Are you ready to get more exposure for your marketing and media dollar in 2010? Although 2010 bodes to be another challenging year for most businesses, pulling the plug on marketing efforts could exacerbate these challenges even more and prove disastrous. So how can you stretch your marketing efforts? With a little bit time, creativity and some basic negotiation skills, your marketing can work overtime for your business.

B2B Partnering – Share the Load / Increase the Exposure
Business to business partnering can be an effective way to split some basic marketing expenses and/or help to increase your exposure and traffic.

One method for partnering would be for complimentary businesses, like an art gallery and a frame shop, to share printing costs by incorporating information on both businesses on the same collateral piece (brochure or direct mailer). Not only does this increase the exposure of both entities, since it will be distributed by both businesses, it also serves as an endorsement for each company

Another way to employ B2B partnering to your advantage is by offering coupons for distribution to surrounding non-competitive businesses. Ask a neighboring business if they would like to offer their patrons a compelling discount coupon on a product at your store. As long as the two businesses are non-competitive, this is a win win for everyone. Your neighbor’s store is able to reward its customers with a discount they would not have been able to take advantage of otherwise and your business sustains increased traffic. Don’t forget to reciprocate should your neighbor see the benefits of partnering and want to coupon too.

Joint advertising can also be a good way to share the load of marketing expenses especially if there is a similar message in which both businesses can benefit. As an example a florist and a sweets shop could join forces during certain holiday’s, like Valentines Day and Mother’s Day and advertise a combination offer of flowers and chocolates. In addition to the financial benefit of splitting the media cost, this joint venture provides their customers with something no other stand alone florist or sweet shop can deliver.

Facebook is a free and wonderful way to build a network of friends and clients and share new product arrivals and events in your store. It’s also a great way to promote things going on around your store, possibly with other businesses in the area. Employ and position your Facebook page as a fount of information of events going on in your store and its general area to create more than one reason for someone to make a special trip to your location. Encourage surrounding businesses to do the same, and watch the traffic grow.
As you are exploring the myriad of opportunities to stretch marketing dollars in 2010 via B2B partnering, take a moment to consider the importance of utilizing a vanity phone number in association with these efforts. B2B marketing efforts will require both partners to be succinct in their messaging to be effective. Not only does an intuitive vanity number immediately communicate the nature of the business, like 1800-FLOWERS, but it also instills instant credibility and memorability. Additionally, a vanity number will improve the impact of all other marketing activities for your business, and thus will augment overall exposure and influence.