An online brand collaboration dishes up digital success for The Walled Gardens

WHEN MOST people think about online partnerships, they think about influencers and bloggers. Having a recognisable face is a great way to attract attention.

But it doesn’t have to be all about who’s popular on the ‘’gram’. What about other businesses that are making waves for providing great services?

For our client The Walled Gardens, we decided that it was time to branch out from behind its luxurious walls and team up with some of the locals’ favourite haunts.  After all, having the recommendation of an established partner can only be a good thing when it comes to dishing up impressive numbers.

The Starting Point 

So you know that you want to team up with another business, but who? Your first thought may be to cross paths with a similar company. However, sometimes a little creativity can go a long way, so joining forces with a business in a different sector can open new doors.

For The Walled Gardens, the development has a real emphasis on creating a hassle-free living environment close to amenities in the heart of town. Therefore, the first partnership was evident – team up with a restaurant.

After completing a bit of research on who and what lies on St Andrews’ historic high street, we came to the conclusion that Forgan’s was in fact one of the main hubs in town.

We decided that the most engaging thing we could do for our online channels was a Facebook competition.

However, an online partnership is not a one-way street. Therefore, we also created a Q&A piece for The Walled Gardens’ website to promote the fantastic food and events at the restaurant.

Complete with a prize of a lunch for two, we ran the competition for two weeks and were surprised by the tasty results…

The Main Course of Action

Boosting the two posts for a mere £100 (£50 each week), we achieved a reach of over 40,000 and had 179 engagements. By tagging Forgan’s and sharing their Q&A on Facebook, we created an extra level of buzz and got them in on the sharing action.

We also honed right in on our target market, focusing on those over the age of 45 who live in the Fife area when promoting posts. People within this demographic are close to or have retired, making them ideal customers.

Although money was put behind the posts to give them that extra boost, 10% of views were still organic and The Walled Gardens’ Facebook page achieved 30 new followers – an increase of 5%.

These results were extremely positive considering Facebook’s tight regulations– Like and Share style competitions are seen as a complete no. Focusing on Like and Comment, we stayed within the site’s guidelines and created conversations.

The Sweet Spot

Finding your audience’s sweet spot is the most important factor in brand partnerships. You could have the best prize in the world, but if your target market cannot relate then it’s a wasted opportunity.

By also pitching the positive outcomes to your collaborating company, and delivering on the promotion you have promised, social media competitions can be quick solutions for engagement and awareness.

Best of all? You’ve now made a relationship that you can utilise again and again down the line. Multiple bites of the cherry.

 FIND OUT HOW YOUR BUSINESS COULD BENEFIT FROM A DIGITAL PR BOOST

We’d love the chance to discuss how public relations services could inject life into your business. Give us a call on 0131 561 2244 or take a few seconds to fill and submit the form below and we will get straight back to you: