Growing an audience from scratch can be one of the most challenging tasks for any entrepreneur, content creator, or business owner. However, there’s a powerful strategy you can leverage to speed up the process: borrowing someone else’s audience. By tapping into established communities, brands, or influencers, you can introduce your product, service, or message to a wider group of people who already trust the source they follow. This method isn’t about stealing or poaching; it’s about creating mutually beneficial collaborations that offer value to everyone involved. In this article, we’ll explore how to borrow someone else’s audience, with real-life examples and resources to help you implement this strategy successfully.

1. Guest Blogging or Contributing to Established Platforms

One of the most popular and effective ways to borrow an audience is through guest blogging or writing for established platforms. When you contribute to a blog, website, or magazine that already has a loyal readership, you instantly put yourself in front of new potential customers or followers.

For example, if you run a business in the health and wellness industry, contributing guest articles to popular health blogs like MindBodyGreen or Thrive Global allows you to showcase your expertise. In exchange, you’ll typically receive a bio with a link back to your website, allowing readers to find out more about you and what you offer.

Pro Tip: Look for platforms that have a similar target audience as your own but are not direct competitors. Reach out with a clear pitch that demonstrates the value you’ll bring to their audience. Websites like Medium or LinkedIn also offer open publishing options, where you can post and gain visibility.

2. Appear on Podcasts or Host Joint Webinars

Podcasts have become a popular content format, and many show hosts are looking for guests who can provide valuable insights to their audience. Appearing on podcasts allows you to borrow the host’s audience and share your story, business, or expertise with a group of engaged listeners.

For instance, if you’re an expert in leadership, appearing on a podcast like The Tony Robbins Podcast or The Tim Ferriss Show gives you access to a large and relevant audience. You not only get to share your insights but also introduce yourself to a community that already trusts the host.

Similarly, joint webinars are a great way to borrow someone’s audience while offering value. By partnering with a complementary business or influencer, you can co-host an event, allowing both parties to share audiences and benefit from the collaboration. For example, if you offer digital marketing services, partnering with a website design expert for a webinar on “Building an Effective Online Presence” could benefit both your audiences.

Pro Tip: Before pitching yourself as a guest, familiarize yourself with the podcast or the audience of a potential collaborator to ensure your message aligns with what they’re looking for. Be prepared to share unique insights or actionable takeaways.

3. Influencer Marketing and Collaboration

Working with influencers is another highly effective way to borrow someone else’s audience. Influencers already have loyal followers who trust their opinions, and collaborating with them can introduce your product or service to an engaged audience.

For example, beauty brands frequently partner with influencers in the beauty industry to promote new products. The influencer will share content about the product with their followers, providing exposure to a wide audience.

You don’t need to partner with massive influencers to see results. Micro-influencers—those with smaller, niche audiences—often have a stronger connection with their followers and can offer higher engagement rates. If you sell artisanal products, for instance, finding micro-influencers who focus on handmade or sustainable products could provide you with direct access to their dedicated audience.

Pro Tip: Choose influencers who genuinely align with your brand values and whose followers are likely to be interested in your product or service. Authenticity is key, and forced partnerships can backfire if followers sense insincerity.

4. Partner with Complementary Businesses

Another great way to borrow someone else’s audience is by partnering with a complementary business. This could involve cross-promotion on social media, creating joint content, or bundling your products together in a special offer. By collaborating, you both gain exposure to each other’s customer bases.

For example, if you run a fitness studio, you could partner with a local health food store to offer a joint promotion. Customers who make a purchase at the health food store could receive a discount on your fitness classes, and vice versa. Both businesses benefit from the shared promotion and access to new potential customers.

Pro Tip: When choosing a partner, look for businesses that share your target audience but offer complementary products or services. This ensures both parties can benefit without feeling like they’re losing customers to each other.

5. Collaborative Social Media Giveaways

Running a collaborative giveaway on social media is an effective way to borrow someone else’s audience while engaging their followers in a fun, interactive way. The giveaway typically involves several businesses partnering together, each promoting the same contest to their own audiences.

Example: Let’s say you own a boutique and partner with a local jewelry designer and a skincare brand. You could collectively host a giveaway where the winner receives products from all three businesses. Each partner promotes the giveaway on their social media, encouraging their followers to engage with all brands involved. This exposes your boutique to the jewelry designer’s and skincare brand’s followers, and vice versa, expanding your reach without directly competing.

Pro Tip: Make sure the businesses you collaborate with attract a similar demographic to ensure that the giveaway participants are likely to be interested in your offerings.

6. Co-Authoring Content or E-books

Co-authoring an e-book, white paper, or in-depth guide with someone who has an established audience can help you reach a new group of readers. This type of collaboration works well in industries where expertise and credibility are important, as you can both share the e-book with your respective audiences.

