Which Partners is right for me?
The answer is – it depends!
You definitely want to work with people who represent access to an audience you want. For example, a wellness brand may want to partner with healthy food or exercise product brands. You want to be careful though that there’s not too much email overlap – if your audience is exactly the same, you won’t be able to add new users to your list.
Work only with partners that are on-brand for you. Be selective about the partners with whom you work and find partners that closely complement your business. Look for those businesses that are the most likely place your customers are shopping and target them aggressively. Sweepstakes Marketing is all about targeted outreach. A sweepstakes with too wide a focus area may result in tens of thousands of acquired emails, but little to no actual results in the form of engagement and conversions.
The second factor is list size. If you already have a massive email list and brand recognition, you’ll enjoy more leverage in enticing just about anyone to work with you. Fear not – if you have a smaller list, there’s still plenty of great activity to engage in, and you’re not alone! You’ll want to aim for partners that are within striking distance of your own list (if you have a 50K list, reach out to brands that have a list around 30-70K). By partnering with brands with a similar list size, you all benefit from a campaign and can go own to work with even larger brands.
If you're nervous about your list size, host. Remember that oftentimes, if you’re willing to do the leg work by hosting a campaign or providing prizing, you can incentivize larger list size brands to work with you. Sweeten the pot by offering your Custom CTA to another Premium level brand, or offering Social Sharing to a brand you want to work with. This can provide additional leverage in enticing brands to partner with you.
For more info, check out this article.
What are some tips to help me find the best Partners, even if I have a smaller email list?
Treat it like Dodgeball. Larger brands are constantly receiving invitations to campaigns. Do everything you can to stand out. Look the part – make sure your numbers (list size, etc.) are updated so when they review your brand profile, you’re putting your best foot forward. Always pair your invitation with a message explaining the brand would fit with the other partners (and you!). Emphasize the intangibles – if you’re easy to work with and willing to go the extra mile to succeed, you may win out over another campaign host who simply brings a larger list size to the table but is unresponsive or disorganized.
Bring the pot-roast. If you have a smaller list size compared to the potential partners you're inviting pair your invitation with a compelling prize or something else to increase chances of acceptance. There is more to bring to the table than just a large email list and it is important you emphasize that in your communications with the host.
Choose your battles. Be thoughtful about who you invite to partner. Ensure they complement your brand's audience, similar list size, and that they have a high probability of accepting. If your list size is 50,000, it's probably not a good use of your time to write a long tailored invitation to a brand with a list size of 300,000.