[GTM glossary](/glossary.md) Co-marketing Marketing # Co-marketing In short Co-marketing is a partnership in which two or more companies plan and run a marketing activity together, such as a webinar, report, or event, so each gains access to the other’s audience. The companies share effort, cost, and leads. It works best between companies with similar buyers and non-competing products. It differs from co-selling, where partners work shared deals, and from affiliate marketing, where one party pays the other per referral. ## Common co-marketing formats * **Joint webinars:** Each partner brings a speaker and invites its list. * **Co-authored reports or guides:** Two perspectives make the piece more useful and give both brands a reason to share it. * **Shared events:** Dinners, workshops, or booths split between partners. * **Integration launches:** Two products that work together announce it with a joint page and campaign. * **Newsletter or podcast swaps:** Appearing in each other’s channels. --- ## How to run a co-marketing campaign * **Pick a partner with the same buyer:** Look for companies selling to the same ICP with a complementary, not competing, product. * **Agree on goals:** Decide whether the aim is leads, pipeline, or awareness, and how results will be counted. * **Split the work in writing:** List who creates, who promotes, and who follows up, and by when. * **Agree on lead sharing:** Define how leads are shared and what consent each person gave. Check privacy rules with your legal team. * **Review together:** Compare results and decide whether to repeat. --- ## Example Say two companies sell to revenue teams, one in data and one in sales engagement. They co-host a workshop on outbound planning. Each emails its own list, and attendees from both sides receive a follow-up recap. The value comes from reaching a relevant audience each company would not reach alone. --- ## Common mistakes * **Mismatched audiences:** Reaching the wrong people gives a lot of sign-ups and no pipeline. * **Uneven effort:** If one side does most of the work, the partnership fades. * **No follow-up plan:** Leads from a joint event go cold when nobody owns them. --- ## Co-marketing FAQs **What is co-marketing?** Co-marketing is when two or more companies jointly plan and run a marketing activity, such as a webinar, report, or event, to reach each other’s audiences. The partners share the work, costs, and sometimes the leads that result. **What are examples of co-marketing?** Examples of co-marketing include joint webinars, co-authored research reports, shared events, integration launch campaigns, and newsletter or podcast swaps. The best examples pair non-competing companies that sell to the same type of buyer. **What is the difference between co-marketing and co-selling?** Co-marketing focuses on joint demand generation, such as shared content and events. Co-selling means partners work specific deals together, introducing contacts and joining calls. Many partnerships start with co-marketing and move to co-selling later. **How do you find a good co-marketing partner?** Look for companies that serve the same ICP with a complementary, non-competing product and a similar audience size. Check their content quality and customer overlap, and start with a small joint activity before committing to a larger program. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [Marketing program](/glossary/marketing-program.md) * [Market development funds (MDF)](/glossary/market-development-funds.md) * [Brand marketing](/glossary/brand-marketing.md) ## Similar phrases * [Partner marketing](/glossary/partner-marketing.md) Partner marketing is joint marketing with other companies, such as integration partners and resellers, to reach shared audiences and generate pipeline together. * [Content marketing](/glossary/content-marketing.md) Content marketing is the practice of creating and sharing useful content, such as articles, guides, and videos, to attract, educate, and convert a defined audience. * [Demand generation](/glossary/demand-generation.md) Demand generation is the set of marketing activities that create awareness and interest in a product among target buyers, before and alongside lead capture. * [Channel partners](/glossary/channel-partners.md) Channel partners are the network of resellers, referral partners, agencies, and integrators a company manages as a program to extend its sales reach. * [Partner-led growth](/glossary/partner-led-growth.md) Partner-led growth is a go-to-market strategy where partners such as resellers, agencies, and tech vendors drive much of acquisition and expansion.