Business Day Thursday: Playing The Links

Good Late Afternoon Everybody,

The day is getting away from me but I want to give you a quick note on something to think about in promoting your business. I call it "Playing the Links" and I'm not talking anything related to Tiger Woods.

Back in the good old film, pre-Internet days, we always had a preferred vendor list we could share with our clients.  I think they always appreciated our recommendations because we were in the business and knew who the good players were out there in the "wedding biz."  

In other words, they could count on our recommendations knowing those whom we recommended could be trusted to do the job.  Our referral list included bakers, caterers, florists, videographers…. - you get the idea.  This wasn't a big list, it was a "good" list on the top vendors in our area.

So what's the easiest way to transfer the same kind of referral list to our modern day digital web ready world?  Simple, just build a preferred vendor link on your website, blog, etc.  And, after you've done that, be sure to tell your vendor buddies about your co-marketing move and ask them to do the same for you.  Nothing like "cross-pollination" to build your business.

Now ramp it up a notch.  Be sure you have Google Analytics, or similar stat service, built into your website.  Now you'll be able to see exactly how many "referrals" you've sent to your vendor buddies in a month.  Be sure to share that info with them so they know you are proactively supporting them.

You could also feature them monthly on your blog giving them great play and once again a great referral.  Be sure to let them know that you've promoted them, too.  You know, if you discipline yourself to do this  regularly, it can do a lot to build your "connects" with your local vendors.

As Zig Ziglar said so many years ago, " One of the secrets of success if to help others be successful too." 

---Pretty darn good advice.

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Gang, I'm out of here - dinner with friends this evening and we are running a bit late… (as usual.)

See everybody tomorrow for a brand new series entitled, "Keeping The Faith - Shooting Weddings In A ..... Church."

Adios, David