Brand collaborations in the social space are all the rage these days, and for good reason! Collaborations are great for growing your brand’s online following, increase sales and revenue and generating exposure to an audience that you may have otherwise not reached. In order for your collaboration to be successful it is important that you follow these key tips to ensure your online collaboration is a success.
- Ensure the business your collaborating with is complimentary to yours
So many times we will see businesses connect purely for the sake of collaboration. However, if asked if they would ever have anything to do with the company on a professional level, we will get the answer of no. Online users are very savvy, and want to see content that is seemingly organic. Collaborating with a lingerie store when you own a children’s boutique will more likely confuse or perplex your followers, rather than excite them! You need to look for opportunities that will allow you to create a completely stoppable image. So in the case of a Lingerie store, think lingerie with candles, purses and body cream.
- Implement a collaboration agreement
When collaborating with another business, it is likely that there will be an exchange of product or intellectual property. In order to not only protect you, but also the other parties involved, it is important that you create a collaboration agreement. The agreement doesn’t have to be overly complex, or drawn up by a lawyer, but simply should include key points that outline who will retain ownership of content produced within the collaboration, who is liable for the loss or damage of products exchanged, as well as whether or not product will be returned to the owner after the collaboration has finished and who will be responsible to bear the costs of return.
- Make it interesting!
If you truly want to spark engagement, then you need to create an imaginative and interesting concept to get people talking! A simple way to do this is to create a competition in which all parties involved provide product to be won. Competitions are great as you can create funnels to ensure all businesses benefit from the increase in followers and engagement from the competition. Additionally, you could also create an amazing conceptual photo shoot to create original content. The below shot is a great example of how you can create conceptual shots highlighting multiple products that are complimentary of each other.
We love a good online collaboration! If you would like to participate in an online collaboration to promote or extend your business online, contact us for help connecting with like minded businesses.
Alicia
