Marketing barter?

Trending on Twitter this morning:

“Fans are pointing out that actor Leonardo DiCaprio looks like Leonardo DiCaprio.”

I found this funny. The truth of course is more mundane. Apparently the New York Post said DiCaprio looked “unrecognizable in first photos of new Scorsese film.” Fans disagreed.

So I got to wondering:

Maybe clever headlines like this are standard for the Twitter “Trending” sidebar. What do I know?

All I have is a secret Twitter account, which I never use. (This morning I wound up on Twitter by following a link in an Axios newsletter.) This is in spite of hearing a lot hype for Twitter, both as a great place to get yer news and to connect with smart people. And maybe even to drum up business.

Fact is, I’ve got a bunch of marketing holes like this.

I’m not on Instagram… I only use Facebook to spy on different groups… I know little about PR… and I’ve never ever created or promoted a continuity program.

Which got me thinking about an idea:

I call it marketing barter.

Imagine your typical flea market. An empty parking lot, where you go with a little blanket and lay out what you’ve got for sale.

You then walk around, and you look at what others have for sale on their little blankets.

Maybe something catches your eye. “Hm. A vegan, American-made sleeping pill for dogs. Interesting.”

So you talk to the owner a bit. And you come up with ideas to help with his marketing. Maybe you promise to get him free publicity with a Reddit astroturfing campaign. Maybe you offer to set up and promote a funnel for autoship.

And then you ask if in exchange he would be willing to write the sales letter for your new “Power Aromatherapy For Life Coaches” course… or if not, what he would be willing to do for you in turn.

Finally, if you both agree, you exchange services.

It could be copywriting. It could be funnels. It could be stuff you’re an expert in… or it could be stuff you want to practice, but don’t have a product that’s suitable for (eg. you want to practice PR, but you don’t have a product that has wide-enough appeal or that can stand public scrutiny.)

I can hear Derek Zoolander asking:

But why barter?

Well, promoting your own stuff is hard for many people, myself included. (I started thinking about this marketing barter idea recently… after finally completing the sales letter for my bullets course. It took me almost two months to do.)

But it’s not just the futzing and fumbling that goes with promoting your own stuff.

There’s just a lot of value in having an outside opinion. We are all too close to what we sell. That’s one of the main reasons why hiring a marketing consultant or outside copywriter makes sense.

And I feel that this marketing barter idea could help with both of the above points. That’s why.

And there’s Zoolander butting in again:

But why barter? Why not just pay for marketing services if you need them?

I don’t have a great answer for that. That’s why I’m writing today’s email. I want to hear what you think, and if you have any advice for me about how I should pursue or develop this idea.

And if you’re curious how this idea progresses, or if you want another idea (or two) about marketing and copywriting, you might like to join my email newsletter (thank God, no Twitter).