A great way to grow a business is based on developing strategic partnerships. Here are two ways to develop partnerships in your industry.
Look at networking groups
Whether they are called specifically networking groups, or they are trade groups, or organizations that put on events these are great ways to meet people. In Los Angeles we’ve been involved with the Digital LA group headed by Kevin Winston. This is a network of likeminded business owners, executives, investors and startups that meet on a regular basis. The events are setup as conferences with speakers on specific topics related to the worlds of marketing, technology and startups. With events weekly and on varying topics these events are great places to meet new people. More importantly, in attending these events I’ve met business prospects and partners that we can work with in the future.
Connect with bloggers and content creators
There are usually thought leaders in your space. Some people may be writing for a business, and others for a news publication, and yet others for their own blogs. Access to the media is powerful, so it makes sense to find a way to add value to the publications that already exist in your field. In many cases writers looking for blog content will interview other business leaders in the same space, or in complimentary businesses. Recently we’ve had the opportunity to write for ClearCode on the state of advertising technology and marketing technology.
Reverse the process and ask thought leaders to contribute to your blog as a way of meeting people. This gives you a great way to connect to new potential business contacts and forge strong relationships.
Finally, look at social media content creators and work with them to cross-pollinate content to your audiences. Post content across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
I’ve learned a few things by deploying these strategies.
There are similar businesses with similar challenges that we have. This is an opportunity to work together, and even present BrillMedia.co as a solutions provider.
Secondly, I’ve developed a network of friends who I can rely on to help us with questions not related to our core business. And vice versa. We help startups quickly resolve challenges we faced.
Third, these people from the network have turned into prospects and clients. They are also long term relationships that we find fruitful because as they grow and we grow we continue to help each other.
Developing strategic partnerships takes time, and effort, and it pays off in the long term.
