use their sponsorship to reward family, friends and supporters.  We encourage anyone who gets onboard to use all of the resources we offer; discounts on clothing, Vip Vouchers, Free product, decals and graphic kits.

What is the most important information for someone to include in their application?
We really want to know if the candidate is a coffee lover and to what degree. Some candidates are passive about coffee and some can’t live without it.  It does not hinder weather the candidate gets offered some level of sponsorship, it just lets us know if this athlete would be using our product or just endorsing it.
 
What is the most important thing for people to understand about sponsorship?
It's a two way street, you are being supported because of your passion and talent but ultimately you are being sponsored to help your sponsor sell more product.  Companies sponsor athletes to get publicity for their products.  The athletes who get the most publicity get the most to ride, wear, drink or endorse products.  The most effective way for an athlete to get publicity, and thus money, is to win.  If you can’t represent then your not it!  If you do not appreciate what your sponsor offers, then you don’t get it.  We all can't be Tiger Woods or Bubba Stewart, so realize who you are and keep it real, appreciate what is being offered to you.  It’s all about exposure!
 

How often do you respond to applications?
We review applications, everyday, all the time, as much as we can.  Our typical response time is two weeks. Sometimes it takes longer due to volume of applications, team manager schedule and what events the staff is attending.  With so many people sponsored we spend a great deal of time on the road promoting events and supporting athletes.  Be patient, we see your application, we will respond.

Has the internet changed the way you manage your sponsorship program or your sponsored athletes? If so, how?
The internet combined with Loop'd have been the most efficient way to manage sponsorship.   We really want to utilize Loop’s exclusively, but some are so determined they call, call, call, leave messages, and email every department in our company.  This does not get anymore attention than the simple application.  The internet and Loop’d actually make it easier. Any other form of communication other than Loop’d is discouraged and only confuses staff and delays progress.
 

Tell us about your newest or most exciting product for this / next year:
The Team Moto graphics kits have been the latest rage at the Bean Factory.  It has taken a ton of time and energy to source the correct materials, templates and design to come out with the first ever Christopher Bean Coffee MX Graphic Kit.  We offer full bike graphic kits to team riders and for sale at www.beanmx.com.

On a coffee note we have recently launched our new website that offers state of the art shopping and check out system.  It actually remembers our team athletes so every time they are on the site it will apply whatever rewards they have been granted in their contract.  In addition to all of the team deals, anyone who shops on out site gets one Bean Buck for every ten dollars spent, so after just a few coffee purchases you are accumulating valuable Bean Bucs to use for future purchases.  Remember your  Team Rewards apply to everything on our site!

Learn More about Christopher Bean Coffee or apply for sponsorship at their Loop'd Profile >

 

Here's a quick 411 on what companies are looking for in your sponsorship applications.

1.  Photos - make sure you have a ton of action shots and personality shots.  Sponsors don't need to see pics of your dog or your house... stick to the pics that will help them make a decision.

2. Complete Profile - use the 'Interview' modules to show a company your personality and give them an idea of whether you'd be a good representative of their brand.

3. Interesting Updates - use the blog tool to post frequent updates so sponsors can see what you've been up to.  You don't have to write a book for each post, just something interesting.  Some good things to post about: sessions, contests, new gear, new sponsors, new goals... anything that will show a sponsor what's going on with you.

4. Complete Application - every company has a set of custom questions they want to ask you.  Answer those questions to the best of your ability with proper spelling and grammar!

When you're done applying for sponsorship, check out the new Promote Yourself section to get more exposure for you and your sponsors.

Today, we increased the number of free sponsorship applications from 5 to 15! 

With over 1 MILLION sponsorship connections made since we launched as SponsorHouse more than 7 years ago, we’ve been committed to providing the best sponsorship tools and the largest selection of brands on the planet to get YOU sponsored. Loop’d Network continues to work hard to connect you with your sports in cool ways beyond just helping you achieve your sponsorship goals.

Like you, we also understand that the economy isn’t great right now, so we want to help you make the most of the sponsorship season.

