How to Use Cross-Promotion to Streamline Your Marketing
By Jen Phillips April
Cross–promotion is a cost–effective way for a brick and mortar business to market. Not only does it offer endless opportunities for social media visibility, but it also promotes relationship–building that’s essential to any business.
Imagine solidifying your pet boarding business in the community so that when people think “doggie care” or “overnight boarding”, you’re the first one they think of. That’s what can happen when you market smart.
At its basic, cross–promotion is the idea of coordinating with someone else to promote two or more businesses. For example, hosting a weekly dog grooming session offers you the opportunity to make grooming more convenient for your busy clients and gives both your facility and the groomer another excuse to post pet photos.
Which of these resonate with your business?
Sponsor a Booth at a Community Event
From art days to pet rescue fundraisers, Spring through Fall is chock full of family–friendly weekend events around the country. Community events are an excellent way to connect with present and future customers. Why? Because you’re showing up where your customers are showing up—and it’s likely that many of them will have their dogs with them.
How do you pick the best event for your facility? Make a list of the top 3–5 events in your area. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and/or Tourist Board for ideas if you don’t already know of any. Then, ask your best clients which ones they like to attend. If you find there are several mentions for a particular event, then that one is likely worth your consideration because it will probably attract similar people.
Not ready to sponsor a booth? Maybe you can pass out a coupon or some type of swag through the crowd, or at least show up wearing branded attire with a well–behaved dog to attract dog lovers.
Host a Little League Team
Who goes to Little League games? Families with kids and dogs. Having your logo on the back of a t–shirt that’s seen by a few dozen people at every game is great visibility. It reminds people that you exist and are available for their dogs.
Plus, it shows that you’re community–minded. This makes the most sense if you have a child playing Little League which will allow you to build more connections through other parents. Make sure to post pictures of the team shirt on your social media!
Refer Other Pet Professionals
If you partner with a veterinarian, a dog trainer or a dog groomer, you can easily refer one another to your clients. Chances are, you get asked for recommendations all the time—as do they—so why not refer each other? You can also share the other businesses’ social media posts and even offer shout-outs in newsletters for added visibility.
Social Media Contests
Why not take that partnering a step further and encourage your customers to post pictures of their pets on your social media channels? It’s a great way to involve them and increase your visibility at the same time. For example, if they go to the dog groomer next door and post a picture of the freshly groomed pooch with a specific branded hashtag (that you create), they can be entered into a drawing.
Host an Event
But enlist another business to help! Whether it’s a meet and greet with a local dog trainer or a monthly Yappy Hour at your facility or local dog park, hosting events is a great way to build a loyal community of pet lovers. They don’t have to be big to–do’s either. Consider who’s in your circle. What type of event do you think your clients would appreciate? If you want to have food/drink, are there local businesses who could be a good fit? For example, a local brewery may be happy to donate a few cases for recognition, or a restaurant may donate a snack tray. Be creative!
None of these are difficult to implement, and if you pick one or two and do them consistently, you’ll see the snowball effect over time. Plus, each of them gives plenty of fodder for your social media—and you know how important it is to stay engaged through digital channels!
Hopefully this has inspired you to brainstorm some interesting cross-promotion strategies you can implement for your dog boarding and doggie daycare business. Which of them will you put into play?