Secrets to Creating Win-Win Marketing Collaborations.

You’ve found the perfect brand to partner with, you've got the idea nailed down, and you both say “Let’s do it!”  But then... crickets. Mismatched expectations and lackluster results - have all your efforts been for nothing? You’ve heard the saying “borrow other people’s audiences” but so far, the marketing collaboration approach is not living up to the hype. 

Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be this way. Great collaborations can double your reach, boost your credibility, and even generate direct revenue, without having to pay for expensive ads. But only if you lay the groundwork right. Over the years, I've seen my share of successes and flops - and I've curated five practical tips will help any small business create clear, aligned, and successful collaboration experiences. 

1. Brainstorm creative ways to borrow other brand’s audiences.

As they say in marketing, there are three ways to grow your audience: build it organically (slow), buy it through paid avenues (expensive), or borrow it through collaborations. But what does borrowing even mean?

Get creative when thinking about how to get your brand and your offers in front of audiences that other brands or organizations have cultivated. Once you keep your eyes open for collaborations, you’ll begin to see them everywhere. 

Here are some examples:

• Visibility in front of new audiences (podcasts, “freebie swaps” or “promotion swaps,” contests, giveaways, bundles, guest speaking engagements)

• Building authority (podcasts, joint webinars, joint articles or videos)

• Boosting search visibility (joint articles or videos, guest blogging, mentions with backlinks)

• An opportunity to market an offer (“promotion” swaps, newsletter mentions, event listings, podcasts, a discount)

• Lead generation and capture (freebie swaps, joint webinars, workshops, or events) 

• Sales opportunity (joint event with paid tickets, a paid joint offer)

Collaborations can provide powerful “borrow” options at almost every level of your sales and marketing funnel.  Look at areas where you want a boost, then start to map out how your business can find opportunities at multiple levels. 

2. Look for potential collaborators with adjacent services and similar audiences. 

When evaluating an opportunity to use other people’s audiences, make sure it’s an audience that you actually want. Get clear on your ideal client avatar, and look back on previous marketing campaigns and lead generation activities.

Ask yourself:

• Does their audience contain my ideal client avatar?

• Does their audience contain some potential buyers?

The answers should be “yes” to both of those questions before you proceed. Use your best judgment as to how many potential buyers you could have access to. Not every audience is going to be filled 100% with potential buyers - only you can consider what the threshold should be.

At least a portion of their audience should be viable candidates for a sale. An audience full of tire kickers, freebie seekers, or window shoppers may be easy to obtain, but not necessarily the best use of your time.

3. Observe how your potential power partners execute their marketing. 

Even if you have found a wonderful power partner, a collaboration could be frustrating if one side “feels like” they are doing all the work or all the promotion. I’ve seen it happen many times!

It’s actually more common than you think -  because many small teams are  under-resourced, focused on other initiatives, or don’t have a solid marketing strategy. Feeling like the other party let you down can leave a bitter taste in your mouth when a collaboration falls flat.

• Observe which marketing and visibility channels that the prospective partner uses the most (and how well they use it). Do they have a strong brand presence and a cohesive overall strategy?

• Ask yourself if their marketing execution aligns with your objectives. Try to go with the systems they have already created instead of asking them to do something new or different. Make it easy for them to add this collaboration to their to do list. 

• Look at their previous or current collaborations, if possible. Is this a brand or business that is open to collaborations? Are they new to the process, or are they seasoned and experienced? See what you can learn from their previous collaborations to understand their tendencies and preferences. 

• Outline clear expectations of which partner does what (and when) for any promotion or marketing before anyone commits to the mutual effort. Consider how your team will promote the collaboration as well. Include this in your proposal along with any other legal, financial, or logistical details. 

• Be honest and realistic about the potential outcome. If both you and your power partner have small audiences, don’t expect supersized results. If it's a relatively new channel or offer (for example, a new podcast) it may not have the impact of a firmly established and successful collaboration (such as appearing on a podcast with millions of listeners). 

If either party doesn't have the resources, bandwidth, or a strong desire to collaborate, it’s time to move on to a better opportunity. Don’t take it personally if your idea is declined. Your time and marketing resources are limited - choose wisely where you want to spend them.

4. Propose a mutually beneficial collaboration.

Before crafting a collaboration idea, ask yourself: why would the other person say yes?  The most successful collaborations, joint ventures, or partnerships are the ones where all parties get something out of it. 

Clearly you’ve identified that the other brand, organization, or venue has something that you or your audience finds valuable. Take a moment to think about what’s in it for them?  

• Do you have an audience that you can share with them?

• Do you have a complementary product or service that their audience would appreciate?

• How does your work together either build their visibility, grow their brand authority, or improve their bottom line?

Most businesses are protective of their audience and brand, and don’t want to spend their goodwill on promotions for someone else. Be sure to present all benefits when asking if they are interested in collaborating. 

5. Ask yourself: does this collaboration strengthen your brand?

Lastly, take an honest look at what you’re proposing. Does your work together strengthen or dilute your brand? Go back and re-evaluate your high level strategy, brand mission, brand values, and business objectives. 

While a collaboration may be beneficial in the short-term, if it’s undermining the brand and your long-term objectives, it may not be worth it. Time to consider an alternative.

The best marketing collaborations are more than just cross-promotions, they’re co-creation.

But if you don’t set them up strategically to be easy, powerful, and mutually beneficial, even the most promising partnership can miss the mark. Whether you’re teaming up for a launch, a giveaway, or a joint offer, use these five golden rules to set you up for success from the start.

Christine McShane is a content marketer, messaging strategist, and copywriter for Christine McShane Creative. She’s helped her clients create marketing strategies (including strategic collaborations) that sell, grow their email lists, Want help? Contact Christine McShane Creative here.

Images have been created by AI to illustrate the points about marketing collaborations.