Iana Malcolm - Sponsors for Nomads: 7 Steps to Get Free Products from Your Favorite Brands

Sponsors

for

Nomads

7 Steps to Get FREE Products

from Your Favorite Brands

IANA SUNDARI

PUBLISHED BY BLISS OUT PRESS

To everyone Ive met along the road.

Contents

Preface

This book is for anyone in nomadic life or anyone who is interested in traveling full-time. Whether youre in a skoolie like me, a converted van, an RV, or crossing the country by bicycle, you depend on quality products from reputable brands to make your lifestyle possible. But what you may not realize is your favorite brands may be looking for someone just like you to demonstrate their products in the real world. And what better product testing ground than daily life on the road as a full-time traveler?

The pandemic of 2020 brought about a boom in RV sales as more people considered the nomadic lifestyle. According to RV Industry Association, RV sales in some areas sped up 170 percent over the same time period in 2019. Dealers reported more first-time renters as Americans opted for road trips until flying and cruising became safer. Others sought to purchase RVs or convert buses and vans as a less expensive more sustainable housing option. All in all, the pandemic has reminded us about how important living a self-sustainable lifestyle really is.

One of the biggest hurdles that discourages people from jumping into a nomadic lifestyle, aside from the terrifying idea of downsizing, is outfitting their rig with everything they will need and want on the road. Whether its electric bicycles, inflatable kayaks, solar panels, juicers, water purifiers, electronics, tents, climbing gear, hiking boots, or air freshener, most of what youll want to make the space truly yours wont be included when you buy the vehicle.

Once you have your rig, you have to equip it. The fun part is thinking about all the cool camping and tiny home products youve seen, and doing research on all of the brands. The not so fun part is forking over the cash to get those products. And I know what youre thinking, the research is also a bit of work. But you want to be sure you know the brands youre aligning with and youre comfortable using their products, because the quality of your lifestyle will depend on them.

Chances are, if youre undertaking a nomadic lifestyle or even just thinking about jumping into it, you already have an interesting story about why youre doing it. Ill show you how to use your story to get free merchandise, and help support the brands you love in the process. So far, I have received over $15,000 in products from brands that I truly love and I use their products literally everyday. And Ill show you just how I did it.

By the end of this book you will know how to create a compelling story, reach out to and follow up with companies, and set achievable goals so companies feel comfortable giving you their products. Whether youve been living in your rig for years or youre still on the fence about going nomadic, getting sponsorships will save you money and make your life on the road easier.

What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.

BUDDHA

Introduction

Here is the truth. You do not need to have a big social media following to attract sponsors for your project. So many people hesitate to reach out to companies because they think they have to be an internet celebrity to get sponsorship. But everybody has their own unique story that can support a brands vision, which can provide the company with valuable content. I was able to get free products from 10 corporate sponsors for my bus conversion, and I only had about 900 Instagram followers when I began. In this book Ill show you exactly how you can locate your own sponsors and get FREE products.

While I may not have had a ton of followers, I had a plan. My husband and I had a mission for what we wanted to achieve on our trip. I reached out with kindness, I was clear on what I was asking from them, and what I could offer in return. I wanted to make sure that the relationship with each sponsor was reciprocal, so both parties knew what to expect of each other. You will definitely have to put in a little work, but its so much easier than you think. Besides, who doesnt love FREE swag from a company you care about?!

Whenever Im asked about how to begin, my first question in response is, Where do you want to go? A lot of us are motivated primarily by getting off of the 9-to-5 hamster wheel, or downsizing our possessions and living more sustainably. Those are all logical reasons for living nomadic, and they are all perfectly valid. But lets be honest, this community also loves to travel, and having new experiences in new locations is what drives us to wander. Those new experiences are what create content, and a plan is what makes you valuable to the sponsors youre looking for!

Step 1: Plan Your Route

Whenever someone asks me where to begin, I always ask Where do you want to go? Whether youre camping at the countrys most beautiful parks, visiting friends and family, or just following the weather, creating your route helps you organize future plans and coordinate events at different locations. It also helps determine which companies to reach out to and what you can offer them. Here are a couple of the key benefits of planning your route ahead of time:

Pre-planning your route will give you a sense of direction. One of the hardest things about living on the road is deciding where to go. I suggest planning which city or town you want to be during each month at least 12 months in advance. Now, I get it! Most of us dont like to plan that far in advance. Your stops dont need to be set in stone, but pre-planning will inform your sponsors of which markets and demographics you will be able to reach, and the audiences that their products will be seen by.

It shows sponsors youre organized and goal-oriented. It takes a fair amount of initiative and research to plan a long-term travel route. Your willingness and ability to conquer this task is a good illustration of your abilities, and gives sponsors insight on your personality. It also shows that youve made commitments with others, which demonstrates your trustworthiness.

You can plan to attend events all over the country. There may be some events that you can let hopeful sponsors know about in advance. Maybe theres a Tiny House Festival, or maybe youll be visiting a Food and Wine Festival on your journey! Dont forget to research and tell the sponsors how many people typically attend these events when you do your email outreach.

My advice is to design a tour that you love and want to be on! Choose events that you genuinely want to attend. The goal of working with sponsors isnt to sell our souls for stuff, were just looking to partner with people who make life on the road easier and more enjoyable.

I also suggest starting to think of a theme for your journey. I will go over this in more detail later, but give it some thought while youre planning your route because it could help you decide where to stop.

Here are the 5 steps for creating a successful journey:

1. Mark all of the places you want to go. Have fun with this part, you get to actually visit all of the beautiful sites youve been dreaming of. Unexpected places and faces will pop up along the way, but make sure your route includes all of the spots that you love. Your nomadic lifestyle allows you to be in locations where many companies cant advertise, and otherwise wouldnt have a presence in if not for you.