January 30, 2023 Hi! Let’s play a little game…  I want you to tell me what each pair has in common. Ready? Levi’s & Pinterest CoverGirl & Lucasfilm UNICEF & Target Bonne Belle & Dr. Pepper Warby Parker & Arby’s If you’re stumped, you’re not alone. The answer is: not much except that each of these pairs of companies has collaborated in one way or another – and done so successfully too! In light of thinking of pairs that you wouldn’t typically think would go together… I want you to think about your referral partners. Think of which ones have companies that wouldn’t exactly match yours and think about how you can work together. Have one (or three) in mind? Good! Because today we’re going to think like Vanilla Ice with a fun idea on how you can collaborate with your partners!   Maybe you don’t know this about me yet but I LOVE collaborating with others! I love being able to support another partner and also show our audiences how our businesses can help them too. So today’s marketing idea is to collaborate with a referral partner on a fun short-form video! You can make it about: Your businesses – how each of you serve your clients and how you even support each other. Your expertise – if you two share expertise in an area, great! Talk about it! If you don’t, one of you can interview the other (and vice versa in another video another time). Your beginnings – people love hearing stories about where people started and how they got to where they are now. Share about how you started your business. Your home/work life balance – This is a question everyone wants to know the answer to: How do you balance your business with your family or social life? Your funniest mistake – laugh together about some of the mistakes you’ve made in your business. People love to be reminded that you’re human. Anything! – If you and your partner have a topic you find yourselves talking about often, that may be the perfect topic to discuss in a video! Just make sure to make it lighthearted and something people will enjoy watching. And of course, don’t forget to post contact info and then you both can share it on your socials!  One great conversation starter with anyone – family, friends, coworkers, etc – is talking about movies. I have maybe met one person my entire life who didn’t like movies – otherwise, it’s a great topic that anyone can contribute to!  While it seems like a non-revealing question to answer, I find there is so much to learn through people’s choices in movies. Through talking about movies, I have learned: People’s passions – the moment someone says their favorite movie is about space, emotional healing, or sports, I ask further questions and usually find out that those are important to them or reveal a long-lost dream of theirs. People’s fears – When someone says “I don’t do horror movies,” it tells me a lot about their fears or anxieties in life. People’s sense of humor – There’s a big difference between those who love Dumb and Dumber – and those who don’t. People’s de-stress methods – There are movies I’ll see in a movie theater, but I may not watch on a quiet Friday night at home with my family. Why? Because some movies are for cheering and some are for relaxation. With that in mind, I want you to ask your audience: Your favorite blogger or podcaster to follow? You don’t need to psychoanalyze every response, but think about what they could mean about your audience and what speaks to them. And that’s the most important part of this, right? Connect with your audience where they are at and build trust!  As new AI tools are released, some agencies seem eager to try them – Are robots taking over the world? Maybe, but we don’t seem to be too upset about it either. Using AI tools could be the next big step to take your company to the next level. Read More 6 Ways SEO Pros Are Using ChatGPT Right Now – Speaking of AI, if you’re wondering how businesses are already using it and how you can to, you’ll want to check this out. Some of these ways may even surprise you! Read More AskBuffer: Where do you start when creating new social channels for your business? – So you’re ready to try out a new social media platform, but where do you start? Learn some of the aspects you’ll need to consider before you click “Create.” Read More Have you had any great business advice that came from other 90s music artists?  You just never know where you’re going to find those nuggets of truth! |