Recent years have seen an influx of new technologies—the introduction of voice search, for example. While these additions can be beneficial, the changes they often trigger in search engine algorithms may come between your content and audience.
It’s vital to find new ways to get your website noticed, and collaboration may be the answer. Successful collaborations can boost conversions and increase site traffic. Collaboration is a rising trend among business professionals, and for good reason.
Successful collaborations can offer a number of benefits, and are an excellent way to get your content out there.
Business partnerships can take a variety of different forms, but have become increasingly common thanks to social media. Brands frequently collaborate with social media influencers who have large followings. Companies may also decide to partner with another business in their field, or push the boundaries by collaborating with a brand in a completely different niche.
Some of the best examples of these business collaborations in action come from well-known brands. For instance, Nike and Apple have been working together since the early 2000s to create activity tracking technology, while Uber and Spotify partnered to create “a soundtrack for your ride”—a great example of a co-branding partnership between two very different products with similar goals (to expand their audiences).
The potential offered by these types of collaborations is just about endless. What’s more, the benefits will be shared between you and your new associate, helping you cement a strong working relationship that can evolve over time.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages collaboration can provide for your business is by making it easier to promote your content. To illustrate that point, let’s take a look at three of the ways collaboration can give your marketing efforts a boost.
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It Helps You Grow Your Network
One of the main goals for any business is to increase conversions, and driving more traffic to your website is a perfect way to do that. When you initiate a new collaboration, it’s likely the business you’ll be working with has its own following, meaning that a whole new group of people will discover your brand. If they like what they see, you may find yourself some new customers.
Additionally, with the constant changes to the way search engines categorize content, it’s essential to find new ways to get your content in front of as many people as possible. Marketing your content to the audience of another business (as well as your own) can be a perfect way to do that.
To ensure that collaborative marketing helps you improve your business, you’ll want to consider partners who have a shared audience but aren’t in direct competition. For example, a hosting provider might collaborate with a popular Content Management System (CMS) or plug-in. The two could team up to create advertisements, promotions, and even new products that benefit both companies.
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It Can Be a Cost-Effective Method
Many collaborative partnerships involve splitting both the work and the costs involved. The specifics vary from deal to deal, but you’ll likely be sharing development and marketing expenses. This enables you to double your usual budget, while minimizing costs.
This makes collaboration a useful option for smaller businesses. Working alongside another company lets you get more for your money than you would if you were using only your own resources – providing that all parties are equally invested in making the collaboration a success.
Additionally, collaboration offers the opportunity for boosted conversions, which means more revenue and a larger budget. This is partly due to the increased promotion, but the development of new products or services can also lead to more sales.
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It’s an Excellent Learning Opportunity
It’s easy to get stuck in a routine, especially when you’re carrying out the same tasks every day. You can forget to pursue alternative ways of accomplishing your goals, potentially missing out on the benefits a fresh approach can bring.
While there are a plenty of different ways to seek inspiration, reading blog posts and listening to podcasts can only get you so far. Taking a step outside your comfort zone and trying a brand-new way of marketing your business can be incredibly beneficial.
Collaboration can give you a new perspective, trigger your creativity, and help you review your current campaigns more effectively. Plus, the brand you’re working with is likely to have a completely different way of doing things, which you can learn from and apply moving forward.
How to Build Your First Collaboration
Being successful in business often requires that you consistently make connections and build relationships. You can start this process by looking for brands that have a similar size and following as yours. They are more likely to be interested in collaboration, as the outcome will be mutually beneficial.
However, don’t be afraid to reach out to a larger business as well. Similarly, if you’re a bigger brand, you can get in touch with a smaller brand that you feel has potential. There’ve been a number of successful collaborations that have featured companies of very different sizes, so you don’t want to arbitrarily limit your options.
Once you have a likely partner in mind, it’s time to get your first collaboration underway! The first step is to build a relationship with the other business. There are a number of ways to do this, although social media can be particularly effective. You could also try attending relevant events, or using a tool like Powerlinx to help you make that initial connection.
Next, you’ll need to demonstrate your worth. In other words, you’ll need to convince the business that you have something of value to offer. This is where the mutually-beneficial aspect of collaboration comes into play. An external brand will need to be reassured that the time, money, and resources they put into a partnership will have a positive impact on their own business.
One option is to highlight the services you provide, and how they are relevant to that business’ audience. You can make it clear how your products compliment your potential partner’s, or fit an unmet need. Regardless of your specific approach, it’s important to avoid the hard-sell in your efforts to get noticed. Businesses, especially large ones, tend to receive hundreds of requests like yours every day. Being too pushy is a sure way to get ignored.
Above all, be patient. Forging the relationship required for a successful collaboration takes time, so don’t be discouraged if your attempts come up dry at first. Keep reaching out, and the right business partner will come along in time.
As getting your content noticed online becomes more difficult, it’s vital to find new methods for marketing your business. For this reason, collaborating with other companies can be mutually beneficial. Collaborations are a perfect way to reach new audiences, while boosting conversions and enabling you to try out novel campaigns.
Do you have any further questions about how you can use collaboration to give your business a needed boost? Let us know in the comments section below!