I love crime shows. My kids may even say I am a bit obsessed with them. I could watch them all day long, and well, I will admit that there have been days that I have done that. Even while I write this post, Bones is playing in the background.

My favourites lately that I have been binge-watching are Bones, Castle and The Mentalist. There is something that connects all 3 of those tv shows. Can you guess what it is? And no, it isn’t crime.

Collaborations.

The main characters of all of those shows have completely different strengths but they compliment each other greatly. Think about it for a moment.

Castle/Beckett.

Bones/Booth.

Jane/Lisbon.

Yes, you guessed it, this blog post is all about collaborations.

WHAT IS A COLLABORATION IN BLOGGING?

A collaboration in blogging is when 2 or more people come together to create a blog post or a product/service that will serve each of their respective communities. Each collaborator will bring certain strengths to highlight each other.

You want to ensure that the collaboration is beneficial to every party involved or it won’t work like it is supposed to.

If you are a blogger, you can also collaborate with brands to help them boost their brand awareness.

BENEFITS OF COLLABORATING AS A BLOGGER

1| You will increase your audience size. You want this to be a beneficial benefit for all the parties that are involved. Collaborations allow you to get in front of new readers and new potential clients.

2| Utilize your expertise. You have a set of skills that you are an expert in and so does the person you are collaborating with. You can play off each other’s skillsets and become a power team.

3| Brand awareness. When brands reach out to you to work with you, it is to increase their brand awareness through your blog. When you work together with other bloggers, you are both bringing attention to each of your brands. You want to be known for what you do and collaborations are the perfect way to start getting noticed.

4| More practice in your expertise. Collaborating is a great way to get more practice into what it is you are doing. More writing, more talking, more showcasing your skills. That is the only way to truly grow as a blogger and as an entrepreneur.

5| You are creating a support system. This is probably one of the best reasons to collaborate. You are working together on a project to get the best results that you can get but after that project is done, you want to keep that support system in place. Blogging can be lonely so having people that know what that loneliness is like is priceless. Supporting each other after the collaboration is a great way to make and nurture life long connections.

WHO SHOULD YOU COLLABORATE WITH?

This is probably the most asked question when it comes to collaboration. Knowing who you should partner with to make it the most beneficial for both of you. This question will ONLY be answered by you, but you must be honest with yourself.

Why do you want to collaborate with a certain blogger? List all of the reasons and then list the benefits of collaborating with them. Do this before you reach out. It will help you to know and remember why you wanted to collaborate with them in the first place.

Going into a collaboration you want to have clear goals of the outcome of that collaboration. What is it that you want to achieve with this collaboration? Is it more leads, more subscribers or even just getting to a new audience? Be super clear with your goals. You also want the other person to be clear with what their goals are. Have this conversation with each other before you begin any work.

Reach out to bloggers that are in shoulder niches. What is a shoulder niche? A shoulder niche is a niche that is parallel to the niche that you are in. Here are ideas for a blogger in the photography niche.

Create a list of ideas of other professionals that you can partner with and you can even create ideas of how you can collaborate together.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE READY TO REACH OUT

Make sure that when you are ready to reach out that you have done your research. More than likely, you already know who you are reaching out to when it comes to collaborations but if you don’t follow them, make sure that you do before you reach out.

Start commenting on their social media. Start getting them to notice your name popping up in their feed. But remember to make it so that you are genuinely commenting on what they are talking about. You want to add value to their social media platforms.

I would recommend reaching out by email. I find that it comes off more professional and it is easier to keep track of than sending someone a private message.

When you message them, use their first name. You want them to know that you know them. It will feel more personal. I also suggest giving them a compliment. It shows that you not only know who they are but you respect them and follow them.

Be honest that you want to collaborate with them. Share your idea with them and share your goals of the collaboration with them. You want them to know from the beginning what you are expecting from the partnership with them.

Thank them for their time because as bloggers we know how valuable our time is. I always sign off my emails with my first and last name and my website. You can even put your title in between those two things. Make sure that you also tell them that you are excited to hear back from them.

Collaborating with another blogger can be scary but it is the best way to help grow your blog organically. Use your strengths to your advantage and find someone that will help to build up those strengths.

Who do you want to collaborate with?