The growth strategy 60% swear by

Hey, Paige here!

Before we get into today’s best marketing research… 

In today’s release: 

• Why collaboration can be the key to doubling growth

• How to gain direct access to engaged audiences (& conver them to your list)

• 4.4x better brand recall, 2x leads, and the expert-preferred collab strategy

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DEEP DIVE

Are you building brand awareness solo? It might be time to consider another growth option that requires a little collab 🤝

Whether it’s being a guest on a podcast, co-creating content with another brand, or securing a feature in a popular newsletter, partnerships can exponentially expand your reach without expensive ads or fighting unpredictable algorithms.

Today, we’re breaking down why strategic collaborations are a must for content marketers—and how to execute them for maximum impact.

Why collaborations work: The data-backed advantage 

1️⃣ Podcast Guesting = Built-In Trust & Engagement

When you partner with a podcast, you aren’t starting from scratch in trying to build an engaged audience — you get to borrow the ear of a crowd already gathered and engaged. 

Pros like Chris Hutchins carefully select which podcasts he joins as a guest… and sees audience conversion to his own podcast subscriber list of around 4%.

• 55% of Americans have listened to a podcast, and 38% tune in monthly 

•  Podcast ads have 4.4x better brand recall than other digital ads.

• Guest appearances = instant credibility + exposure to a highly engaged audience.

💡 Example: When author James Clear promoted Atomic Habits through podcast guesting, his book stayed on bestseller lists for over 200 weeks—partly due to sustained exposure on high-value shows.

➡️ Quick takeaway: Don’t just create a podcast — be a guest on established ones. But be picky! Make sure every podcast you are a guest on has great engagement from an audience that fits within your ICP. 

2️⃣ Newsletter Features = Direct Access to Engaged Readers

Newsletter audiences are incredibly valuable. They’ve opted into messaging, and if the right practices are happening, disengaged readers are regularly scraped. Newsletter features are another opportunity to gain access to highly engaged readers. 

•  The average email newsletter open rate is 30-40%—far higher than social media’s 1-5% engagement.

• Collaborating with established newsletters gives direct access to a warm audience that already trusts the source.

💡 Example: Morning Brew rapidly expanded by cross-promoting with aligned newsletters, driving millions of engaged subscribers in just a few years.

➡️ Quick takeaway: Getting featured in another brand’s newsletter isn’t just exposure — it’s exposure to an audience primed to engage and convert.

3️⃣ Co-Branded Content = 2x More Leads & Visibility

• 60% of marketers say co-marketing partnerships help them reach new audiences..

• Co-created content (like eBooks, reports, or webinars) generates 2x more leads than solo efforts.

💡 Example: HubSpot & LinkedIn have co-created multiple industry reports, leveraging their combined credibility to increase brand visibility and lead generation.

➡️ Quick takeaway: A well-matched co-branding effort can double your audience reach while sharing the content creation workload.

🎯 How to land high-impact collaborations

✅ Find the right partners: Look for podcasts, newsletters, and brands that align with your audience but aren’t direct competitors.

✅ Offer value first: Instead of just asking to be featured, pitch a fresh angle or unique insight their audience will love. (psst… want access to an audience, but don’t feel like an expert? Offer to be a guest host that interviews the current host AMA style).

✅ Leverage existing content: Turn blog posts into podcast topics, reports into newsletter features, and social media insights into co-branded content.

✅ Cross-promote effectively: Make sure to promote collaborations across your own channels to maximize visibility for both parties.

Big takeaway: Collaborations are a proven growth multiplier in content marketing. Whether it’s guesting on a podcast, cross-promoting in a newsletter, or co-creating content, partnerships give you access to engaged, ready-to-act audiences.