What Martha Stewart & Snoop can teach Private Wealth professionals about reaching new prospects

Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson; Aerosmith and Run DMC; The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl; Martha Stewart and Snoop!

A collaboration, when done right, can deliver significantly more impact than the sum of its parts. The music industry and other content creators have given us enduring examples of the kind of creative energy that a well-thought-out ‘mash-up’ can achieve. But how can professionals create some of the same magic in the world of private wealth?

In this first of a two-part series, we outline why online content collaborations are the fastest, most effective way to simultaneously boost your profile, your audience and your network.

Why collaborate?

Barring a viral miracle, there are few more effective ways to reach a fresh audience of high-quality prospects than by working with another expert who already has access to the people you are trying to reach.

Collaborations have become a mainstay of the influencer playbook and have proved something of a secret sauce for many private wealth professionals seeking to build their profile across their target client base.

Here are the main reasons why, at PCD Media, we work with our clients to incorporate collaborations into their content strategy:

Audience sharing: Creating collaborative content gives you the opportunity to leverage other people’s brands and audience, exposing both parties to a fresh pool of prospects.

Half the workload: Being the sole energetic focus of a podcast, video, or even a written article can be hard work when all you have in front of you is a camera or a mic. Having someone there who is equally as invested and engaged as you are, can add intellectual and creative rigour to both the process and the product.

Richer, more-engaging output: Your audiences are the ultimate beneficiaries of a successful collaboration as they get to enjoy new perspectives and expertise on the topic at hand. Where there is a personality fit (i.e. chemistry between the collaborators), it can make for a much more entertaining watch, read or listen.

Lock-in the relationship: When you work with someone else to produce a piece of content that does well, it fast-tracks the relationship, exposes them to your expertise and often opens up the opportunity to continue working together in a range of other ways.

Collaborative content formats

A content partnership can take a range of different formats. The approach you choose will ultimately depend on you, your existing platforms and the format that your target collaborator is most familiar with. Here are some of the most effective content types that are working right now:

Guest posts

If you have a regular newsletter, blog or video series, invite another expert to guest write or present a piece of content. A guest post allows the contributor to gain exposure to a new audience, while the host platform enjoys fresh perspectives and content that it doesn’t have to produce. This type of collaboration often serves to enhance credibility, broaden reach, and engage audiences in a way that benefits both parties.

Expert roundup

An expert roundup is a curated collection of insights, opinions, or advice from multiple professionals or thought leaders in a specific field. This form of content serves to provide comprehensive views on a particular topic, leveraging the credibility and expertise of the contributors. The host platform gains valuable, in-depth content that can engage and educate its audience, while the experts gain exposure to a broader audience, potentially increasing their own following and credibility.

Interviews

Inviting experts to be interviewed by you is a great way to boost their status as a leader in their field while also creating content that they will likely share with their own audience. The aim is to gather insights, opinions, or personal experiences relevant to a specific topic. This collaborative format benefits both sides: the interviewer gains valuable content that can engage and educate their audience, while the interviewee receives exposure and the opportunity to share their expertise or views.

Joint research

Joint research refers to a collaborative effort between two or more parties to conduct a study, survey, or analysis on a specific topic. This collaboration typically results in the co-creation of original content, such as whitepapers, reports, or articles, which showcases the findings. The purpose is often to provide in-depth information, validate hypotheses, or offer new insights in a particular field. Joint research allows each party to pool resources, share expertise, and ultimately produce more credible and comprehensive content. For both parties, the collaboration amplifies reach and authority, while offering valuable data or insights to their respective audiences.

Guest swaps

Guest swaps are an arrangement where two content creators, usually from similar or complementary fields, exchange roles as guest contributors on each other's platforms. This could involve writing blog posts, appearing in podcasts, or participating in video content. The goal is to introduce each contributor to the other's audience, thereby expanding their reach among a fresh pool of prospects.

Social media takeovers

In social media takeovers, one person temporarily assumes control of another brand or expert’s social media account, typically for a day, and posts content to their audience. This could involve writing social posts, hosting their podcasts, or creating video content. The goal is to introduce a new personality and a different spin on the channel’s theme to each expert’s audience.

Collaboration in action

At PCD Media, we recently worked with one of the industry’s leading relocation experts, Marie O’Neill of EER, to create a series of video case studies on relocating to Dubai, in partnership with other industry experts.

Click here to watch the series:

If you’re interested in exploring how collaborative content could benefit your brand, our team can help you secure the perfect partners, and build and distribute your content across the PCD membership network.

Call +44 20 3004 9599 to discuss your requirements or fill in form here .

For more ideas for your creative content, read our blogs here .

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In part 2 of this series, we’ll outline the step-by-step process that we use, at PCD Media, to help our clients secure, and develop and deliver compelling content collaborations.