Content Collaborations: Tips And Strategies For Success

Content collaborations are a great way to accelerate a number of business goals. They increase visibility of both the brands, and provide both you and your partner organization a number of benefits.

Today we are discussing why you should take content collaborations seriously (regardless of which industry you are in), as well as some advice on successfully getting started with them. Let’s dive in! 

Why Content Collaborations Are So Effective

Before getting started with any content collaborations, it’s important to first understand why you should care. Again, collaborating with other brands can be a great business strategy regardless of your industry. Here are just a few reasons why:

1) They give you access to a new audience

Even if you follow our guide to building an audience, you will never reach everybody that could one day become a customer. Nobody’s reach is that powerful. The fact is, if you want to get your message in front of people that otherwise might never see it, other brands are the answer. 

Content collaborations put you in contact with a whole new group of people. These are people that have the potential to become new subscribers or customers.

2) They amplify your content

As we point out in our ultimate guide to content marketing, content is a fundamental piece of building a business. That’s because it allows you to position yourself as a helpful guide to your audience’s problems and introduce your product or service as the solution. This works far better than a simple sales page with nothing given in return. 

However, the fact is that most people that might find your content useful will never actually see it. Even solid SEO will fail to bring in everybody, and organic reach has seen worse and worse results over time. 

That’s where content collaborations come in. By asking other brands or influencers to feature your content, they are sharing value with people that you otherwise would have missed. Depending on the type of content, this can create a snowball effect in which every piece of content you create is more effective.

3) They give you more authority

Usually, the more people see your brand name, the more they associate you with professionalism. If they see you a lot, they are also simply more likely to remember your product or service when it comes time to buy.

Assuming you are working with a reputable brand, content collaborations can give you a ton of increased “authority.” People consider you professional by virtue of you working with another well-known brand, and are more likely to trust you. This is essential to remember when considering consumer psychology.

4 Tips For Successful Content Collaborations

At this point you’ve seen just how much of a benefit content collaborations can be to your brand. Let’s now cover how to do them the right way.

1) Provide value to your chosen partner up front

Value first. This is the most important rule in any collaboration. The brand you are working with needs to be sure they are getting something in return. While this is something many business owners know in theory, it’s far more difficult to execute in reality. Check out this guide for ideas on providing value. 

2) Give examples of collaborations you’ve done in the past

If you are the brand that’s reaching out to another one about a potential collaboration, it helps to already have a track record. Give them links or screenshots that show the brands you have worked with in the past.

And if that is your first time? Give this post on cold emailing a look for advice on how to make cold email work to your advantage. 

3) Be very clear about what needs to be done

Content collaborations can come in a variety of forms. Here are just a few that you might consider.

• Email newsletter mentions
• Links to each others content
• Product features

Regardless of what your content collaboration will look like, you need to be crystal clear about how the process will go. Because content collaborations are often on the “informal side” (suggestions via email instead of formal contracts signed by both parties), the process doesn’t necessarily need to be super strict. Simply be clear on who does what! 

4) Mention other brands even if it’s not part of a direct content collaboration 

While content collaborations are mutually beneficial to both businesses involved, not all people see it that way. Some brands are simply not interested. Still others don’t have the time to set up (and follow through on) any collaborations.

However, this shouldn’t stop you from periodically mentioning other brands or linking to their content. The fact is, businesses that are able to point out quality businesses when they see them  (even if they are a competitor) fare much better than businesses who are hesitant to do so.

That’s because when you do so, you build more trust and look much more authentic. Compare this to the company that only ever says bad things about competitors. Who are you more likely to trust?

The lesson? Try your hardest to get content collaborations, but try to mention other quality brands even if you don’t!

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