Is your B2B channel partner marketing program underperforming? Do you feel like you’re leaving money on the table due to misaligned goals, lackluster communication, or simply not knowing where to start? Many businesses struggle to unlock the full potential of their channel partnerships. But with the right approach and a solid strategy, you can turn your channel partners into a powerful revenue engine.
Let’s take a deep dive into best practices for building a successful channel partner marketing program that drives results for both you and your partners. We’ll explore how to choose the right partners, create compelling marketing and sales enablement materials, motivate partner sales teams, and measure your success.
What Is B2B Channel Partner Marketing?
Channel partner marketing is a collaborative approach to revenue generation where you tap into the sales organizations run by distributors or resellers to promote and sell your products or services. When done right, it’s a win-win situation: your partners gain access to new markets and revenue streams, while you expand your reach and increase sales without having to build an extensive direct sales force. Unfortunately, however, many businesses fail to get the most out of these partnerships. More than 20% of enterprises do not even know how to measure their partners’ performance.
This disheartening fact highlights the need for a strategic and well-executed approach to channel partner marketing. There’s a ton of potential in channel partner marketing, but it’s not just about signing up partners and hoping for the best. It’s about building strong relationships, providing the right tools and resources, and fostering a collaborative environment where both parties can thrive.
Get ALL our best advice for channel partner marketing here. This includes a discussion of why you should do your own brand building even if you rely on resellers to drive revenue.
A B2B Channel Partner Is a Marketing Persona: Understand Their Needs and Motivations
The foundation of any successful channel partner marketing program is a deep understanding of your partners. After all, these aren’t just businesses you work with – they’re an extension of your team, each with their own unique motivations, challenges, and ambitions. Just as you create buyer personas for your customers, you must develop channel partner personas that document their goals, motivations, challenges, and preferences.
“You have an ideal channel partner profile, and that’s the thing that you need to be targeting as the persona that you’re really seeking to understand.” – Daisy
This means going beyond surface-level demographics and delving into the heart of their business.
- What are their primary revenue drivers?
- What kind of growth are they aiming for?
- What are the pain points they face in their sales process?
- How do they incentivize their sales team?
- What kind of marketing support would help them the most?
- What is their company culture and how do they define success?
By taking the time to truly understand your partners as your primary audience, you can tailor your marketing efforts to meet their specific needs. Whether it’s providing customized training materials, developing co-branded campaigns, or offering exclusive incentives, your support should be targeted and relevant to their unique goals.
Craft Your Brand’s Story in the B2B Channel Partner Marketing Ecosystem
Your brand positioning within your partners’ portfolio is THE key to success.
“You have to understand how they view your brand versus all of the other things they sell and versus the other things they could sell instead of the thing that you’re offering to them.” – Dacia
This means understanding how your brand is perceived compared to your competitors and other offerings within your partner’s portfolio. Are you seen as a premium solution, a value option, or something else?
Once you understand your current position, you can strategically craft your messaging and marketing efforts to reinforce that position or shift it to a more advantageous one.
Remember, positioning is about comparison. You can’t simply argue a position; you have to start where your partners are and then intentionally move that perception. For example, they might see your offering as an add-on rather than a core product in their portfolio. If so, you need to start by acknowledging that perception and then reframing it to show them how your product or service can actually drive more sales or increase profitability.
Make it Easy for Them: A Campaign in a Box
One of the most effective ways to empower your channel partners is to provide them with a “campaign in a box.” This is a comprehensive set of marketing materials and resources that are ready to use and tailored to their specific needs.
“I want to make sure that they have some kind of nice leave-behind, some kind of brochure… give them copy for a web page because we want our partner page on their website to say what we want it to say…some kind of high value asset…that they can give to a prospect that helps them have the next conversation—they will absolutely love you!” – Daisy
A well-crafted channel partner marketing “campaign in a box” should include:
- Documented persona and messaging choreography: Provide them with a deep understanding of your target customer and the right messaging to use throughout the sales cycle.
- Copy for a web page: Help your partners seamlessly integrate your brand into their website.
- Co-branded one-pager: Give them a concise, visually appealing overview of your product or service that they can share with prospects.
- Short, co-branded pitch deck: Equip them with a persuasive presentation that highlights your value proposition and key differentiators.
- Pre-written email series for their marketing department: Help them nurture leads and drive engagement with your brand.
- Pre-written scripts for one-on-one outreach: Empower their sales team with effective scripts for email and LinkedIn outreach.
- Sales cheat sheet: Give them quick access to answers to frequently asked questions and common objections.
- High-value digital asset: Offer a lead magnet, such as an educational resource, tool, or checklist, that they can use to attract and engage potential customers.
By providing these resources, you’re not only making it easier for your partners to sell your products or services, but you’re also reinforcing your commitment to their success.
Other Channel Partner Marketing Tactics for a Successful Program
- Choose the Right Partners: Focus on quality over quantity. 80% of your results will likely come from your top 20% of partners.
- Get Your Partners Engaged: Create a sense of healthy competition with a dashboard that lets them see their performance compared to other partners.
- Reward and Recognize Success: Celebrate your partners’ achievements with incentives, rewards, and recognition programs.
- Consider Lead Generation: Generate your own leads and share them with your partners to build goodwill and foster a collaborative relationship.
- Market to Help Them Succeed: Don’t leave your partners to fend for themselves. Invest in brand awareness and demand generation activities to warm up the market and make it easier for them to close deals.
By following these best practices and developing a comprehensive channel partner marketing strategy, you can turn your partners into a powerful force that drives your business growth and helps you achieve your goals.
Channel Partnerships Should Be Win-Win Relationships
When done correctly, channel partner marketing is a lucrative strategy that allows you to expand your reach, tap into new markets, and accelerate revenue growth. At the same time, your resellers or distributors benefit from increased sales and a broadened product or service portfolio.
Ready to unleash the full potential of your B2B channel partner program? Contact Blender today to learn how our fractional CMOs and marketing team can help you build successful and mutually beneficial partnerships.
