Horizontal Marketing for Small Business Owners
I frequently write about the power of strategic relationships – finding other companies which target the same consumer you are trying to reach. Sarah Pierce wrote a great post filled with specific examples on unlikely, but very successful cross promotions.
- Buy a house and get a car free ( They haven’t sold any houses yet, but quite a few test drives on the car)
- The chiropractor and the Gym ( Become a patient and get a discount on the gym membership)
The author referred to these cross promotions as “Horizontal Marketing”. Whatever you call it, the concept works. As a small business owner, the more strategic relationships you develop with other small businesses who serve your client, the less you have to rely on expensive and often ineffective advertising to introduce your business to prospects.
