How to collaborate using social media

There is no 'I' in team, they say. Without remote team collaboration and communication, this past year would have been a total failure. 

So would anything have been possible without using digital communication and social tools such as slack, zoom, google meet, file sharing, and document collab applications, project management, and workflow systems like Trello and Asana. 

 Considering all of our networking and brand awareness has been at the behest of online visibility and outreach, social collaboration has never been at its strongest or most necessary. If you have struggled over the past year to broaden your brand's audience and awareness, perhaps now is the time to benefit from social media collaboration. 

So what is social media collaboration and its benefits?  

There is great power in allies. Collaboration comes from sourcing brands and businesses similar to your product or services by their audience, core values, expertise, and community. 

Then, with a combined effort and shared goals, collaboration with another brand or business will allow for both of your audiences to grow and create a broader community of engagement for your social media marketing efforts. 

The philosophy behind the brand collaboration is a new way of approaching solutions for your business. 

Instead of exclusively crafting solutions to your business within your own trusted team or outsourcing consultants, you can foster a culture of community-minded brand awareness. Helping each other promote, innovate, develop and think outside the box. 

When you choose inclusion as a value system, you present a strong message to your audience and clientele base; you want others to be a part of your story—furthering your reach, propelling engagement, and getting your name out there. 

Your collaboration should be S.M.A.R.T.

Having a goal for your collaboration is one thing, but what is the breakdown? How will this ultimately serve you, and how can you tell if it's working? 

 Specific: Why did you choose this particular goal, and what do you want to accomplish? Who on your team(s) needs to be involved? When did you plan on launching your collaboration? 

Measurable: What are the tools needed to track and measure your efforts? What does the end goal look like in quantifiable terms? 

Achievable: Do me and my collaborators have the skills required to achieve this goal? If not, how do I get them? Do our combined efforts match what is necessary to reach this goal?  

Relevant: Why now? What is the complete picture of your brand's objectives? Does it fit in with current trends and culture? 

Time-bound: is your deadline realistic? How are you tracking your collaborative team's timeline? If your collaborator falls short, what is your game plan? 

Who do you collaborate with? 

Influencers Authenticity is the key when finding an influencer that matches your brand or business. 

You want to invest in a partnership by engaging with those who represent your core values and objectives. The last thing you want is to involve yourself with someone who does not come through on your agreement or misrepresents themselves. 

The main reason is trust; why influencers have such power on social is their loyalty and trust they have earned and coveted by their followers. An influencer wants to do right by their audience and wish to be mindful that your goals, product, or service match their own. 

You can collaborate with an influencer through brand ambassadorship, content, or sponsorship posts on social media, blogs, or websites. 

You will need to outline your campaign objectives and expectations clearly. The influencer will then create content, promote your brand on their website, social media feeds/channels, podcasts, or blogs. 

Similar brands or businesses, just like you.

Start small, within your already established community and network. 

The idea is 'stronger together,' supporting those around you trying to accomplish further outreach and presence online similarly. There are some creative ways to collaborate with your potential partner. 

If your products are complementary to one another, you can release a collaborative product, service, or package. Ideally, one would benefit the other, making it incredibly appealing to both of your demographics. Always asking the question, what problem am I solving, and is this a solution? 

Host a giveaway together, stay engaged, and be on top of each other's content by sharing, promoting each other's posts, and even going live together on Instagram. Your combined efforts should run deeper than reposting each others' content, so be mindful, like with the SMART goals, you can fulfill what's required of the task. 

Digital Marketing Agency

Partnering with a digital marketing agency can boost your campaign success rate by investing in their expertise. They are there to help you reach your goals, create strategies, discuss budgets, asses timelines, target the correct demographic, and find reputable influencers for your brand. 

A new team to bring fresh ideas, project management, leading marketing tools, and perspectives to your business. 

Growth is the common goal; collaborating with an agency allows you to focus on your business and not invest heavily in creating and managing each step of your campaign. Supporting brand development and visibility is what digital marketing teams are here to do.  

Need a digital marketing agency?

We’ve got you! Healthy Dash of Social is a full-service digital marketing agency for product brands and non-profits. Our team of experts is ready to take on your social media management, content creation, email marketing, influencer marketing, and other digital marketing needs. Click here to view our services and schedule your free 30-minute chat.