Cross-marketing is joint promotion with a company that has a similar audience but sells something different: you show its offer to your customers, and it shows yours to its own. It works when the partner doesn't compete with you, the benefit to the customer is clear and you can measure the result.
How to choose a partner
- Same audience, different product: a shoe store and a fitness app, a pet shop and an online vet consultation, a coffee store and a tableware shop.
- A similar price segment and tone of voice toward customers.
- A comparable audience size, otherwise the exchange will be unequal.
- A decent reputation: reviews, clear terms, working support.
- The partner doesn't sell your categories now and has no plans to.
Six formats
| Format | What it looks like | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Coupon swap | The customer gets the partner's coupon on the thank-you page or in the parcel | Low |
| Joint bundle | Products from two brands in one set | High |
| Newsletter feature | Each side tells its own subscribers about the partner | Medium |
| Joint giveaway | A shared prize, with entry through both brands | Medium |
| Content exchange | Guides and articles that link to each other | Low |
| Partner gift network | Offers from many partners through one platform | Low |
What to agree on before you start
- What exactly the customer gets and on what terms: discount, expiry, restrictions.
- Where and how often each side shows the partner's offer.
- How you will count results: separate promo codes or tagged links.
- Who handles customer questions about the offer.
- What data is shared. The best answer is no personal data at all.
- How long the promotion runs and how to stop it.
Customer data
The most common mistake is swapping customer lists. Under GDPR, you can pass customer emails to a partner only with separate consent to share them with that specific partner, and for marketing emails in Spain you must also respect Article 21 of the LSSI. It is much simpler when each side shows the partner's offer in its own channels and the customer clicks through on their own.
How to measure the result
Each side needs its own code or tagged link. Count impressions, clicks, redeemed codes, and revenue or signups. Compare against what it would cost to acquire the same number of customers with ads.
If the exchange is uneven, agree on compensation: an extra newsletter feature, more placements, or a switch to pay-per-result.
The problem with manual cross-marketing
One promotion with one partner takes negotiation, a contract, design and a report. For a small store that is weeks of work for a single offer that suits only some customers. That is why joint promotions often never launch, or end after the first one.
Cross-marketing through a platform
The alternative is to join a network with many partners, where the offer is matched to the order. A buyer of running shoes sees a fitness app, a buyer of pet food sees a pet service. The partner pays for a new customer, and the store gets a share.
This is how ThanklyClub works: the WooCommerce plugin shows 1–3 partner gifts on the thank-you page and in the order confirmation email, and AI hides categories that compete with your assortment. If you are the brand and want to reach buyers through stores, see the advertiser section.
Example: a promotion between two stores
A coffee store and a ceramic tableware store agree on a month-long test. Each puts the partner's 10% coupon, with its own code, in the order confirmation email and on the thank-you page. At the end of the month they compare how many codes each side redeemed and decide whether to continue.
The details that matter: both coupons are valid for the same period, both stores answer questions about their own coupon, and nobody shares customer contacts. If one store is much bigger than the other, the smaller one can make up the difference with an extra newsletter feature.
When cross-marketing doesn't work
- The audiences overlap only on paper: the partner's customers are in a different country or age group.
- The customer benefit is small or comes with fine-print conditions.
- The offer is shown in an awkward place where nobody sees it.
- There is no way to measure the result, and the promotion ends in a dispute.
How to pitch a partnership
Your first message to a potential partner should be short: who you are, how many orders and customers you have, why your audience fits theirs and what exactly you are proposing. A specific promotion idea works better than a generic "let's work together".
Propose a small one-month trial with simple measurement. For example, a coupon swap in order confirmation emails. If both sides are happy with the result, move on to more complex formats such as joint bundles and giveaways. If not, you spent little time and learned what your customers care about.
Cross-marketing and your store's brand
A partner offer you show to your customers reads as your recommendation. If the partner's service is poor, some of the frustration lands on you. So before launch, place an order with the partner yourself, check the offer terms and see how they handle questions. It takes an hour and saves you unhappy emails from your own customers.
Partner pair ideas by niche
| Store | Fitting partner |
|---|---|
| Shoes and sport | Fitness apps, sports nutrition, running events |
| Kids' products | Photo printing, online courses for kids, audiobooks |
| Pet supplies | Dog training courses, dog walking services, photo printing |
| Coffee and tea | Books and audiobooks, cooking sets |
| Electronics | Software and services, mobile plans, music services |
FAQ
What is cross-marketing in simple terms?
Joint promotion by two companies that share an audience but sell different products: each tells its own customers about the other.
How do I find a cross-marketing partner?
List the products and services your customers use alongside yours and pick companies whose assortment doesn't overlap with yours. Or join a network where partners are already gathered.
Can I swap customer lists with a partner?
Only with customers' separate consent to share their data with that specific partner. It is safer to show the partner's offer in your own channels without sharing any data.
How do I measure the effect of a joint promotion?
Use separate promo codes or tagged links for each side and compare the results with your cost of acquiring customers through ads.
Which cross-marketing formats are easiest to launch?
A coupon swap on the thank-you page and in the order confirmation email, and a content exchange. Neither needs joint production, and you can count results with promo codes. Joint bundles and giveaways are harder: they need logistics, a shared budget and promotion rules.
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