“Don’t compete where you should collaborate” is a typical quote we’ve heard several times. It shows the power of collaboration and why everyone should seek collaboration methods. 

Today, the fastest way to grow as a creator is to collaborate with other creators and create content accepted by your audience. 

So, if you’re unsure how to collaborate with other creators, we’ve written this for you. We’ll explain what is involved in content collaboration and how you can maximize it for growth and innovation. 

But first, who should you collaborate with?

How to Know Who to Collaborate With 

There are various reasons to collaborate with each other. From wanting to boost your visibility to building your network and leveraging each other’s audience, the benefits are endless. 

But to know who is ideal for you, it’s important to have a checklist or personal brand guide that helps you know what type of creator collaboration will be beneficial to you.

Consider collaborating with someone only if they satisfy the following checklist; 

• Do they align with your values?
• Do you have anything in common that brings you both together to want to create content? 
• How can the content you create be mutually beneficial?
• What do you hope to achieve after the collaboration? 

With these, you can make a list of the creators you’ll like to work with and approach them, knowing that your collaboration will be mutually beneficial. But, remember that most collaborations happen by instance, and hence may not be planned. 

What Type of Content Should You Create When Collaborating With Others?

Asides from taking pictures and shooting videos, here are some other types of content to create when collaborating with other creators. 

1. Written content

 Blog Posts: Blog posts are a versatile and popular form of written content. Collaborate on creating informative, insightful, and engaging articles that showcase each collaborator’s expertise.

Articles: Collaborate on longer, more in-depth articles for magazines, newspapers, or online publications, to enable you both to contribute your unique perspectives.

E-books: Create comprehensive e-books by dividing the content creation process among collaborators. Each person can take charge of specific chapters or sections. For example, The Ultimate Digital Product Manual, produced by Selar in collaboration with 12 other digital creators. 

2. Visual content

Videos: Plan, script, and produce videos together, leveraging each collaborator’s skills in writing, acting, filming, or editing.

Social Media Graphics: Create shareable social media graphics to amplify the reach of your collaborative content across various platforms.

3. Audio content

Podcasts: You can invite each other for a podcast to discuss trending topics and provide your unique opinions on the topic. 

4. Interactive content

Webinars: Host webinars with multiple collaborators to discuss industry trends and best practices or answer audience questions.

Instagram Lives, Twitter Space, and LinkedIn Lives are also forms of collaborative content you can create to grow your audience. Invite each other to speak about similar topics of interest, promote it on your channels, and even repurpose the content into other formats.

5. Events and workshops

Conferences and Panels: Collaborate on organizing conferences or panel discussions, where each creator can share their expertise. For example, the Digital Creator Summit.

Workshops and Training Sessions: Create educational workshops or training sessions, leveraging the diverse skills of each collaborator. For example, Yai (Process toolbox) partnered with Victor Okafor to create a community – Brands that Connect Hub. This community is made up of business owners, freelancers, and creators who want to turn their customers into loyal customers.

6. Social media campaigns

Hashtag Challenges: You can also collaborate on creating viral hashtag challenges that encourage user-generated content and participation.

Takeovers: Take turns managing each other’s social media accounts to bring fresh perspectives and engage with new audiences.

7. Contests and giveaways

Product Giveaways: Collaborate on product/service giveaways to increase brand visibility and engagement. For example, Enioluwa and Hilda Baci partnered to donate 5000 books to encourage young people to read more to promote the #WhenWeRead campaign.

8. Charity and social initiatives

 Fundraising Campaigns: Collaborate on fundraising campaigns for a charitable cause that aligns with your values and objectives.

Social Impact Content: Create content that raises awareness about social issues or promotes positive change in the community.

How to Collaborate With Other Creators 

Collaborating with other creators can be an excellent way to tap into new audiences and create innovative content.

Whether you’re a YouTuber, content creator, blogger, artist, or any other type of creator, here are some effective steps to collaborate successfully with fellow creators:

1. Identify the creator

When considering a collaboration, one of the first and most important steps is to identify the right creators to partner with. This choice can significantly impact the success of your project and how it aligns with your brand’s goals.

Begin by defining your objectives. What do you hope to achieve? Do you want to increase your audience, improve your content quality, or tap into a new niche? This will help you narrow down your search and find creators who align with your mission.

Then check if the creators align with your brand’s values or share similar interests. When you both have something similar, it becomes easier to connect with each other’s audience and create content that will be well-received by your target audience.

