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I have been running a blog about tech related stuff pertaining to the city of Austin for a few months now. I know is a very short time, however, in this short period of time I've seen how traffic has been increasing every week and I am starting to get some traction. About a month ago I was asked by a PR firm to help them propagate the word about a new Intel product and in exchange I got some cool HD cameras to give away to my readers. It is all cool.

I would like to move this blog away from the free WordPress.com hosting solution onto a better hosting company where I have the flexibility of using more plug-ins and custom code. I need to do this to take advantage of other tools that I want to use to make the blog more reader friendly and functional.

How do I go about approaching hosting companies like RackSpace or similar companies to see if they would sponsor this blog providing free hosting or perhaps a discounted rate? any ideas, tips?

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4 Answers

up vote 1 down vote accepted

Don't worry about sponsors -- focus on the blog's quality. Advertisers really do not care about the blog/website but rather about the audience it draws. Having a targeted and high-volume trafficked blog will attract the sponsors/advertisers, who are themselves looking for such opportunities.

Remember, they are not doing this to help you out but rather to meet their own marketing objectives.

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You are absolutely correct. – Ricardo Oct 12 '10 at 13:40
up vote 2 down vote

First, be cautious about your move. Ensure that your current subscribers will be redirected properly to the new URL. I killed a very profitable online business for not taking that seriously.

Dear [find the name and email of the CEO],

My name is Ricardo and I'm a blogger. I have been running a blog about tech related stuff pertaining to the city of Austin for a few months now. I know is a very short time, however, in this short period of time I've seen how traffic has been increasing every week and I am starting to get some traction. I now get XXX visitors per day, and have about XXX subscriptions. About a month ago I was asked by a PR firm to help them propagate the word about a new Intel product and in exchange I got some cool HD cameras to give away to my readers.

I would like to propose you a partnership.

I would like to move this blog away from the free WordPress.com hosting solution onto a better hosting company where I have the flexibility of using more plug-ins and custom code. I need to do this to take advantage of other tools that I want to use to make the blog more reader friendly and functional.

Would you be interested in an exchange? I bring you lot of visibility to my current and future readers and you host my blog?

Feel free to contact me on 555-2425223 or by replying to this email.

Yours faithfully

Ricardo D. Sanchez

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hey! my question was copyrighted...j/k :) I love how you used my own question to build this letter template, I'll give it a try and thank you for the advice. – Ricardo Oct 12 '10 at 13:39
This is not a good letter: it focuses on your needs, rather than the needs of the potential sponsor. – Alain Raynaud Oct 12 '10 at 17:38
I owned two (local) hosting companies in the past. I would have say yes without hesitation in both cases. I answered with that in mind. – user3997 Oct 12 '10 at 17:46
up vote 1 down vote

Hosting is not that expensive. I don't understand why you would want sponsorship for an expense which is minor. If you are planning to monetise your blog, you need to invest in it at some point. If it is a labour of love then a possible sponsor would be a company who would want to promote to your readers, (which may or may not be a hosting company.)

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I am not looking to monetize this blog, I have another startup and that is where all of my money is going :) I just think that having sponsors will increase the credibility of my blog and attract more visitors. – Ricardo Oct 12 '10 at 13:37
I don't know that sponsors will build your credibility. If credibility is your goal I would concentrate on quality content and inviting credible or well known guest posters to contribute. Ask yourself, when you read blogs, what establishes credibility for you? – Susan Jones Oct 12 '10 at 23:44
up vote 1 down vote

Here's how I would do it:

  1. Find your target sponsors. A great source is similar blogs with existing sponsors.

  2. Find individuals at those companies, using LinkedIn. Look for "Business Development" titles.

  3. Email them something that focuses on the value: how much traffic you have, the kinds of readership, and why you think those readers should be interested in the sponsor's products.

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