If you need more than 15 applications, you also have 2 great new options:

1. Invite your friends – we’ll give you one additional free application for every friend that signs up 
2. Until November 30th, get a 25% discount on a Premium Account for Unlimited Applications - (from $39.95 to $29.95, that’s $10 off!)   Plus - Get a 1 Yr. Subscription to the Transworld Magazine of your choice!  Just go to http://www.loopd.com/Applications/Default.aspx?incmd=1,96, click UPGRADE, and pick the mag you want.
   Click Here to start using your new applications, or read on...

More applications isn’t the only reason to come back…
We have launched our new sponsorship “hub” at sponsorship.loopd.com; a great resource for you as you begin your quest for sponsorship, and new sponsorship tools that help to streamline the application and acceptance process. 

This week we continue our movement to promote sponsorship programs by providing dedicated sponsorship pages and resources on our newly designed “Sport Hubs” for Skate, Snow, BMX, Moto, and Surf.  It is our ultimate goal to have sponsorship reach across the network to let you know what programs are out there and how to apply.

Whether you rip or ride (or both!), we hope you take advantage of our new sponsorship offer and come back to enjoy all the cool stuff on the network.

We've put together some common questions we hear athletes bring to sponsors and put the answers in your hands.



Q: Do I have to pay to use the Sponsorship tools on Loop'd

A: No, you can sign up for a free account - you get 5 application credits.  If you need to apply to more than 5 companies, you can upgrade for Premium, unlimited account at $39 / year



Q: What happened to SponsorHouse, why is it the Loop'd Network now?

A: SponsorHouse now powers the sponsorship tools on the Loop'd Network.  It works just like it always has, but the Loop'd Network provides more opportunities to gain exposure.



Q: I'm out of sponsorship credits, how can I apply for sponsorship with you?

A: Two ways, athletes can upgrade for a Premium unlimited account at $39 / year  - OR - they can get a free application credit for every friend they get signed up on Loop'd.



Q: I have a problem with my account / profile, I can't upload photos or videos, whats the problem?

A: Call Loop'd customer service or check out their help section at www.loopd.com/help .  They'll be able to get your problem taken care of right away.



Get asked any other questions that you don't have the answer to?  Post a comment here.

We've gotten your feedback, we've felt your pain and we have used it to make our product and your life easier.  With two major product releases in May and August of 2008 and subsequent bi-weekly improvements, our goal is to help make managing a sponsorship program more efficient and more effective.  Here's what we've been up to...



8/20/2008

- Launched the Sponsorship Hub as the place on the network for all sponsorship updates and activity



8/7/2008

- Saved Searches - Save the searches you perform most often and save time

- Auto Renew Contracts - You can now automatically renew contracts 30 days before they're set to expire!

- Forward this listing - now athletes can forward your listing on to their friends - you get more qualified applications

- New Profile Builder makes it easier to edit and customize your profile



View the screenshot tour from our August Release >



5/5/2008

- Simplified Sponsorship Dasboard allows you to get into what you need faster

- Improved the Application Management pages

- Add a quick search to the Listings and Sponsored Athletes sections

- Cleaned up the layout of all sponsorship pages for easier management



View the screenshot tour from our May Release >



 

If you want to drive more awareness for your program or just cut down on less efficient methods of managing your sponsorship applications (like email, mail or phone), create and distribute a press release to the media within your industry.  It's easy, here's how:



1) Create Your Press Release

Use Microsoft Word or just write compose an email to start writing your Press Release.  You can start from scratch, or use our Press Release template - click here or scroll down this page.



2) Put together a list of media contacts

Depending on how long you've been in your industry, you might have a good list of media contacts.  If you need help - email us at press [AT] loopd.com and we'll get you hooked up.



3) Send It

Use a simple email program to send out your release.  Always send the content from the Press Release in the body of the email - if you created your release in Microsoft Word or another word processor, you can also attach the file.



4) Follow Up

Make a short list of the media properties you'd like your release to show up on and follow up with them a day or two after the release was sent.  If they posted the release, send a not thanking them.  If they didn't post the release, give them a friendly reminder and a couple reasons why the information is newsworthy.



