Cooperative Advertising

Co-operative advertising is taking on many shapes and faces. It can beonline or offline. It can be in multi-piece packages or multi-message singlepage flyers or fillers.

The concept of co-operative advertising is not new. It is a great way tostretch your advertising dollar and to reach additional pockets of yourtarget market.

When multiple people pool their advertising dollar they can reach morepeople. Its like the choice between sending 1000 color brochures or 10,000 black and white ones. Your message may be watered down a bit by theadditional material but it also has the potential to reach so many morepeople. The power of co-operative advertising is the opportunity to reach somany more people. Every advertiser participating broadcasts their message totheir primary markets. And your advertising message gets to piggy back alongfor the ride.

Speaking of piggies, one of the most interesting co-operative advertising efforts, The Mom Pack, was founded by piggy bank artist Lynn Korff of http://www.korfforiginals.com Lynn has spearheaded a group of work at homemoms who share co-operative advertising distribution. At http://www.mompack.com work at home mothers send their samples, businesscards, flyers and fillers to one another. When each participant ships anorder or attends a craft fair, festival, or event they hand out packets(MomPacks) of information from other members.

MomPack has evolved quite a bit from its beginnings. The site bosts amembership directory, text links, contest listings, and resources for momswho run home based businesses.

http://www.MomPack.com has become a great way for women to network andco-operatively advertise to people who already shop from work at home moms.

Shopping With Women is also a great way for advertisers to co-operativelyget your marketing message in front of targeted groups of people. Whensomeone needs a booklet to distribute at their event, they request it from http://www.ShoppingWithWomen.com and then advertisers purchase spots in theupcoming booklet. These booklets are going to specific groups,organizations, and locations so that they offer advertisers inexpensive yettargeted advertising opportunities.

Shopping With Women is unique in that its advertising opportunities are everchanging. Bookmark their upcoming events page and check back often for waysthat you can reach very targeted markets in a co-operative advertisingvenue.

Another brand new advertising co-operative, and really neat women's group islocated online at http://www.mywoman2woman.com These ladies are producingjoint mailings and catalogs that you can participate in.

There are also many ways that you can develop your own co-operativeadvertising efforts.

If you participate in home party sales, you might wish to coordinate withseveral other people representing different home party plan companies. Youcould each supply a few items to be used in your own show displays and keepbusiness cards handy for any guests who are interested in your co-op'sproducts. You know that your samples will be seen by people who alreadyattend, host, and shop at home parties.

You might want to get co-ops together for booths at craft fairs, businessopportunity seminars, or demonstration meetings. You can share the cost ofthe booth and share the leads obtained. This is especially helpful withmultiple day events as no one has to man the event around the clock. Withmulti day events, you can even put together a co-op of people representingthe same company.

Another co-operative advertising effort that has grown steadily over theyears is the WAHMfest events. These are held nationwide throughout the yearand target women who are considering starting a work at home business. Visitthem online at http://www.wahmfest.org. You can participate in currentlyscheduled events or sign up to host an event of your own. This is anespecially effective co-op because many people are participating who reachvaried segments of a geographic population. Since all participants help topromote the event, you are likely to reach people you would not otherwisecome into contact with in your own hometown.

A finaly way that I would like to suggest co-operative advertisinginitiatives isn't really my idea at all. It is a part of the efforts ofShopping With Women. But the concept can be spun and utilized in manydifferent venues.

Have 15-30 people come together and print tote bags, book bags, shoppingbags, or even three ring binders for a specific event or venue. Examplescould be Christmas Shows or Festivals, Church Sponsored Events, TrainingSeminars, Open Houses, etc. Each participant pays the same amount towardsthe printing of the bag or binder. Ads are printed on the final product foreach participant. Then the bags or binders are given away for free at theopen house, show, party, or farmers market. These are just sample ideas. Butit is a great way to be sure that event attendees take home something withyour marketing message. Advertising co-op participants might also includesamples, coupons, flyers, or business cards in all the printed bags.

Co-operative advertising is a good way to stretch your advertising budgetand reach more people with your marketing message. Always be on the look outfor people that you can participate in advertising co-ops with. You'll get abigger bang for your advertising dollar and continue to build your networkof influence.