Local Partnerships: Spread the Word about Your Business

Today’s environment is competitive.  That means you need to have ongoing efforts to keep your customers attention and increase your revenue.  The good news is that businesses can help one another in these efforts. Local partnerships are a low cost way to offer customers more value and grow your sales at the same time.  Combine forces to cross-promote your businesses.   Here are some ideas you and another local business can promote one another:

Take a moment to like one other on Facebook.

Photo Via: 2012books.lardbucket.org

Go ahead and ‘Like’ your local partners on Facebook and invite your friends to do the same.  Take a moment and post something relevant to your partners company, and tag the business name so your friends notice your referral.  This is an easy and excellent way to build a business’ Facebook community.

Create a contest. 

Contests are important as you build your community and should remain key as you cross-promote.  An idea to try:  Both you and the partnering business can post the information about a contest of your choice on your fan page.  Encourage your fans to visit the other business’ website, select their favorite product that’s offered and post the reason he or she selected that particular product.  Give a gift card for the most creative response.

Sponsor a local event.

Have an upcoming event in your town?  You and your local business partner can use this opportunity to market your businesses.  Decide which organization you’re passionate about.   Sponsor the event so your business names are featured on all literature leading up to the event, on materials handed out the day of the event and on the t-shirts participants receive upon registration.

Refer one another.

Think along the lines of a general contractor and a landscaper.  These businesses share a target audience, so this is an easy example.  The general contractor refers the landscaper and vice versa.  Both businesses can run specials together to allow for simple up-sell.   People value their time, so your customers will love the referral so they don’t have to ask their friends who to use, then call a bunch of businesses for quotes.  Referrals are a great way to share advertising and gain access to new customers.

There are endless partnerships local businesses can forge with one another. It’s all about creativity and figuring out what you hope to accomplish.  It’s really a brilliant concept- create additional value for customers without the hefty costs attached to typical marketing strategies.  It’s win for everyone involved.

Are you currently running a cross promotion strategy?  How is it working for your business?

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom to two young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling. Feel free to leave her a comment.