Cross promotion is about expanding the marketing reach of your product. This is a general term that can mean advertising on different media or even cooperating with other companies to showcase each other's goods and services.
Here is an example. You are shopping for a new computer on a website of a company that sells business models. An ad appears for the latest antivirus software. This type of cooperation between companies that sell computers and software calls cross promotion.
Here's everything small businesses need to know how it works.
How to start with cross promotion
Finding the right kind of business with which to associate is a crucial step. One of the first things you need to keep in mind is that you do not only sell the products of the other, you will also share reputations. People who see your products and other companies being advertised jointly assume that you are both credible.
Make sure you check the references and reputation of the other company.
A natural form?
That is why you will have to ask yourself at the outset if there is a natural connection that involves improving the products of others and sharing good credibility in the marketplace.
Another example might be a cross of high-end coffee maker promoting an exclusive chocolate company.
More Bang Advertising
Ask yourself if you will get more for your advertising money. You are a small mechanical workshop. You might want to team up and pay for a flyer or brochure that advertises your company and other tire and battery companies that help you pay for the bill.
Make sure you do not go for the same markets here.
Choosing a strategy
The strategies you can use can bounce between online marketing and print, TV or radio media. First things first. You will need to find the best tools to use. Once you have established a partnership, the use of analysis will help you determine the best suited medium and the times / dates of the content posting. Google Analytics is a good place to start.
You must make sure that your brand marketing tools and logos are consistent before you start. Do not forget to include a call for action carefully planned in your campaigns.
Special Offers
Special offers and discounts work well. If you use social media, you will want to publish regularly on a partnership website. These special offers should emphasize the complementary features.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is another tool that has a good return on investment. This is a great way to promote your latest blog post or tweet to social networks via a newsletter.
Brick and mortar
Small businesses that want to have a physical presence can share booths at local shows. You can even set up a small screen in your partner's brick-and-mortar store. You might consider sharing a space like Starbucks that rented spaces in Target stores.
Advantages of cross-promotion
You will quickly see a return on investment. In fact, the use of cross promotion can be faster than using SEO only, which can take several months to gain speed. What's more, cross-promotional marketing is usually done on a pro bono basis. It's great if you have a limited marketing budget with which to work.
If you have managed to cross-promote with a legitimate and established brand, you will get an increase in reputation that will translate into sales.
Disadvantages
If you have a single business that sells specialized goods and services, it can be difficult to find a suitable partner. It's harder to keep a consistent brand message when you're using cross-promotion, because you're advertising more than just multiple channels.
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