Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Double Reach with Co-Marketing Partnerships on Social Media
Transcript
- Lucas: So last quarter, I noticed something interesting: a direct to consumer skincare brand called Dewdrop and a meditation app called Stillpoint ran a co-marketed series on Instagram. Lucas: They did a week of joint Reels and Stories, cross-tagging each other, and both saw about a 30 percent bump in follower growth that week. Luna: Thirty percent — that's significant. What was the actual setup? Was it like, 'here's our product in your feed' or something more integrated? Lucas: Good question. They created shared content: Dewdrop's founder did a meditation session on Stillpoint's account, and Stillpoint's CEO did a skincare routine using Dewdrop products. Each piece ended with a call to follow the partner brand. Lucas: The key was they drafted a content calendar together, so their audiences saw a consistent narrative across both feeds. Luna: Right, so it's not just a one-off tag. It's a coordinated campaign. Did they use any paid promotion behind it? Lucas: Minimal paid. They boosted one joint Reel each with a very small budget, but the bulk of the reach came organically from each brand's existing followers resharing and engaging. Luna: That's the beauty of co-marketing — you're tapping into a new audience without paying for it. So who owns the content? Or do they both repost? Lucas: They cross-posted everything. Each piece lived on both accounts, sometimes with slight caption tweaks. The agreement was that all content would be co-owned and available for future use. Lucas: And they tracked performance with a shared UTM parameter and a dedicated landing page for a bundle offer. Luna: That makes measuring ROI a lot cleaner. So what were the actual metrics besides follower growth? Lucas: Engagement rates were up about 22% on average across both accounts during that week. And the bundle landing page had a conversion rate nearly double their usual standalone product pages. Lucas: So it's not just vanity metrics — it drove real sales. Luna: That's the kind of result that makes a CFO happy. But I imagine there are risks too — what if one brand has a scandal right after the campaign? Or if their audiences don't actually overlap? Lucas: Absolutely. That's why audience alignment is critical. Dewdrop and Stillpoint both target wellness-focused millennials and Gen Z. But if, say, a luxury watch brand partnered with a fast-food chain, the mismatch would confuse followers. Lucas: And you're right about reputational risk. Most co-marketing agreements include a morals clause — if one brand does something damaging, the other can pull out. Luna: So you need legal protection. That's not as fun as the creative side, but it's necessary. Lucas: Exactly. And on the creative side, the best campaigns feel like a natural extension of both brands' identities. If it feels forced, audiences tune out. Lucas: And honestly, this kind of creative collaboration is exactly the kind of thing we love digging into on this show. Luna: Yeah — it's resourceful, it's smart. And if you find conversations like this useful and want to help keep the podcast ad-free, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: That really helps us keep doing these deep dives without commercial breaks. So back to the strategy — what are the other best practices? Luna: I'd say set clear goals from the start. Are you after followers, sales, or just awareness? Dewdrop and Stillpoint wanted both reach and conversions. Lucas: Right. And assign a point person from each brand to coordinate. The worst thing is one brand dragging its feet on posting. Lucas: Another tip: create a shared content library. Both brands can pull from it for months after the campaign, extending the value. Luna: That's a nice long-tail benefit. So what about scale? Can three or four brands co-market together? Lucas: It gets messy quickly. I've seen it work with three if there's a clear umbrella theme — like a 'holiday self-care bundle' across four brands — but coordination becomes a beast. Lucas: Two to three is the sweet spot. Beyond that, you dilute the focus and the shared audience overlap shrinks. Luna: Speaking of dillution — one risk I've seen is that the partnership can feel like a blatant cash grab if the content is too promotional. How do you avoid that? Lucas: Keep it value-first. Dewdrop and Stillpoint didn't just say 'buy our bundle.' They showed the meditation routine with the skincare — it was lifestyle content that happened to feature both products. Lucas: The rule is: educate or entertain first, sell second. Audiences on social media have zero tolerance for pure ads. Luna: Right. So it's really about building trust. And co-marketing, when done right, can do that faster than going it alone. Lucas: Exactly. It's a classic win-win — you get a new audience, your partner gets new followers, and both see a lift in engagement. If you're a brand sitting on a base of loyal customers, find a complementary partner and test a weeklong collaboration. Luna: I'd love to see more examples in the B2B space. Do you think it works just as well there? Lucas: It can, but the content has to be more educational. Two SaaS companies could co-host a LinkedIn Live together, or co-write a white paper and promote it on social. The same principle applies. Lucas: Actually, I think B2B might have even more to gain because the trust transfer is so valuable in professional services. Luna: Good point. So whether you're selling skincare or software, co-marketing partnerships on social media could be a smart, low-cost growth lever. Lucas: And with platform algorithms increasingly favoring content from accounts you don't follow, collaborations might become even more important for reach. Something to keep an eye on. Luna: Yeah, definitely. I'm curious to see how these evolve as platforms add more collaborative features.