How to Set Up a Profitable Co-Marketing Program to Enjoy a Consistent Stream of New Client Referrals

by Frank Klesitz

I want to share with you a great strategy to generate more referrals for your business from people who sell to the same people you do.

Since many of our clients are in the real estate industry, this article will focus on how a co-marketing plan will work if you’re a real estate agent – however the same principles apply for any industry.

For example, here at Vyral Marketing we co-market with various business coaches and providers of products and services who sell to our ideal customers.

You can see all our co-marketing partners on our events page (to be updated soon).

Now, imagine if you could hold deep relationships with referral partners who regularly talk to your ideal customer and they refer you to them every month.

For example, if you’re a real estate agent, I’m sure you know a mortgage professional, an attorney, a family planning professional, a home builder, a relocation professional, or more who talk regularly with people who want to buy or sell a home.

What if you could help them market their business and in return they refer you to their clients and customers?

If you’re a Vyral Marketing client, here’s the co-marketing system to do just that.

Interview each of your co-marketing partners once a month (in-person, on the phone, or on Google Hangout) to answer questions homeowners commonly ask.

Put their interview on your video blog and in your email newsletter. Syndicate it to a hyper-local podcast. Your referral partner can also promote the interview to their database – if they are comfortable and know how.

This does a few things.

1. It adds value to your referral partner since you’re helping get their message out
2. It creates a structured time for you to speak on the phone to ask for referrals
3. It positions you as the authority in your market 
4. It’s a consistent, repeatable system that predictably produces referral results

Point #2 is the most important. Don’t concern yourself with cross-promotion of the interview too much – sure that’s great especially if they promote it to their database - but the REAL benefit is you now have a re-occurring scheduled monthly time in your calendar to speak with your referral partner to add value and then ask for referrals to their customers or clients.

Imagine if you set up 20-30 referral partner relationships (or over 100??), showed up for a quick 5min interview on the phone or over Google Hangout, and then asked “Who do you know who is looking to buy or sell a house?” after the interview. Boom. Referral. Every month. Consistently.

Again, let me stress this works in any industry. If you're in auto repair - interview people who own supply stores for auto parts. If you're a fitness trainer, interview local supplement companies, registered dieticians, or medical professionals. If you're a financial planner with a forward thinking compliance department interview bank managers and mortgage officers.

So here’s what you need to do to get this set up.

1. Write a list of professionals or businesses you know who sell to your ideal clients
2. Introduce them to your Success Coach (email them, cc: us)

For example: “Hey Bob, I know we do a lot of business together (or you want to do more). I want to help you get your knowledge out to all the people I know to help you get more business. Can I interview you for a few minutes? I’ve copied my Success Coach here on this email at Vyral Marketing who helps me with this. Can I invite you to my next interview so you see how it works? It’s all over the phone or by webcam video conference…my coach will explain. – Your Name”

3. Invite them to one of your webcam interviews so they see how it works
4. Schedule a time for their interview (phone, in-person, or video conference). Conduct it.
5. Promote the interview to your database (we do this); they promote it to theirs
6. Ask for a referral since you did all this complimentary to help them

We will help you set up a co-marketing plan with your referral partners at no additional charge when you're a Vyral Marketing client.

We’ll moderate and set up your first 3-5 referral partner interviews, but after a few you’ll easily be able to conduct the monthly interviews on your own.

Then, simply send the video file or MP3 of the phone interview to us and we’ll get it edited, optimized, and promoted on your website, to your email database, and on your social media accounts.

We’ll also send the finalized interview to your referral partner so they can promote it to the people they know, if appropriate.

So - that’s how I would set up a profitable co-marketing referral program that would without question guarantee you a steady stream of referrals every month without fail and put you in the position so you attract business, not chase it, as the undisputed local authority on home ownership.

If you’d like help with this, request a free strategy session - or if you're a Vyral Marketing Client talk to your Success Coach - and let's visit about how to get this implemented over the next 30 days.