Pondering Strategic Connections and the Facebook Page 'Like'.

What comprises strategic connections for businesses? What do we look for in other businesses that could help our business grow? Does it sound cynical or is it part of a healthy marketing plan?

Considering potential strategic business connections for Integrative Waves, I focused on who is my target market and what might they be looking for in other businesses.

Some of the businesses I 'liked' and the main reason for the 'Like':

• The Standing Sock -
  part of my practice involves the treatment of primary and secondary lymphedema and lipedema. This affiliation with a local compression garment store that caters to clients with lymphatic problems can help grow my lymphatic therapy clientele.
• Core Orthopedic Medical Center -
  the MDs there are aware of the results that I obtained with a client with a fractured ankle which healed 2 and a half weeks ahead of schedule after treating her with lymphatic drainage. This affiliation with a local orthopedic group can help grow my orthopedic clientele.
• Skin Inc Magazine -
  a professional magazine for the esthetics industry. This has content that I can share regarding skin care with my followers.
• Stillpoint Aromatics -
  an essential oil company who has content regarding aromatherapy and essential oils that I can share.
• Rhonda Allison Skin Care -
  one of the skin care product lines I retail - has information regarding the different products that I can share. They are also a referral source.
• Vodder Schools International -
  has information regarding manual lymphatic drainage and lymphedema that I can share.They are also a referral source for consumers searching for lymphatic therapists. 
• Beauty Kliniek -
  a direct competitor. I can see what this company is doing to engage the customers and learn from them.

This 'Like' feature of Facebook can be a useful tool to aid the growth of Integrative Waves. By 'liking' businesses who have some kind of pertinent relationship with my business, whether it be useful information to share with my followers, a competitor whose customers are similar to our potential ones, or business sites that my potential customers are using, it will help Integrative Waves to become more visible and add to the benefit offered to followers. More interesting, pertinent content can attract more followers and more interest in the business. More interest and exposure will help growth.