The Loop'd Press Release Template:

Copy template below and paste into your email program or word processor - then customize to your liking

=================================================================



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

XXXXX

Company Name

(###) ###-####

YYY@XXXXX.com

<> Kicks Off 2008/09 Sponsorship Program on The Loop’d Network

- Campaign to Drive Connection and Support for athletes through Sponsorship Program-

 

Your City, Your State – Month Date, 2008 – (Company XYZ), a leading ( Describe your company’s products or services) for action sports today launches it 2008-09 sponsorship program at ( add hyperlink to page on Loop’d) for amateur action sports athletes to coincide with the official start of the 2008-09 action sports “sponsorship season”.  The program will be open to (specific sport or all sports) athletes from (DATE) to (DATE) and (Company XYZ) plans to offer up to (##) sponsorships this season. 

Details of the 2008-09 program include: (PLEASE ADD DETAILS)

For More information and to get started, interested athletes should visit (add hyperlink or URL here) or visit sponsorship.loop.com to sign up for free!  Then click on “search companies” to preview the (Company XYZ) 2008-09 program.   

 



About Company XYZ

FILL BOILER PLATE HERE

About Loop’d Network

Loop’d Network is THE social network for action sports and youth culture. A place for Pros, Am’s and Fans to share with friends, discover what’s happening in their favorite sports, showcase their talent, and explore life. Our unique approach to social media and brand engagement provides unprecedented opportunities to personally connect with a highly influential youth demographic in more relevant and authentic ways.  For more information, visit www.loopd.com.

# # #



=================================================================



Have questions?  Feedback?  Post a Comment below or contact us at 888-874-3374.

 

We know you're busy - here are some tips to help make your life easier and your sponsorship program more effective.

1.   Update Your Contracts and Listings

Double check your contracts to make sure the start and end dates are correct.  Check your listings to make sure you are targeting as broad or narrow an audience you want.

2.   Update Your Profile

The profile is your opportunity to communicate what your brand is all about, feature your products and showcase the prominent athletes that you sponsor.  The new profile builder makes it easier than ever to customize your profile - give it a try.

3.   Renew Your Sponsored Athletes

Go through your sponsored athletes and renew or upgrade those that have done a good job for you.  This will cut down your time for managing your applications and keeps your most loyal athletes out there promoting you instead of spending time re-applying or applying to your competitors.

4.   Brush Up on the Sponsorship Tools

We are continually improving the sponsorship tools based on your needs.  Learn about all the new functionality we've added and make help us streamline your sponsorship management.  Click Here to check out the recent updates >

5.   Add a Sponsorship Button to Your Website

Eliminate the inefficiency of email, phone calls and mail by driving applications through your profile on Loop'd.  Grab one of our promote buttons to put on your website or social networks - or make your own.  Click Here to find a button >

6.   Complete a Loop'd Sponsor Interview

Get exposure for your brand and help educate athletes about sponsorship at the same time by filling out a sponsor interview. Click Here to Answer Our Questions >

7.   Distribute a Sponsorship Press Release

Want to open up your funnel of applicants and drive awareness of your sponsorship program? Create and distribute a press release using our template and guide.  Click Here to get started >

8.   Announce Your Big Sponsorship Deals

You've spent time and money to get the best talent so you should promote it wherever possible. Add a blog post announcing your newest pro athletes you sponsor.  If you add the 'welcometotheteam' tag, your post will be distributed on the Sponsorship Hub and throughout the Loop'd Network - giving you added exposure.

9.   Make Ordering Easy

Increase your sales by making it as easy as possible for your athletes to order product.  Include order instructions in your contracts and send out frequent broadcasts to let your athletes know about new product and how to order.  If you want to drive maximum sales, get set up with a Loop'd Network integrated eComm store (contact your rep for more info)

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Do you have athletes asking questions about SponsorHouse and Loop'd?  Click Here to Get the Answers >



 

Put a Promote Button on your website or MySpace profile to let athletes know about your sponsorship program and how to get sponsored by you.

Click on the link below (you have to be signed in), pick the button you want then copy the code and paste it onto any website, profile or into your forum and email signatures.

Get a Promotion Button!


Just a few examples...