Joint marketing means two partner businesses producing something together that helps a customer they both serve. The formats that earn their keep are practical: a checklist, a sequence guide, a handover note or a small event. The test is simple: would the customer find it useful if neither business were named on it?
We plan, write and coordinate this material. We don't print, install or deliver anything, and we don't set up link exchanges.
What joint marketing looks like in practice
Some formats that work for Burnaby trades and local businesses:
- A "what comes next" sheet. A painter and a flooring installer explain the right order of work in a condo renovation, and what each needs from the owner.
- A moving-week checklist. A mover and a cleaner list the steps for leaving a rental in good shape, including strata move-in and move-out rules to check with the building.
- A strata council briefing. Two complementary trades explain a repair sequence so a council can plan and budget.
- An open-house morning. A designer and a cabinet maker host past customers at a finished project, with the homeowner's permission.
- A handover pack. When your job ends, the customer receives care notes and, where relevant, a disclosed recommendation for the next trade.
Each piece carries both names, says plainly that the two businesses have a referral relationship, and gives each business's own contact details.
Links, rankings and what we won't do
Joint marketing often ends up online, so the link question comes up early. Google's spam policies describe excessive link exchanges and partner pages made only for cross-linking as link spam, and they also treat paid links that pass ranking credit as a problem.
Our rules are simple:
- A link appears only where it helps a reader decide or act.
- Any paid or sponsored placement is marked with rel="sponsored", as Google asks.
- We never build networks of sites linking to each other, and never put a block of partner links in a footer.
- Partnerships are judged by referred jobs, not by search rankings.
Who it is for
Joint marketing suits owners who already have two or three working partners and want more from each relationship. It is wasted effort with a partner you've met once. Start with mapping and written terms if the relationships are new.
What is included and the timeline
- Choosing one joint piece per quarter with you and the partner.
- An outline both owners approve, then a full draft.
- Disclosure wording on the piece itself.
- A short plan for distribution: who hands it to which customers, and when.
- A check-in a month later to see whether customers used it.
A single piece usually takes four to six weeks from idea to finished, most of it waiting on two busy owners to approve wording.
How results are measured
We look at three things:
- how many copies or visits reached customers
- enquiries that mention the piece or arrive via a partner code
- whether the partner's referral volume rose in the following quarter, from your tracking record
A worked example of a joint piece
Imagine a residential painter and a flooring installer who both work in Brentwood towers. Together they write a one-page sheet called "Renovating a condo suite: what to book, and in what order". It explains why flooring usually goes in after the walls are painted, which building approvals to ask the property manager about, and how much notice each trade needs.
Each business hands it to customers at the quote stage. The sheet names both businesses, says plainly that they refer work to each other, and gives each one's own contact details. Neither business pays the other for the placement. Three months later, both check their tracking records to see how many enquiries mentioned the sheet.
Mistakes to avoid
- Making it an advert. A brochure with two logos is not joint marketing. Teach the customer something.
- Uneven effort. If one partner does all the work, resentment follows. Split tasks in writing.
- Forgetting the customer's privacy. Never share a customer's details with a partner for marketing without their clear permission.
- Chasing links. If the main goal is a link, stop and reconsider.
Costs are on the pricing page, and the FAQ covers ownership questions.
Frequently asked questions
Should we swap links on each other's websites?
Only where the link genuinely helps a reader, such as a partner page explaining who you work with. Swapping links to influence rankings is something Google lists as link spam, and we don't do it.
Who owns material we produce together?
Agree that before you start, in writing. A common approach is that both businesses may use it, with both names shown, and neither may change it without the other's agreement.
Does joint marketing cost extra?
It is part of the monthly plan work. Printing or event costs, if any, are separate and usually split between the partners.
Can we run joint ads?
You can, but most small partnerships get more from shared material and handovers than from splitting an ad budget. If you do, decide in advance who pays, who holds the account and how leads are split.