Move over traditional advertisement; alternative marketing is the wave of the small business future. Cross promotion is one of those alternative marketing methods. It allows you to cut your time and money invested in advertising in half while wooing a market that you otherwise might never have reached.

Cross promotion doesn’t have to be as difficult as it sounds. It basically is marketing your business together with other small businesses. These don’t have to be competitors (in fact they should not be), but rather different businesses with the same market that you serve. Not only is cross promotion generally cheaper than traditional marketing, it can be more effective as well. You gain credibility and a sense of presence by linking your business to others in the community. Here are a few ideas for cross-promoting your business brand with others in your community.

• Trade sign space at your establishments, giving partners and yourself a free advertisement space.
• Create a flyer or postcard with advertisements for both businesses, then send it to both of your mailing lists.
• Make an agreement to mention each other when you deal with customers or the general public.
• Offer a special coupon that can only be offered to customers of the partner store. These can be distributed by placing them in a basket or a Lucite box at both establishments.
• Offer freebies or samples at the partner store (if your product allows this).
• Sponsor a local team or event together.
• Get together regularly to compare notes and talk about what has worked for you and what hasn’t, not just in the cross promotion but in other areas of business.
• Offer special sales events involving both businesses.
• Link to each other’s websites and social marketing pages.

Cross promotions are not free, but in many cases they will cost you half of the price of doing a promotion yourself because you have a partner to split the cost with. However, it is crucial that you choose the right partner. Here are a few tips for choosing a promotional partner in your community.

• Choose someone who is not a direct competitor, but rather is offering a very different product to the same group of customers.
• Look for businesses that offer related products (a local spa and a local health club go together beautifully for example, as do a shoe store and a clothing store).
• Approach the business owner or manager in person or in writing during a slow time.
• Put your agreement in writing so both parties feel that their interests are protected.
• Choose a business that is as successful (or more successful) than yours.
• Make sure your brands, including visual identities and logo designs, don’t ‘clash’.

Cross promotions are not just a potentially lucrative and more authentic feeling marketing style, but a huge opportunity to reach out to untapped members of your target audience. If a business offers great service and a needed product, a customer will be very likely to take their recommendations for other local businesses.