15 Ways to Grow Your Brand through Collaboration
Being an entrepreneur can feel lonely sometimes. But creating meaningful connections with other small business owners can be beneficial to both of you in a number of ways, including growing your brand.
Collaborations are a chance to increase the eyes on your product, service, and brand through a shared value campaign.
If you’re ready to start collaborating with other brands and business owners but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got you! Here are 15 ideas for collaborations that can help you grow your brand when used strategically and with the right audience!
1. Do an Instagram Story Takeover.
2. Interview them on your blog and vice versa.
3. Host an Instagram Live or Facebook Live together.
4. Make a video together.
5. Lead a webinar together.
6. Co-create a digital product (course, program, guidebook, etc).
7. Host a workshop/virtual event together.
8. Co-create a 5-day email challenge.
9. Host a social media challenge together.
10. Join a group Pinterest board.
11. Do an Instagram Story shoutout.
12. Do a group giveaway on Instagram with fellow creators.
13. Write a guest blog feature for a larger website.
14. Pitch to be a guest on a podcast.
15. Collaborate on a photoshoot together.
Who Should You Collaborate With?
Reach out to other brands and business owners that align with you. You want to have audiences that will want to consume the other person’s content, so think carefully about what might be a good fit for your own brand.
For example, if you’re a yoga teacher, you may want to partner with a mediation expert. If you’re a social media manager, perhaps you can partner with a branding expert. If you have an e-commerce line of home goods, look for an interior designer of a similar aesthetic. If you make minimal and sustainable jewelry, a soy candle maker may share a similar audience as you!
Trying to grow your brand through collaboration with another business that’s totally opposite of you isn’t going to help anyone. These shared value campaigns are meant to benefit both of you as you partner together.
Bonus! Email Template
Not sure how to reach out to your connections? Here’s our little gift to you: a FREE template to approach someone for a collaboration is below! Use this to reach out to a chosen connection, and remember to personalize it so that it sounds authentically you.
“Hi X! Hope your week is off to a good start! I’ve always loved your style and brand. {Insert a compliment that feels natural for you.}
I’m working on {insert project here} geared to {insert purpose here}, and it hit me… why not join forces with {name of X} on this? It seems as though we cater to similar audiences with shared interests, and I’d love to introduce even more people to each other's audiences through a shared value campaign.
The Biz Goal: {Insert how this collab will serve both of you… i.e. grow your email lists, grow exposure for your brands, etc.} If you’re interested, I can send over a quick form where we can easily plan the details and get down to business. Timeline-wise, I was thinking _________. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Your Name”
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