Collaboration can be a wonderful win-win opportunity and has a good chance of indirectly contributing to increased revenue though a direct link is a bit harder to ascertain.  At TheAlternativePress.com we partner with the Department of Community Programs in Summit, NJ to do an annual Cutest Baby photo contest.  We supply the web platform, help to promote it, and secure sponsorships for it and the Department promotes it and encourages parents to participate.  This year is our third year of doing it and it's been a great vehicle for the Department to protect its aquatic facility and for our site to be read by even more people.  And since readership impacts revenue, it could be helpful on that front, as well.  Because of the success of this collaboration with Summit, we now have a similar program with two other towns we cover.

The drawback to collaboration is it takes time and for hyperlocal publishers, time is not something many of us have.  But I think win-win collaboration like the one we have with Summit is worth the time and effort.