[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Michael Janowski
June 17, 2015 – Your wireless marketing presence should be the heartbeat of your business. It brings customers to the door who put money in the drawer. We all sell wireless products and services. It’s imperative that your wireless store differentiates itself from the competition.
That said, the wireless business can be all too willing to cut back on marketing to cut costs (signage, digital creativity, etc.). But this doesn’t have to be the case. Marketing doesn’t have to be detrimental to the bottom line.
Alliance marketing is becoming increasingly popular as a result of a growing social economy. Instead of competing in a given business space, organizations are looking for innovative ways to reach new consumer audiences by collaborating and forming partnerships across these spaces. Cross marketing (as it is sometimes called) is visible in a number of spaces. We see it when fast food chains construct meal deals around promoting the latest blockbuster film. Retail stores are offering gift cards to non-competing restaurants by their checkout aisle. Building alliances involves thinking unconventionally, identifying complementary goals, and creating mutual value. Here are a few cross-marketing and alliance marketing ideas that you can put to work for your wireless store:
- Package Promos. Who doesn’t enjoy a good buy-one-get-one-free or half-price special? Successful package promotions involve teaming up with a non-competing business to offer the consumer the opportunity to shop at both stores at the same time. Create an alliance by offering a non-competing business in your community the opportunity to sell their good or service alongside your own wireless products (and vice versa). Team up with local restaurants, dry cleaners, car washes, music stores, and more to offer gift cards/certificates in exchange for selling some of our accessories at their point of sale.
- Print Promos. We discussed the importance of a vibrant print presence in a previous article. Cross promotion in the form of placing fliers, posters, brochures, and business cards in allied establishments (and vice versa) is a great way to increase visibility of both your wireless brand and your allies. It will also give your store a distinctly different feel in comparison to other, more uniform competing wireless stores.
- Web Promos. Even if you’re not selling in each others’ stores physically, alliance marketing can be performed digitally. Work with your allies to set up a regular schedule of sharing each others’ social and web media content. You and your allies can use the web to cross-promote each others’ sales and special offers in a way that can boost business and get people talking about you and your allies at the same time.
- Non-Profit Promos. Whether it be health, poverty, equality, the environment, or something else, let’s work together with our allies in the non-profit space to tie our message to that of the social good. Your wireless store values your employees and (in turn) the non-profit causes they hold close to heart. Never be afraid to take on the role of an industry leader in corporate social responsibility.
Cross-marketing relies on a commitment to reciprocity. Part of that commitment is supporting the full complement of businesses in your community. Part of knowing your competition is knowing what kinds of opportunities (like cross-marketing with non-competing businesses) they are leaving on the table. It’s important that your wireless store expresses a distinct sensitivity and awareness to the surrounding business community and work together to benefit each other![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]