Marketing activity is often divided into silos, paid and organic. Many marketers and business owners overlook the middle ground: bartered marketing. This category of marketing is the result of trades and collaborations, and though it is not completely free because you still have to do something for another brand, it is often more affordable than paid marketing and sometimes even has a greater reach.
For example, if you are producing blog content regularly, instead of posting it on your platform first, you can offer it to a popular industry website. They get more content, and you get connected with your target audience.
If you do take the route of marketing trades, keep the following in mind:
- Your brand reputation comes first. Your audience and content have value, so do not make trades that lower the value of your audience or reflect poorly on your brand.
- Look for creative ways to trade logo place, exchange shoutouts, place content, or co-host events.
- Collaborate with non-competitors, brands who serve your audience but with a different kind of product or service.
We have found that bartered marketing is a powerful way to create new relationships with key leaders in a space, so we see returns well beyond the trade itself.