Once you’ve identified the creators, focus on building relationships with them.

2. Build relationships

The first step to collaborating online is to build relationships, especially if it’s an unpaid collaboration. It’s “social” media for a reason.

Despite the income abilities, job offers, and revenue sharing, the core purpose of social media is to help you build a solid network online.

Interact with people, engage with their content, and literally make yourself known to them. Respond to their questions and join the banter/jokes. It’s a great way to start a conversation and build a relationship. You may even go further by registering for their class or webinar or even buying their product.

It’s a compounding effect that brings many results. People see your expertise and want to invite you for content collaboration. It could be anything from recording a podcast to shooting a video together or writing an ebook that you can sell on Selar.

The content you’ve created becomes extra content to share on your page, more to repurpose, and increased visibility. Bonus point if the person is someone your audience will love to hear from and is a thought leader in their field.

Remember, there’s a thin line between building relationships online and kissing ass. People can smell you being fake from a mile away. So, be as natural as you can be, and freely engage with their content.

3. Reach out

Once you’ve built a good relationship with the creator, the next step is to reach out to them. It might seem daunting, but with a strategic and respectful approach, it can be a rewarding experience.

Begin by expressing genuine interest in the creator’s work. Mention specific aspects of their content that you admire or have found inspiring. This personal touch demonstrates that you’ve taken the time to appreciate their content, which can make them more likely to respond to you.

Also, chances are they already know you due to how active you’ve been on their page. Thereby, making everything easier.

It’s important to note, however, that when reaching out, your message should be concise, respectful, and to the point. While they may recognize you from your constant interactions on their content, it’s not an automatic pass into their friendship circle.

Here are some tips when reaching out to creators;

• Clearly state your intentions and the potential benefits of the collaboration for both parties.
• Find a common ground and explain how your collaboration can be a win-win situation for both parties.
• Propose specific collaboration ideas or concepts. Whether it’s a joint video, blog post, or social media campaign.
• Offer value.
• Respect their response time.
• Choose the communication platform that the creator is most active on.
• Show appreciation regardless of the outcome of the message.
• Be professional.

4. Initiate a discussion

When the creator expresses interest in working with you, it’s time to start a conversation to plan the collaboration effectively. This can include brainstorming content ideas, deciding on roles and responsibilities, establishing deadlines, and addressing any concerns or questions.

You may even create a brief that outlines the scope of the collaboration so you both can focus on creating. Align the goals and objectives and define what you aim to achieve through the collaboration.

Remember to discuss timelines and set realistic deadlines. Consider factors like content creation, review, editing, and publication, so no one is taken by surprise.

If the collaboration involves expenses or a shared budget, discuss financial matters openly. Determine how costs will be split, who will handle payment, and any other financial logistics involved. Effective communication leads to an enjoyable content creation process.

5. Work on the content

Once you are both on board and have agreed on the brief, start working together on the content. This could involve brainstorming ideas, scripting, storyboarding, or other creative processes that suit your chosen medium. 

Be open to each other’s suggestions and find ways to blend your styles to create something unique and exciting. Maintain regular communication to ensure everything is progressing smoothly. 

Then, review and edit the content together before finalizing it. Ensure that it aligns with your collective vision and meets the quality standards expected by your audience. Make any necessary revisions to improve the final product.

Collaboration is about mutual respect and compromise, so be open to making adjustments and improvements to the content to make it the best it can be.

6. Repurpose for more reach

Once the collaboration content is complete and published, promote it on your respective platforms. Leverage each other’s audiences to expand your reach, gain new followers, and maximize the impact of your collaboration.

Repurpose the content into different formats to target different audiences and keep the momentum going. Your content doesn’t have to live and die on one platform. Turn it into various formats and distribute it. The success is in the distribution.

LEARN: How to Repurpose Your Content And Boost Your Reach

Note: All collaborations may not always follow this format, so it’s better to find a method that works for you. Nonetheless, every collaboration must have an aim that must be communicated clearly to enable you to maximize the opportunity. 

Conclusion

A successful collaboration is not just a business strategy; it’s a mindset that helps you to succeed as a creator. So, rather than compete to want to have more followers than another creator, look for ways to collaborate. It is the fastest way to grow.

Ps: If you look around, you’ll see that the best creators use Selar to sell their digital products. If you’ll like to join the train, start by using Selar to sell your products. It makes collaboration easier when you all have a common ground.