Collaboration is a perfect lever for leveraging SEO and the Power of the Internet
As we know, Internet success relies on building traffic and converting that traffic to signed contracts.
Imagine a scenario where we are building a community of homeowners through a collaboration of a group of partners.
Now, imagine that Jane is searching the Internet for landscaping ideas. She comes across our landscaping partner in our collaboration.
- Jane appreciates the useful and localized content she finds
- Jane feels comfortable. She does not feel put upon by self-promoting BS
- Jane finds the website simple to use and helpful
Jane notices an offer for an e-newsletter produced by our coalition. Jane likes what she sees on our Landscaper’s website- Jane likes our offer with the e-newsletter, and so she subscribes. Our newsletter is a collection of content- articles, photos, and video clips- by our collaboration members with a sprinkling of jokes and local news and special offers relating to homes.
She appreciates the value in the newsletter and reads it regularly. Through the newsletter, she meets all our other partners over time. When she needs new home services, she turns to our coalition to understand her best options.
Why would she do anything else? We have demonstrated that we are watching out for her interests. We offer value. We offer special deals. We answer her questions… Jane finds all this valuable and so she keeps the free subscription, reads the newsletter- and when she need help she turns to a collaboration member.
OK lets reiterate what we have just demonstrated here. A collaboration among a select group of B2C services are using the Internet and a newsletter to help all our members meet homeowners who have ventured into our oasis where our attractive offers have helped the remaining partners meet a potential new prospect.
Why would our landscaper be willing to work with our collaboration? Our landscaper- as well as every other member has a critical interest in being introduced to all the web visitors who meet all our other partners- so each is happy to share links to our common newsletter.
What have we just succeeded in doing?
We have created a community oasis of home resources. Prospects wander in and find what they want. We offer compelling reasons to stay around. They subscribe. They stay. We build strong relationships built on exchanged value. Our community hires our partners when they need services.
Each partner also appreciates the ability to be a part of a compelling newsletter that has lot of resources to be interesting without an excessive burden falling on any of them to always deliver value. Who wants to hear from a roofer every month- month after month? Who wants to hear from a plumber every month-month after month? Who wants to hear from an electrician every month- month after month? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to hear from a variety of useful resources, in small doses?
Now this idea takes a lot of coordination, but who woulndn’t appreciate being positioned with a great newsletter that helps homeowners avoid problems, makes great offers and all around, delivers value consistently?
Now you can also stretch this sharing of content into the world of Social Networking. That will be our next section as we return to our evaluation of Collaboration.
