What is collaboration or collaborative marketing?

Collaborative marketing, or collaborations (collabs for short), is a marketing strategy in which two or more businesses collaborate to develop a joint product or service.
Reaching target audiences is a critical goal for any business, but it can be challenging when you’re competing for attention and bookings with other resorts. Collaboration with influencers who share your vision and beliefs is the greatest method to overcome this obstacle. This will assist you in reaching out to new customers while also raising brand awareness.

The Benefits of Collaborative Marketing

You may reach out and interact with your customers on their level using collaborative marketing. Customers will trust your brand if you create items and services that suit their demands. Both parties will benefit from increased brand loyalty and sales as a result of this.

Collaboration allows for low-cost marketing

Collaboration marketing is less expensive than traditional advertising tactics like TV ads, radio spots, billboards, and so on because there is no need to spend money on creation, distribution, or promotion. Instead, all of these funds will be used to pay influencers to promote your resort.

You are not required to pay in advance.
Collaboration marketing is often less expensive than running ad campaigns on Facebook or Instagram. Each cooperation is unique. Make the decisions that are best for you and your collaborators. If one influencer converts, for example, they will be paid a commission for each booking made through them.
Another advantage of collaborative marketing is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to promote your beach resort.

Collaboration brings new knowledge to the table

Influencers come from a variety of backgrounds. They could work in fields such as finance, technology, education, journalism, fashion, food, travel, health, sports, entertainment, the arts, politics, religion, charity, and social concerns, among others. Influencers bring fresh ideas to the table, allowing you to better comprehend how people think and act.
This means you may have a better understanding of your audience and make decisions based on facts rather than assumptions.

Collaboration is fast

To get started, you wouldn’t require months of planning and many meetings. Collaborations can be established in a matter of minutes. You only need a list of potential partners and a game plan.
Collaboration involves less time and effort than advertising on your own.
Consider launching a cooperation campaign immediately if you want to increase your beach resort bookings.

Tips in Creating a Fruitful Collaboration

Clearly define your objectives

Before engaging with any influencer, make a list of your objectives. If you’re stuck on ideas, ask yourself, “What am I attempting to accomplish?” and “How will my business grow?” You’ll be more focused when choosing your influencer once you know why you want to connect. Set specific goals for yourself.
Clearly clarify your expectations before beginning a collaboration. Both sides will know what to expect from the other in this manner. In your agreement, you may also specify terms and conditions. Payment, timeframes, exclusivity, and other issues should all be addressed.

Be open and honest.
Nothing should be kept hidden from your collaborator. Always keep an open mind and be truthful. Allow your influencer to see everything about your resort and brand.

Select the Right Influencer

With so many potential collaborators and influencers, it’s critical to pick the appropriate one for your business.
Choose your influencers carefully.
There are thousands of influencers on the internet, but only a few of them are effective. Make certain that the influences you choose share your values and interests.
Here are some things to think about when deciding whether or not an influencer might be a good fit for your brand:

1) Does he/she align with your company culture?

2) Is his/her content relevant to your industry?

3) Are you looking for someone who has authority over your niche market?

4) How does he/she communicate?

5) What type of followers does he/she have?

6) Will he/she convert?

7) Can you afford him/her?

Consider yourself a customer

When you look at the campaign through the eyes of a customer, you can see what works best for your business. If you observe that most clients prefer videos to photographs, for example, you’ll likely encourage your collaborators to generate video posts.
What kind of material would your target audience respond to the most? Use the information you’ve gathered to guide your current and future efforts. Your partnerships must bring genuine value to your visitors’ experiences. By merging several sorts of media, you can create something unique and memorable.
Learn about your influencer’s motivations.

Inquire as to what motivates your influencer to post material every day. Figure out what makes him tick. “Why do you write?” “Who inspires you?” “What keeps you motivated?” “What gets you excited?” and “What do you enjoy doing?” are all good questions to ask.
Customers are more inclined to book with you if they can relate to your partner influencer.

Maintain your brand’s integrity

While working together, stay true to your brand principles. Don’t jeopardize your identity for the sake of a quick buck.
Make sure that the initiatives and partners you choose are in line with your values and objectives. The partners would be representing your brand and could have an impact on whether customers see you positively or negatively.

Consider ‘mutual benefit’ rather than ‘payment’

If you don’t want to pay in full right away, offer your influencer a discount on services completed. In exchange, she will gladly advertise your company.
It is not always necessary to give something away in order to receive something in return. You can sometimes provide rewards to your influencer without jeopardizing your brand’s reputation.
You may, for example, reward your influencer by providing complementary products and services. Perhaps you might provide food or beverage discounts.

Make sure you and your influencer don’t have any competing interests. If you wish to cooperate with a blogger, make sure he isn’t affiliated with any competitors. Similarly, avoid partnering with anyone whose products or services compete with your own resort’s offerings.
Include detailed instructions.

Utilize the technology available to you

Instead of being an option, social media has become a must. Make use of social media to help you with your partnership. You can utilize it to reach out to potential clients in a different way. It also aids in the development of trust between them.
Instruct your influencers to engage directly with their followers using tools like Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, Snapchat, and other social media platforms. This will aid in increasing your brand’s engagement rates.

Make a communication schedule that you can stick to

Schedule a meeting with your collaborator once a week. Set aside time at least once a month to discuss the campaign’s progress. Use this opportunity to inquire about his or her progress and difficulties.
Keeping track of all interactions is essential.
Monitor your influencer’s performance using Google Analytics. Keep track of which posts bring in the most traffic and conversions. These should become a regular part of your regimen.

When things go well, don’t forget to appreciate your influencer. Thanking them for sharing your story with them with a simple email goes a long way.
It may seem obvious, but we are prone to overlooking minor nuances. After receiving feedback from someone, you should send a follow-up communication.

Keep a record of important procedures. 

Make a checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything. Create a list of tasks that must be accomplished before releasing a new product or service, for example.
Make a contingency plan. Determine who else may be interested in collaborating with you. Consider enlisting the assistance of other bloggers. Your stories and experiences can be shared with others as well.
Be adaptable. It’s possible that your influencer will face some unforeseen delays. Be ready to change your mind rapidly.
When both sides are on the same page, the best collaborations happen.

Engage in Conversation

Keep interactions lighter when working together. Avoid getting into fights over trivial matters. Instead, concentrate on what is truly important: developing relationships.
This necessitates an open mind and a willingness to listen. Don’t assume that simply because you’ve been around longer, you know everything. If you need more information, ask questions.
Keep in mind that individuals enjoy talking about themselves. As a result, make an effort to understand more about your collaborators’ passions.

Measure your Collaboration KPI

Keep an eye on how your collaborators are doing when it comes to marketing your beach resort. The trick is to track your progress.
Shares, conversions, comments, likes, follows, page views, and other critical performance indicators to keep an eye on include:
If you discover that your influencer isn’t living up to your expectations, don’t be afraid to tell him or her, and then consider other techniques. Don’t be discouraged, though. It’s never too late to get better. But keep in mind that you shouldn’t criticize until you’re confident that you can fix the problem.

Conclusion

Your efforts to collaborate could pay off handsomely. If done correctly, it can result in improved sales and a higher return on investment.
However, there are a few things you must consider first. To begin, make sure you’re working with someone you respect. Second, make sure you and your partner collaborate closely. Third, establish explicit objectives and expectations. Finally, have a pleasant attitude throughout the procedure.

The collaboration will only benefit you if you put out sufficient effort.

Please contact us at swanmediasolutions@gmail.com or book your schedule for a consultation if you need assistance promoting & marketing your brand.