Let’s Bond, Baby!- Strategic Internet Partnerships

Strategic Internet partnerships — it’s a growing phenomenon that has its roots in one of the most fundamental of all Internet marketing techniques - reciprocal linking. The kind of partnerships being forged these days, however, aren’t that simple or that inconsequential. These are the kind can make or break an online business.

Meet My New CyberFriend

Developing strong online strategic alliances is not only a popular way to grow your e-business?it also may be the only way your site is going to survive and rise above the din.

At the core of a strategic online alliance is the desire to grow your e-business. Marketing on the ‘Net is a very fragmented and difficult game. Although you have an opportunity to reach a larger audience than you may have ever had before, there’s no guarantee that you can, or ever will, hit them all or at the right moment in time. That’s why developing strategic partnerships is so critical - it will allow you to extend your reach and save on marketing costs.

These days, small mom and pop web sites aren’t the only ones partnering up. Some of the biggest names on the Web are also uniting to generate cyber super-forces to be reckoned with. Examples? AOL and Wal-Mart have signed a marketing deal to provided co-branded Internet access; eBay and eStamp have formed an alliance where eStamp will be the exclusive online postage provider for the electronic auctioneer; and over the holidays, eToys and The Gap formed an affiliation for cross-marketing purposes.

Strategic partnerships like these have far-reaching consequences. The implication being felt throughout the Web is, “Get hitched now or lose out big time in the not-so-distant future.” This is leading to a virtual stampede to partner, seemingly the bigger the better.

Where It All Began

Union by way of linking used to be fairly simple - place a link on your site back to mine and I’ll do likewise for you. Then came the affiliate program: place a link to my site on your site, and I’ll pay you for the traffic or sales you bring me.

Now partnerships are going further. Some are created to generate direct revenue, as evidenced by co-branded web pages, some are done for no-cost visibility and exposure, while others produce completely new entities through which to collect and share data in addition to making money.

It’s really too soon to tell how well these highly-touted partnerships will fare, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping everyone from jumping on the bandwagon. Understandably, even if these strategic alliances don’t pan out in the long run, there is still much benefit to getting them going now.

Forming Your Own Partnerships

So how do you, the small site owner, get started? Here are a few tips:

1) Treat every online experience as a networking opportunity.
Look upon your time surfing the ‘Net as if you were driving on a six-lane interstate highway: always keep your eyes on the road and see the big picture. Find a web site that matches your target audience? Great! Contact its webmaster or editor about potential partnering opportunities. Read a posting to a message board that seems to relate to what you do? Email the author. Also, subscribe to email discussion groups on subjects relating to your business and see what partnering opportunities other list subscribers might bring to bear. Jot them a pleasant and courteous email request to see if you can get things going.

2) Match the request with the offer.
Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that everyone you want to partner with is going to want to partner with you. Let’s face it, the Amazons of the online world don’t need to help you promote your site.

Combat this obstacle by pre-planning for that “what’s in it for me” question. What are you willing to give in return for the exposure you’re asking for, and is that valuable enough to your supposed partner? Define the things of value you offer on your site - traffic, targeted niche visitors, newsletters, high-dollar sales - and communicate these opportunities to your potential partner.

3) Work the Relationship
If you’re truly forming a partnership (as opposed to a simple link exchange), try to develop and work the relationship with that partner as much as possible. Keep tabs on how your partnership arrangement is working for them - is there anything you could do to help improve it? Likewise, keep tabs on how you’re benefiting and what you could do to better your own lot.

4) Be a Resource
True partners help one another. If you have a partnership with another site and you see or read about something that might benefit that partner, let them know. Not only will your partner appreciate the information and the effort that you made, but you will also position yourself more strongly in their mind. In fundamental human nature to want to stick around people who we like and who help us.

5) Never Stop Looking
As long as the Internet continues its explosive growth, you can’t slow down either. Today’s latest and greatest is tomorrow’s flash in the pan, with your partnership arrangement down the tubes along with it. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities and new avenues through which to partner.

Online partnerships make sense because when it comes down to it, the Internet is all about relationships, large and small. Embracing those around you on the Web will only help you grow your Internet presence all the more quickly.

© 1999 Hollis Thomases, Web Ad.vantage, Inc.

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