1 Digital Idea To Create Meaningful Corporate Partnerships

Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you’re looking for more innovative ways to authentically integrate partners with your cause, amplify stories, and increase impact, this is the episode for you.

Today, I’m sharing a digital partnership idea that’s very common in the FOR profit world but I haven’t seen a ton of traction yet in the nonprofit sector. And that’s through creating a co-branded digital content series.

The fastest way to transform one-off event partnerships into more meaningful digital partnerships

The world is listening and engaging online now more than ever before. 

According to a New York Magazine report, 80% of consumers would rather watch a live video from a brand instead of reading a blog. And 82% prefer a raw, live video over traditional social media posts that tend to be more curated.

In my Facebook Group Nonprofit Social Media Marketers, one of the most popular topics to come up is around sponsorships:

How do we take them to the next level?

How do we turn sponsors into long-term partners and supporters who value our partnership?

Creating a co-branded digital content series is one of the fastest ways to transform what could be a “typical” collaboration into one that truly flourishes.

One organization I support had a unique and creative take on reaching its target audience. Girls Who Code is a nonprofit aiming to get more women and girls interested in the field of computer science to help close the gender gap. 

In partnering with rapper Doja Cat, they created the first-ever codeable music video, completely transforming the experience for the viewer. The choose your own adventure style video hits different with code. You can change the color of Doja Cat’s nails using the CSS code or enter the name of a city, which changes the time of day in the music video. This is so incredible!

Identify your audience and partners first

If you’re ready to get your feet wet with this process and dream up your own nonprofit digital sponsorship content series, you’ll want to schedule a creative brainstorming session. 

First, identify your audience and potential partners. What platform do you want to use to host this series? Will you use Instagram, Facebook Live, or YouTube? Which platforms give you the most engagement? There’s lots of different options.

List the brands and businesses that align with your mission. Perhaps you write down a few that have a complementary audience to the one you’re looking to scale.

And think about the videos you want to create. Align them with the mission or need of your organization.

Consider content cost and creation

Let’s talk about your hard costs. 

To up your production value, invest in good lighting and a quality microphone. A Blue Yeti microphone and a ring light are a perfect place to start.

You may decide to invest in a nicer live streaming platform like StreamYard, which is $20 per month. I love it, as I can go live in multiple places, add my branding, and download separate audio tracks.

Running a small social advertising campaign can help you increase your reach, views, and engagement substantially. For example, if you’d like to see 10,000 views on each video, you can practically guarantee it with just $100 in ad spend.

When you pitch the partnership, know that this model is super scalable! There’s no better way to authentically integrate partners with your cause.

Notable Quote from Dana

“The digital sponsorship model is super scalable and it can evolve into so many different custom opportunities.”

Resources & Links

Join my free Facebook Group, Nonprofit Social Media Marketers where you can share insights, successes, and challenges with over 2,000 others.

Learn more about Girls Who Code and see the creative collaboration they did with Doja Cat here.

Check out StreamYard, my preferred live streaming platform.

Are you making costly mistakes with your social ads strategy? RSVP to my new masterclass, How To Attract Recurring Donors Without Social Media and learn my #1 secret for copy and content inspiration.

Want to make Missions to Movements even better? Take a screenshot of this episode and share it on Instagram. Be sure to tag @positivequation so I can connect with you. Do you have a hot digital marketing topic that you’d like to learn more about? Message me on LinkedIn and let me know.