Right About Now with Ryan Alford

What’s up, everyone!

Not long ago, I was on the brand side of HUGE sponsorship deals for some of the largest brands in the world. It could take years to execute, and while the payoffs were big, the process was grueling. Fast forward to now, where one Instagram Story from a niche athlete can generate the same spark—in minutes. That’s the power of modern influencer sponsorships.

Ishveen Jolly, CEO of OpenSponsorship, joined me this week to break it all down. We hit everything from NIL to TikTok shops, to why brands need to stop treating influencer content like silver when it's gold. This episode is a crash course in ROI-driven sponsorship strategies that scale.

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🔥 Here’s What We Hit

Influencer Sponsorship = Word of Mouth 2.0

Sponsorships aren’t just about slapping a logo on a jersey anymore. They’re personal, scalable, and often more authentic than traditional ads.

Your Move: Re-evaluate where your audience actually spends time. Double down on influencers they already trust.

The Real ROI Isn’t Just the Post

A single influencer story or reel isn’t the endpoint—it’s the beginning. The best brands repurpose content across LinkedIn, email, PR, and paid ads.

Your Move: Create an amplification plan before the campaign goes live. Use every channel available.

Stop Expecting Free Awareness

Brands often treat influencer marketing like an affiliate deal. But awareness has value, and expecting results without upfront investment is a losing game.

Your Move: Budget for top-of-funnel impact and treat influencer partnerships as brand-building, not just conversion tactics.

Know Your Campaign Goal (and Stick to It)

Is it brand awareness or sales? UGC or prestige association? Influencer campaigns fall apart when objectives get fuzzy.

Your Move: Define the goal up front—then pick the right talent, format, and deliverables to match.

Retention > Acquisition

OpenSponsorship is now all-in on client retention. Why? Because producing wins for current customers pays off bigger than the constant chase for new ones.

Your Move: Nurture your existing partnerships. More value often comes from doubling down, not spreading thin.

🤝 Connect with Ishveen

Influencer marketing isn't a trend—it's the new standard. Whether you're a brand, a creator, or just watching from the sidelines, the game has changed. And if you’re not in it yet, now’s the time.

Ishveen is paving the way for the future of athlete and influencer sponsorships. Explore OpenSponsorship’s platform or connect with her on LinkedIn to stay on top of this evolving space.

🌐 Website: opensponsorship.com

📱 Social: LinkedIn