Collaborative Marketing

Have been thinking about this for quite some time. Just a concept, don't know whether it's practiced or not, nor have searched about this concept. So here goes:

The concept is simple: a group of people somehow related to each other market or forward each other's ideas & works. It can be done professionally or on personal levels, for a work of art to writings to software to an idea of a business or a talent. In other words, Person A either markets for Person B in exchange to Person B's marketing for him, or for any other favor or simply nothing (just plays the role of a friend).

I have already been practicing this with a group of friends, although all of them might not know that they are actually doing this e.g. a friend recommends some other friend to a company for employment, providing a link to other blog on your blog, etc. If you observe it carefully, there is benefit for both of them here, which I think is pretty implicit and I shouldn't be explaining why.

But everyone does what is mentioned the examples; it’s not something new. The point is to extend this practice to the extent that we benefit exponentially and through lesser effort. The power of sharing ideas & concepts is pretty much underestimated by many. Alliance of the good auto-magically broadens your horizon.

A few of the benefits of this are:

• No cost! Lesser Effort.
• Customized direct marketing i.e. the marketer is directly presenting himself as the advocate for the work being marketed.
• Better credibility e.g. the target audience has a relationship with the marketer, and every relationship has credibility on both sides.

Though, a few factors should be taken care of and one should be heedful enough to get the right results e.g. the marketer should have some credibility. Of course, key basic factors of marketing apply here as well e.g. Target audience, building up the mindset of the product, etc.

Just an idea, I shall try to come up with something more specific and a few more examples in the next version, the date of which is unknown. Comments are highly appreciated!