| Your customers are tempted to include your business | | | | local and national media, blogging and other coverage. |
| in their cost-cutting efforts. Act now to offer extra | | | | How to Co-create and Distribute Popular Hot Tips |
| value, adopting a method that won't cost you more. In | | | | Recruit other reputable business owners that serve |
| fact, it often reduces overhead. Two rival businesses | | | | the same kind of customer that you serve. As in the |
| are using it. | | | | Michigan story, include non-profits such as civic, cause |
| The Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post will offer | | | | or other membership groups or even government |
| their readers stories from both papers. The Sun will | | | | agencies. Variety in kinds of partners builds credibility |
| "tap the Post's federal government coverage" and | | | | and interest. |
| The Washington Post will carry the Sun's regional | | | | Pick a hot topic that reflects a strong interest or need |
| coverage. Consequently, the newspapers can cut | | | | or familiar situation faced by your mutual market of |
| overhead and "benefit from each others expertise." | | | | customers - and that includes tips that highlight the |
| And readers have a new reason to remain | | | | benefits of all partners' organizations. Get a |
| subscribers. | | | | professional writer to interview you to cull tips and |
| Evoke this Value Multiplier Effect by forging | | | | write a draft for your collective review. Or one of the |
| partnerships with others who serve your kind of | | | | partners could write a draft that a professional editor |
| customer. You can deepen customer loyalty and | | | | hones for final agreement by all partners. At the end |
| become the top-of-mind choice for more customers | | | | of the tips, include a very brief description (not |
| and media coverage. | | | | advertisement) of each partner and contact |
| Helpful Tips Always Trump Advertising | | | | information. |
| Keep customers by sharing content in other ways. | | | | Reach more customers more often by offering the |
| Collectively you gain more credibility and visibility and | | | | tips in more formats. Video each other and happy |
| usually reduce costs for attracting customers. The | | | | customers, demonstrating and discussing the tips at |
| locally-owned Michigan businesses and non-profits in | | | | various locations including at your business. Post the |
| this story, for example, could become more | | | | text, audio and video versions of your tips on all |
| well-known than their competitors by co-creating a Hot | | | | partners' web sites or blogs and post online. At your |
| Tips sheet, perhaps called "How to Live Well at Home | | | | physical locations display and give away the print |
| as You Age." The company that acts first in recruiting | | | | versions, show the video on a wall screen. |
| partners, ensures that it gets included: Bissell | | | | In this way you:o Gain a warmed-up introduction to |
| Homecare, Williams Kitchen and Bath, The Right Place | | | | each other's customers.o May offer more value than |
| and Disability Advocates. | | | | your competitors.o Inspire more customers to refer |
| Plus partners could invite national groups like Whirlpool, | | | | their friends.o Become a top-of-mind expert for future |
| GE, Lowes, home remodelers and others to share this | | | | media stories that cover your kind of work. |
| tip sheet, thus creating a fresh news hook for more | | | | |