Example: If you run a financial coaching business, you could collaborate with a tax professional to create an e-book on “Financial Planning and Tax Tips for Entrepreneurs.” Both of you can distribute the e-book to your client base and social media followers, introducing each other’s audience to your respective services.

Pro Tip: Offer the e-book as a free download in exchange for email addresses, allowing you to grow your email list while reaching a new audience.

7. Social Media Takeovers

A social media takeover allows you to temporarily “take over” another brand’s social media account and share content directly with their followers. This method is often used on platforms like Instagram, where brands allow influencers, collaborators, or other business owners to post for a day.

Example: If you own a fitness coaching business, you might collaborate with a health and nutrition influencer to take over their Instagram account for a day. During the takeover, you can share workout tips, behind-the-scenes content, or answer follower questions. In return, the influencer might take over your account, providing value to your audience while exposing you to their followers.

Pro Tip: Plan engaging, valuable content for the takeover and make sure to introduce yourself to the audience so they know who you are and what your business offers.

8. Collaborative Live Streams or Panels

Live streaming is a powerful way to engage audiences in real time, and collaborating with someone who has an established audience allows you to share that engagement. You can host live streams together or participate in online panels that cater to your industry.

Example: If you’re an author, you might collaborate with other writers for a live Q&A on a platform like YouTube or Instagram. By hosting a joint session, all authors share the spotlight, exposing each other’s readers to new books and building interest in the work of the participants.

Pro Tip: Promote the live stream ahead of time across all participants’ platforms to maximize viewership and engagement.

9. Referral or Affiliate Programs

Partnering with another business or influencer to create a referral or affiliate program can help you tap into their customer base without needing direct advertising. Affiliates share your product or service with their audience, often earning a commission for each sale.

Example: A SaaS company offering online productivity tools could partner with a business coach who already has a large following. The coach can recommend the SaaS tool to their clients and followers, earning a commission for every customer who signs up using their referral link. This way, the SaaS company gains access to the coach’s audience while offering a benefit to the coach.

Pro Tip: Offer clear incentives to affiliates, ensuring it’s worthwhile for them to promote your product or service.

10. Cross-Promoting Email Newsletters

Cross-promoting email newsletters with a business that targets a similar audience can help both parties gain new subscribers and drive engagement. Each business promotes the other’s newsletter in a section of their own.

Example: A marketing agency could cross-promote with a graphic design business. Both businesses feature the other in their respective newsletters, perhaps sharing a snippet or resource with their audiences, along with a link to sign up for the other’s email list.

Pro Tip: Collaborate with brands that have a similar audience size to ensure a fair exchange in reach and value.

11. Sponsorships and Paid Collaborations

Sponsoring content, events, or influencers is another effective way to borrow someone else’s audience. By sponsoring a popular podcast episode, blog post, or even a social media post, you can have your brand promoted to their audience in exchange for financial compensation or other arrangements.

Example: If you’re a tech startup, you could sponsor a tech influencer’s YouTube video. The influencer would mention your product in their video, exposing your business to thousands of their subscribers. This paid partnership allows you to leverage the influencer’s audience to build awareness for your brand.

Pro Tip: Choose influencers or content creators who have an engaged audience that aligns with your brand. Look beyond follower numbers and focus on engagement rates to ensure the sponsorship is worthwhile.

12. Joint Challenges or Events

Running a challenge or event with another business or influencer is a great way to involve both of your audiences in a shared experience. This could be anything from a week-long fitness challenge to a virtual summit with multiple speakers.

Example: If you’re a nutrition coach, you could partner with a fitness instructor to run a “7-Day Wellness Challenge.” Participants from both your audiences could sign up, and throughout the week, you and your partner would provide workouts, meal plans, and wellness tips. At the end of the challenge, you both gain exposure to new potential clients who are already interested in wellness.

Pro Tip: Make the challenge highly interactive and offer incentives for participants to share their progress on social media, expanding your visibility even further.

Borrowing someone else’s audience is one of the most effective ways to grow your reach and expand your customer base. Whether through guest blogging, podcast appearances, influencer collaborations, or co-hosted events, the key is to offer genuine value to the audience you’re borrowing. These collaborative efforts not only expose you to new potential customers but also help build trust and credibility through association with trusted figures or brands. With careful planning and the right partnerships, borrowing someone else’s audience can accelerate your growth and help you reach your business goals faster.

Remember, it’s not about taking—it’s about collaboration. When done right, borrowing someone else’s audience can lead to long-term partnerships and a broader, more engaged community for your brand.

Resources:

• Podchaser: A platform to discover podcasts and potential guest opportunities.
• Medium: A publishing platform where you can share articles and gain visibility.
• BuzzSumo: A tool to find popular blogs and influencers in your niche.