| ign="center"> | | | | vehicle or storefront signage, or any number of other |
| How many of us have gotten involved in business | | | | common or uncommon media activities. If everyone in |
| networks that went nowhere? We go to regular | | | | the network knows the media map of the other |
| meetings and we talk across steaming coffee cups | | | | companies, then intelligent economy of scale tactics, as |
| over boxes of donuts, hopeful at first, but ever | | | | well as blended messaging and other strategies can |
| becoming more disillusioned as the months roll on. | | | | be enacted, driving down the cost of message |
| Wouldnât it be great to network in profitable | | | | delivery, and at the same time increasing the |
| ways instead of simply wasting our time? | | | | effectiveness of it. |
| The internet is a network, as the name implies, and | | | | Peer Maps are another Dragnet Marketing concept |
| there are some powerful tactics to be employed | | | | where each member of the network looks at the |
| there-in. Many are seldom used. Combine internet | | | | different interface methods that it has with its micro |
| networking strategies with intelligent street level tactics, | | | | market. One company may have an in-home |
| and forget about the donuts! Bigger things can happen, | | | | presence either in sales, or installation, or both, while |
| and do! | | | | another company has a strong walk in market. How |
| The first thing to look at is, âWho should my | | | | can these access points be shared to the benefit of |
| network consist of?â Joining an existing | | | | both while at the same time not being detrimental to |
| network is great, if it fits your needs. Non competitive | | | | either. Email messages can have references to other |
| participants are best, however you define that. | | | | synergistic companies on them without detracting from |
| Sometimes a company that is in close geographic | | | | the legitimacy of the primary company. Also, business |
| proximity is a competitor because they provide | | | | cards have two sides. The primary side can be a |
| comparable goods or services, but the same company | | | | normal card while the secondary side can say, |
| that is geographically distant can be a great | | | | âWe Trust Company #2â. |
| non-competitive partner. In the second scenario, both | | | | Peer Maps and Media Maps are great exercises for |
| of you can usually benefit from cooperation. | | | | business networks to go through. They can see very |
| Otherwise, there are companies that are | | | | quickly how to benefit each other without hurting each |
| non-competitive and synergistic. A window cleaning | | | | other. Every one forgets about the donuts pretty |
| company and a painting company are good examples. | | | | quickly when the very real prospects of doubling or |
| After the painter has finished the house, the windows | | | | tripling business come into view. |
| will really need to be cleaned. Of course, there are | | | | The internet is an indispensible means of networking. |
| companies too that are non-competitive, but not really | | | | Linking company websites together is the primary |
| synergistic either. These can fit into their own | | | | contemporary means by which organizations network. |
| networks, and then networks of synergistic companies | | | | One of the problems with that is basic. Few brick and |
| can network together as well. | | | | mortar companies want to have their hard earned |
| The point is, custom networks usually serve the | | | | traffic siphoned off by intentionally posting the |
| interests of all better than just falling into something | | | | enticements of another company, competitor or not, on |
| randomly. Obviously however, in a customized | | | | their own main website. In comes the concept of |
| network someone will have to have taken the initiative | | | | setting up a secondary network of pages that point to, |
| organizationally in the first place. | | | | and are pointed to from the primary company sites. |
| Next, there is the consideration of what KIND of | | | | Online listing services do this, but usually in a crude, one |
| benefit you can bring to each other. There is | | | | way, boiler-plated manner. Businesses that decide to |
| messaging assistance where one company will allow | | | | network together should each put up a page that |
| the other to pitch its message to their audience. There | | | | intentionally lists the other partners in the network. |
| are also straight referral activities that businesses can | | | | Efforts can be made by all in the network to increase |
| trade in. In order to perform these tactics effectively, it | | | | traffic to these secondary pages as well as to their |
| is good to prepare what we, at Dragnet Marketing, call | | | | own primary sites. By working together in this way, |
| a Media Map. This is an exercise that identifies what | | | | again, the result is to maximize resources, gain |
| kinds of media each company already uses. This can | | | | economy of scale, and benefit each other without |
| be telephone book ads, radio or TV commercials, | | | | detriment. |