The Top 5 Questions to Ask Before Getting Started on a Digital Partnership

So you’ve selected a company to partner with and you know you want to promote your partnership online — but now what?

Here’s a list of the top five questions to ask before getting started on a digital partnership. What’s meant by digital partnership? We think of online marketing activities like Instagram giveaways, collaborative blog posts (or swapping blogs), email newsletter promotions, showcasing collaborative recipes on your website, or Facebook/Instagram story takeovers.

Consider this your checklist of questions to ask every single time to get started on a new partnership!

1. What do you want to say?

Messaging, messaging, messaging. It’s all about messaging. How do you want to position your company, your partner’s company, and what you’re working towards together? It’s important to have a clear vision of what exactly you want to tell or show your current and prospective customers. Really think this one through, as it can make or break your digital partnership.

2. Who is creating the content calendar?

When getting started on a digital partnership, it’s critical to have both parties on the same page. Make a decision early on to determine exactly who is going to manage the content that is being created. Have him/ her create a content or editorial calendar so everyone knows who needs to do what and at what time. Additionally, be sure to set ‘due dates’ for each of your projects; it’s a sure-fire way to keep on track. A great way to set up a content calendar is to leverage existing tools like HubSpot in order to create a comprehensive view for all parties involved. Like this:

3. Who is going to create the content?

After creating your content calendar, decide who is going to create the content itself. Who is the best writer, editor and/or designer of the group? Which company has the photography chops to do a great job? Do you want to keep it in house, or hire an outside contractor? Who do you trust to get the job done well, and in a timely manner? Additionally, you want to be sure this person knows the brand guidelines for each company involved.

4. Where will the content be posted?

While in the beginning phases of your digital partnership, you and your partner need to make a decision as to where your content will be posted. When it comes to posting content, your options are endless: you can post on social media, on each of your websites, on Google, and/or place digital ads. The opportunities to promote your partnership are endless. Make a decision on where you’d like to post and set aside a budget for the timeframe you’ve designated. For example, when Health-Ade Kombucha partnered with Tone It Up, they released the partnership on their social media pages as well as blog posts with similar imagery, catered to each platform (image #1 is from Health-Ade’s blog and image #2 is from Tone It Up’s Instagram page):

Health-Ade's Blog image

Tone It Up's Instagram post

5. What’s the timeframe for sharing content?

Before getting started on a digital partnership, you and your partner need to decide on a timeframe for sharing content. How long do you want to partner together? How often do you want to post? Is there a specific time of day or year you’d like to post? Timeframe is important when it comes to digital partnerships because you want to make sure the content you’re putting out is timely and relevant to your customers. Whether your partnership is long or short, it’s important to decide on a timeframe right away so you can plan your budget accordingly.

Find partners to create a digital partnership with by signing up for Parsnip here — or sign in now to start connecting with future partners.