Holiday marketing tip #4: Artist collaboration
An artist collaboration is the fastest, simplest, and safest holiday marketing move you can make. Get tips on how to do this type of cross-promotion well.
Hi! 👋
An artist collaboration is the fastest, simplest, and safest holiday marketing move you can make. Get tips on how to do this type of cross-promotion well.
Welcome (back)! 🤗
This is Petra from The Creators' Diary. If this is your first TC’D newsletter, welcome! We’re happy you’ve subscribed!
Share what you think about this issue or the questions you struggle with as a creator by simply replying to this email. A real human (Petra) reads it.
Holiday marketing tip of the week 🎄
It’s good to collaborate with another creator because you can:
- Tap into a new audience; people who will likely love your work, being interested in creative products, art, and handmade goods
- Expand your reach, boosted by your partner's platforms
- Get more sales opportunities by getting in the feed or inbox of more people
- Work in a comfortable environment with a like-minded individual—as opposed to a collaboration with a company, which, understandably, might make some artists nervous
The above factors are true for the other creator you'll work with, too. It’s a win-win.
If you try one of my “holiday marketing tips for creators”, an artist collaboration might be your safest, simplest, fastest choice. It's a very fruitful road leading to higher brand awareness and improved sales in general, but especially over the holidays when people are in a gift-buying mode and are grateful to discover new brands, artists, and products.
How to pick the right creator to partner with for a collaboration?
- Find a creator whose audience overlaps with yours, but isn't identical.
Think of complementary, not competing. For example, a candle maker could collaborate with a ceramicist, whereas it might not make as much sense for two candle makers to work together, as you'd eat into each other's market share. - Make sure your partner stands by the same values and beliefs as you.
Look at the types of content and messages they share online, and how they communicate on their socials. You need to be aiming for brand safety on all the platforms your creations appear, and make sure that your name is associated with the right partners and in the right context. - See if there's a similarity or harmony in artistic style you could achieve together with your artist partner.
This part depends on the type of collaboration you would do. If you'll simply do a shared giveaway or maybe story shoutouts, you don't need to be so strict about this one.
However, if you plan to create a limited-edition product together with someone, style becomes an influencing factor for you and your partner, and for your followers on both sides.
Pick a partner whose style can work with yours, whether you're aiming for unison or surprise. Additionally, keep in mind what your audiences like and might be expecting from a collaboration like yours, to improve the likelihood of them buying what you create.
What are popular formats for an artist collaboration?
From simple shoutouts to limited collaborations, you have many options here. The most important part is to go with a format that feels authentic and comfortable for you.
- Instagram/TikTok shoutouts or story swaps
- Collaborative giveaways with entry for both audiences
- Bundled products for holiday specials
- Co-create a limited-edition holiday product—something unique available only for the season
- Guest content in newsletters or social posts
You can always include more than one format in your collaboration, or scale it based on how much effort you both can put into it.
If you go with social media shoutouts, you can even collaborate with more than one creator. When it comes to organising a giveaway or creating a limited-edition product, it's going to take up more of your time and energy, so it's likely better if you limit yourself to one collaboration.
For now, reach out to another creator this week and discover collab opportunities before the holidays. I think you'll be surprised at the chances you (both) can get.
Creator snippet of the week 📌
Ceramicist AJ Simpson, whom I interviewed for The Creators' Diary, first collaborated with a lampshade maker in 2023. Their partnership has been running for over two years now and has resulted in several joint art collections, including the latest one in July of this year.
See you next week,
Petra
Petra Gönczi
