Collaborating is at the very heart of creator content. Be it with brands on another creator.
What is creator collaboration? When two or more content creators team up to generate content. E.g., a makeup artist and a lifestyle creator get together to create content around how to dress up for Holi.
How is a creator collaboration useful to you? It increases your reach by opening up your content to a new group of audience. It also brings a breath of fresh air to your content by introducing a different style – something your followers would enjoy.
So, the question is, how do you reach out to other creators for a collaboration? It’s easy as pie. But before we dive into it, there is one rule of thumb: find the right kind of creator!
That means: choose and reach out to a creator who works in a similar or complementary field. It is no use collaborating with a tech creator when all your content surrounds fitness.
How to reach out to content creators for collaborations?
With the golden rule out of the way, let’s get to ways you can score a creator collaboration.
The easiest method: find a platform
The quickest and easiest way to reach out to other creators is a creator community. These are platforms that already have creators looking for others to work on new content. You simply find them and tap on the “collaborate” button.
With a creator-community, you don’t have to take any extra effort. The platform does all the work for you, from sending an email to the creator to coordinating the first meet.
The longer method: show them love
People with clout on social media are a gazillion. The number of people vying for their attention is just as many.
So, dropping a comment, “let’s collaborate”, doesn’t work. You’ll just be lost in the sea of noise. Even if the creator does stumble upon your comment by chance, why should they pay you any heed?
That’s why the second way to reach out for a creator collaboration is longer. But it is effective.
- Start by following them.
- Then engage with their content: double-tap, comment, save!
- Repost and reshare their content.
- Finally, endorse them in your content: give a shout-out.
When you show a creator some love, it puts you on their radar.
Why is showing love a cardinal rule? It tells them you are listening and paying attention to their work. That opens them up to the chance of forming a partnership. So, when you reach out for a collaboration, they will truly consider you.
Moreover, by following and engaging with a creator’s content, you get to know them. Being aware of their habits will make your collaboration pitch more personal and likely to be accepted.
The common method: shootout a mail
The third method of getting a creator collaboration is the most used. You send them an email with a pitch. The key here is to show how working together will be beneficial to both of you. Also, clearly outline the goals of the collab.
Most creators will have an email button on their profile or at least mention it in their bio. Use it. Slide into the DMs only when emailing is not an option. Never, we repeat, never ask for collaboration through comments.
What to do after reaching out to a creator?
Once you reach out to a creator for a collaboration, three things may happen. They ignore you; they reject you, or they accept the pitch.
- If they ignore you, send a follow-up mail.
- If the pitch is rejected, politely ask for feedback. Listen to why they refused the collaboration and then use those points to improve your pitch.
- If the pitch is accepted, then work on setting clear deliverables. Also, listen to the ideas of the other creator. They know their audience better than you. So, their input matters.
For most creators, getting the first collaboration is not easy. Don’t be disheartened. Try and try again, with the same creator and new ones. You’ll get the lucky break soon enough.
How to make a kickass pitch?
We gave you three ways to reach out to creators. All of them require a pitch. That means you need to have a kicka$$ one. How do you build a collab pitch that catches the eye of every creator?
- Focus on what the partnership will bring to the table. Don’t focus on tooting your own horn. The creator is not interested in knowing what a ‘wonderful opportunity’ you present.
- Talk about a content they created which resonated with you and made you think a collaboration would work between you two.
- If you’re pitching to a big creator, ask meaningful questions. Most of them go out of their way to help and support new creators.
Last few words
There are several ways to find new creators ready to work with you: a creator-community, an offline event, or even a platform like YouTube Creators Academy.
All you need to do is take the first step. Don’t fear it. Just reach out!
And in case you’re already collab’ing with creators and are all out of ideas, here are 7 of them.
