In online marketing, you often give with the hope to receive. However, every business owner knows there is only so much you can give. The problem is, in today’s online world, giving away something has become somewhat of an expectation. As the New Yorker eloquently explained: “Ever since Netscape made the decision to give away its browser, free has been more the rule online than the exception.” With so much being offered for so little, simply having a website is not enough to market your business. You also have to be known and validated by others.
The good news is, unlike the real world, growing your business online does not have to be expensive. While a large marketing budget will still help, collaborative efforts combined with a small budget can work just as well.
Below are two ways to collaborate with other entrepreneurs to grow your business.
I Promote You; You Promote Me
You don’t have to market on your own. By using a variety of cross-promotion tactics, you can easily work with others to promote your business. Cross-promotion can mean a formal partnership with another brand, or it can be as simple as sharing a few posts.
Regardless of the amount of cross-promotion you intend to do, the most challenging aspect is finding the appropriate brands to promote. Ideally, you want to choose businesses that are likely to return the favor. You also want to make sure they aren’t competition.
According to this Entrepreneur article, some of the best brands to partner with include:
- Local businesses
- Businesses not in your niche
- Online influencers
- Nonprofits
Choose some that align with your business, share some of their online content on social media, and reach out to them about additional cross-promotional opportunities. Even if every contact doesn’t agree to promote your business as well, you’ve at least promoted your good and services to another business.
Using Recommended for Cross-Promotion
When it comes to cross-promotion, business owners and freelancers that use Recommended have an automatic advantage. By using the Recommended platform to endorse other businesses and services, business owners can quickly identify potential cross-promotion partners.
Tried a dry-cleaning service that you loved? Write a recommendation for them. Not only will the owner of the dry cleaners see your endorsement, but they’ll also be able to view the ones you receive. The result is your own digital network of local businesses that you can partner with to promote your business.
Social Media is Optimized for Cross-Promotion
Because social media is designed for immediately sharing information with a large number of people, it works well with cross-promotion. When combined with a free business profile provided by Recommended, an active social media campaign by either business can quickly go viral.
By simply endorsing another business online, that same business could return the favor. Plus, if they use social media, their endorsement could reach significantly more people than you could reach on your own.
If you are considering collaborative marketing for your business, (and you should), Recommended is the way to get started.
