As content creators, we usually don’t consider ourselves as working in sales. However, if you want to monetize and you aren’t taking a sales approach, you’re going to be wasting a lot of time sitting around and waiting for your phone to ring.

Want sponsors for you blog? Then go out there and find them!

In this video, Gary Vaynerchuk talks about how you can use Google to find sponsors for your blog – and you could use this same technique to find sponsors for your podcast or web series as well. It’s about going out there and grabbing the advertisers you want. Here’s the video:

I’ve used this same technique on some of my personal blogs in the past, and it’s always been pretty successful. Here are a few extra tips I have for contacting people you’ve found via Google:

• Contact them the way they want to be contacted.  Usually, whatever is listed first or most prevalently is the best way to contact. Sometimes, people just don’t want cold calls, but they are happy to consider your advertising rates if you send an email.

• Whenever possible, talk to the person in charge. Calling a customer service number often leads to someone who can’t make advertising decisions. In the video, Gary asks to speak to the person who makes decisions, and that is something you should always remember to do. Don’t waste your time talking to someone who can’t give you money.

• Give a few options (but not too many options). When you cold call, you have no idea what an advertising budget looks like for a company. So, give them a few options. For example, I offer very affordable monthly rates, but I also offer packages for larger ads, sponsored posts, and more for people who have money to burn. Avoid too many options (that just gets confusing), but if someone says no to your first pitch, be ready with a follow-up proposal that meets their budget and advertising needs better.

Want to learn more about montization? We have an entire monetization track at NMX that you can check out! For past monetization-related sessions, consider our virtual ticket, or for information on attending an upcoming show, head to the NMX event site.