Marketing 2 min read
Partnering With Other Local Businesses
Cross promotions, shared events and referral swaps that grow every partner's customer base for free.
Why Partnerships Work
Your neighbors already have the customers you want, and you have the customers they want. A good partnership introduces each business to a trusted audience at almost no cost.
Find a Good Fit
- Same customers, different products: a florist and a bakery, a gym and a smoothie shop, a realtor and a mover.
- Similar values and quality.
- Owners you trust to follow through.
Partnership Ideas
- Cross promotion: each offers a perk to the other's customers.
- Shared event: a sidewalk sale, open house or neighborhood crawl.
- Bundle: a gift package with products from several shops.
- Referral swap: recommend each other and track referrals.
- Shared ads: split the cost of a local ad or sponsorship.
- Social takeovers: feature each other on social media.
Make It Official
- Agree on the goal, who does what and how long it runs.
- Write it down in a short email both owners agree to.
- Train both teams so they can explain the offer.
- Check results together after a month and decide what to repeat.
Join the Wider Network
Your local chamber of commerce and business associations are full of potential partners. Join, attend a networking event and introduce yourself to two or three owners whose customers overlap with yours.