Cash-sponsored social media is the fastest growing segement in social media marketing, according to PQ Media.

Social media sponsorship has increased during the same time that traditional media marketing spending has tumbled.

Sponsorship strategies are addressed on an Acronym posting, with one subject being whether to offer a prospective sponsor a menu of benefits or, instead, craft a sponsorship that meets the company's needs.

It's ALWAYS best to speak with the prospective sponsor first, and customize a proposal to meet its needs. Identify where the association's needs and the sponsor's needs intersect and build around that point. Don't just offer a menu of benefit packages.

For some sponsors, an expo booth or a personal luncheon greeting may meet their needs. Other sponsors may have different ideas of how they can best reach your market.

Sponsors are less interested in the title you confer upon them than they are with the actual benefits they'll receive.

The media just won't stop talking about Tiger Woods so-called apology.

As a person, Woods is not entitled to forgiveness or understanding. He should suffer whatever fate his wife wishes upon him.

As a business, however, his tawdry episodes serve as an interesting case study about how to continue generating the substantial profits once amassed by a now damaged property.

Those attempting to put a positive spin on Woods' recent comments are driven by his previously immense marketability. Ironically, preservation of the business requires preservation of the person.

To an observer who has not invested in this property, the lesson to learn here is the extremely high risk of investing in a person. Many people are inclined to display behavior that is inconsistent with their marketed image. Businesses (good businesses, of course) won't create such problems.

So sponsor shoes, not the person who wears them.

We wondered if everything was up for sale and found out that it was.

Here's a reaction to the City of Winnipeg (Canada) offering up a full inventory of municipal sponsorship opportunities.

Cindy Butts looked askance at sponsored Tweets. Maggie McGary was one of many critical of sponsored blogs.

I was surprised to find a sponsor's flyer in my property tax bill.

Some sports teams have sold sponsorship rights on their jerseys (fortunately, baseball hasn't done that - yet).

And now, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is getting ready to sell sponsorship of a bustling, Yuppie-populated subway station to Apple.

Some people think it is very enterprising to find ways to sell everything. And, as everything becomes commercialized, people will probably get used to it, accept it, and even join in the solicitation game.

I still don't like banner ads on web home pages. But, I guess somebody has to pay the bills.

Enclosed in the recent assessment notices sent to property owners by the Cook County Assessor (Illinois) was a flyer promoting a local bank.

That enclosure was completely inappropriate - and it would have been just as inappropriate had it been enclosed in an association mailing sent to members.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners, which recently approved the sale of advertising by county officials, may feel it is easing the burden on taxpayers by securing funds from sources other than taxes.

Some association leaders might even agree.

But advertising, sponsorship, and other promotional activities should not be considered acceptable when they give the appearance of an endorsement.

It's not sufficient to say that advertising or sponsorship income will help the association.

Many members would rather pay higher membership and registration fees than compromise the integrity of the association by selling access to the membership to anybody willing to pay for it.

Don't be so quick to put everything up for sale.

Some associations give away too much when negotiating sponsorship agreements. Or, they fail to include desirable entitlements and then aren't sure how to proceed when faced with new promotional opportunities.

Here are some suggestions about when and how to include sponsors in social media.

Here's a vehicle for small organizations to find sponsors without having to employ full-time sales people.

Don't assume that sponsors are easily manipulated. They are just as crafty at dealing with your association as you are at dealing with them.

A smart sponsor will keep its intentions to itself for as long as possible and act in its strategic self-interest, just as would the association. It can be an interesting duel.

Here are some suggestions from IEG for improving sponsorship sales efforts.