7 easy collaboration ideas for business growth

If you’d rather listen to these insights, see episode 132 of The Powerful Content Podcast

Are you feeling stuck trying to grow your business, unsure of what to try next? Perhaps you’ve experimented with different strategies, but you still feel overwhelmed and a little disconnected. What if I told you that the key to feeling more inspired and motivated to unlock business growth could lie in collaboration?

In this blog post, we’ll explore how collaborations can expand your reach, enhance your credibility, spark new ideas, and create enduring friendships. Whether participating in bundles, summits, guest podcasting, or cross-promotions, the power of working together can never be underestimated!

The power of collaborations in business

Collaborations can expand your reach and grow your audience in line with your objectives. At the beginning of the year, for instance, I had an objective to grow my email list so, I participated in several bundles. If you’re unfamiliar with bundles, they’re essentially a group of business owners coming together under a host and offering a course or training for free. This might sound counterintuitive because you’re offering it for free, but if you’re in a list-building phase, it makes perfect sense.

Imagine, if there are 30 bundle participants promoting the bundle to their audience, that’s a massive number of potential eyeballs on your offer. Collaborations can also amplify an offer, enhance credibility through association, and provide access to new ideas, perspectives, and resources.

How to find the right collaborative partners

Finding the right people to collaborate with can be tricky. Not every collaboration will be a golden opportunity. It often involves trial and error, especially with things like bundles or summits where you may not have a prior connection with the host. If a collaboration doesn’t work out, consider it a learning experience.

Start with people you know and trust. These can be individuals you’ve interacted with, members or clients of yours, or people whose work or message you admire. I value my audience, so I rarely dive into collaborations without knowing the person first. This minimises risks and ensures that my brand image remains intact.

The best collaborative partners share a few common characteristics:

Similar values and mission: Partners with aligned values and mission ensure that both parties are working towards a common goal.
Complementary businesses: Together, you can make a greater impact without directly competing with each other.
Audience fit: The collaborating partner’s audience should align with your ideal client to make the collaboration mutually beneficial.

Collaboration ideas

So where do you start? Here’s 7 collaboration ideas to get your creativity flowing!

1: Guest blogging and podcasting

One of the simplest ways to start collaborating is through guest blogging or podcasting. I love guesting on other people’s podcasts. Even before I had my podcast, I guest spoke for podcasts with various niches such as finance, entrepreneurship, and photography. You could also write articles for each other’s websites or go live on social media together.

2: Joint service offers

Creating a joint service can be a powerful collaboration, although it requires trust and full investment from both parties. For example, a graphic designer and a copywriter could collaborate to offer a brand package that includes visual branding and website copy. Recently, a member of my community, who is a photographer, teamed up with a social media manager to create a day of content for their audiences. Great ideas, but you really need to have a high level of trust with each other.

3: Cross-promotion

Cross-promotion on social media or via email marketing is a super simple way to collaborate. Showcase each other’s services or share important pieces of content. This helps both businesses reach new followers and potentially grow their email lists.

4: Content creation

Collaborative content creation, such as a joint ebook or video series, can be highly effective. For example, I once collaborated with over 15 other business owners to produce a video series on growing your business. While it involved a lot of work, it was fun and rewarding for everyone.

5: Virtual summits or conferences

Organising a virtual summit or conference is another excellent way to collaborate. These events can bring together various speakers to provide value to a shared audience, which can be particularly beneficial for exposure and credibility.

6: Co-hosting workshops or webinars

Co-hosting a webinar or workshop allows you to share knowledge on a particular topic. For instance, as a content strategist, I could team up with a social media expert for a webinar on content planning for Instagram.

7: Bundle offers

Lastly, bundle offers are a fantastic way to collaborate. By teaming up with other businesses to create a bundle of products or services, you offer tremendous value to your audience while increasing your visibility.

Taking action

You might feel imposter syndrome or self-doubt, but remember, you never know what someone will say until you ask. I’ve often felt hesitant reaching out to collaborate with others, but rarely have I received a ‘no’ because I approach like-minded people who align with my values.

Collaborations can be a gold mine for your business. So, why not start thinking about who and how you’re going to collaborate with next? I can’t wait to see which collaborative idea you’ll try first!

If you’d like to see collaboration in action, then you could: