LET’S TALK COLLABORATION!
Last month I had the pleasure of being a panelist at The Collab Party event hosted by Kristina Bartold and Carly Ottaway, all centered around collaboration and unlocking limitless opportunities through dreamy, aligned partnerships for entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses and expand their impact! Collaborating and building community is such a huge part of my brand with Inspire + Move and BENCHMARK FITNESS, and it is one of my favourite topics, so in this blog post I thought I would go deeper into some of the questions we talked about on the panel! You can also find my podcast episode if you prefer that medium linked below as well!
So let’s dive deeper into these questions and my thoughts on each of them! If you are looking to expand into potential partnership opportunities in the future, start here!
1. What should you look for when considering a brand of business for collaboration?
Essentially, this question begins with YOU first! Getting clear on exactly what you stand for and who you are as a brand and/or a business can act as a guideline and north star for getting approached or reaching out to other brands to collaborate with. Then when the opportunity does arise, there is no question about whether or not you and this brand are the right fit for one each other, because your values are set!
Sometimes this also means refusing a collaboration. Your customers, clients and followers might be smarter than you think! If you partner with someone that doesn’t align with your brand identity (for example if I was to partner with a fast-food chain.) they would be able to tell that this partnership isn’t genuine to what you’ve shown that you stand by in the past, and could lose their trust. Partnerships can be exciting, but it's important to consider them thoughtfully, and leave that opportunity open for someone who might be more well matched. You could even make a referral! Plus, if you work with partners that you are honestly excited and passionate about, you will naturally produce content and messaging that perfectly connects with you both and that will be evident!
2. How have collaborations helped me grow and expand my business and brand?
I am a firm believer in collaboration over competition. It is a delight that so many others in my community have this same belief! There is so much room for all of us in whatever area of business or industry you might find yourself in. Everyone is going to do things a little differently and put their own unique spin on it, even if what you are offering might appear generally similar on the surface. The sooner you can step into your own gift and uplift the ones around you, the sooner you can operate out of an abundance mindset, not one of scarcity. Focus on what you do best, how you can serve your client, and I can tell you from experience that this will only increase your own organic growth and expansion.
3. How do I set clear goals and expectations to encourage success? How do I navigate challenges?
Communication is the obvious, but often overlooked, aspect to making your experience in any collaboration an enjoyable one all around. Have a deep understanding of what your partner is looking for, their objective, their messaging and what they need is key! Don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions and how you can best support them depending on what and how they would be benefiting from the collaboration.
When it comes to dealing with challenges, try to have a solution oriented mindset when possible. If you encounter a problem, think of a few solutions to bring to the table before going to the partner. This way when you approach them about it, they feel supported and can begin to build a trust with you that you are reliable and innovative.
4. My favourite ways to leverage each other’s audiences and marketing on social media?
In most cases, I have never seen an issue with over delivering to the business or brand you are working with when it comes to setting you both up for success! When you know what they are looking for and can throw in some extra content, behind the scenes or bringing your followers along for the journey can go a long way, shows your commitment, and usually doesn’t mean much more work on your end. I always communicate with my partners what I am going to be delivering, what I’ll be posting or sharing. Being smart and intentional with how you utilize what would speak to yours and their audience is great especially when doing something like a collab post. Even before you are working with a brand, taking the time to tag them on your socials or share something of theirs online is an awesome opportunity to help others beforehand.
Hard to believe that this only scratches the surface of this incredible topic (which is why I could talk about it forever!) and I encourage you to give my podcast episode a listen too! I will leave you with this last bit of food for thought though, and that is to JUST ASK! When it comes to those dream collabs, you need to believe that you are so worthy of them and amazing things! If you do receive a “no”, it might be just that, OR it’s a “no, not right now”! But at the end of the day, you never know unless you reach out!
I hope you feel inspired to dream big and talk about your bucket list collab partners! You are so worthy of great things and I believe in you! Let’s continue to support each other and connect with me on instagram @InspireAndMove!