Exploring the Benefits of Strategic Podcast Collaboration Partnerships in Podcasting
Working in marketing, there’s no doubt you’ve been to numerous networking events. Why? They’re an excellent way to boost awareness for your brand, gain new clients, and embark on new partnerships.
Collaborations with branded podcasting are the same and should be an integral part of your podcast growth strategy.
What will a podcsat collaboration do for my branded podcast?
You’ll benefit in several ways if you’ve chosen your collaborations strategically! Here are a few to start:
- Boosted value for your listeners.
- Broadening your network and audience base.
- Access to more capital for production.
The key is to be particular about who you partner with. Look for brands that are like-minded and carry similar values. That way, their audience will likely overlap with yours, unlocking some new, potentially loyal listeners.
By choosing a brand similar to yours, you’ll also add value to your present listener’s lives — which is crucial for keeping them on board with your brand. You’ll bring in loads of new information and value that still aligns with why your listeners love you (and your brand) in the first place.
Of course, great production does take some budgeting and comes with a cost. When you partner with another brand, you have access to more funding for studio time, bringing in excellent sound designers, equipment, and even other high-profile guests.
Sharing is caring, and that remains true for branded podcasts and collaborations.
What kinds of podcast collaboration opportunities exist for branded podcasting?
If the first thing that comes to mind for a collaboration or partnership is a sudden, annoying ad interjection during your show, think again! There are three main types of collaborations, but how you partner with other branded podcasts is up to you. The world is your oyster, so don’t hesitate to get creative!
Here are the three most common types:
Cross-promotion
Cross-promotion is a straightforward form of collaboration between brands. From something as simple as a shoutout to a “suggested listening statement” as your season finale comes to a close, all you have to do is make sure your partner’s podcast name reaches your listener’s ears with a nod of approval.
Hosting and Guesting
Becoming a guest host or sitting in on another show takes much more effort than a basic cross-promotion. However, it’s a great way to reach many more listeners and get them hooked on your brand by showing off some personality. Fill in a guest slot for someone else’s show or work together on a mini-series or themed episode. You’ll be able to share each other’s audience, budget, and promotional efforts, boosting your original branded show when listeners fall in love with you and are left looking for more.
Marketing Content
Content marketing for a branded podcast goes beyond the show itself. Like how we create social media and video assets for our clients’ shows, it is always worthwhile to create as many types of marketing content as possible to help promote your show. Creating marketing content for partners, such as a guest blog post, can be a fantastic opportunity to grow your visibility and thought leadership by capitalizing on their audience and SEO benefits like backlinking.
How do I find my perfect branded podcast partner?
You need a few things to find your perfect partner. The first is to be an undeniably great partner yourself. Ensure you’re an expert in your field, always over-deliver, offer lots of excellent ideas for collaboration, be a delight to work with, and always bring something unique to the table.
You want to be able to add value to your listener’s lives, but you also want to expand your reach. In essence, you need a partner with some listener overlap so you know you have similar brand values and goals, but that also opens a window to an entirely new demographic. An excellent hack for discovering that desired overlap is visiting Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Chartable and looking at your show’s “Recommendations” or “Similar to This…” section and reaching out to those shows.
Finally, you’ve likely built a fantastic community around your podcast and within the loving audio community itself. Rely on those networks! Look within your community for other creators you love, respect, and resonate with. They could be the perfect collaboration partner for you and your show, bringing new talent to the table.
5 Key Takeaways:
- Enhanced Listener Value: Collaborating with other podcasts can significantly enrich your content, offering your listeners diverse perspectives and deeper insights, aligning with what they already appreciate about your brand.
- Expanded Audience Reach: Through strategic podcast collaborations, you can access a broader audience base, tapping into your collaborator’s listeners and potentially gaining loyal followers.
- Increased Production Resources: Partnerships often come with shared resources, which can mean better production quality due to increased funding and access to better equipment and talent.
- Creative and Diverse Content Opportunities: Collaboration isn’t limited to simple shoutouts; it can include guest hosting, joint content creation, and other innovative content marketing efforts that enhance listener engagement.
- Finding the Right Partner: Identifying the right collaboration partner involves looking for podcasters with similar values and audience overlap, which can lead to more effective and mutually beneficial collaborations.
By:Laurissa Cebryk
Roger transitioned from a 22 year career in advertising account management to co-founding JAR, a podcast podcast production agency. As CEO of JAR, he propels the company’s growth by prioritizing audience engagement and podcast marketing. Under his guidance, JAR flourishes with a global clientele, aiming to broaden its reach across North America and revolutionize brand connections through immersive storytelling.