If your partners are not online, neither are you

Some time ago, we attended the ImpartnerCON conference where industry channel executives, experts, and agencies all came together to share best practices, trends, new technology, and innovative services in a collaborative forum environment. It was invigorating!

Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Canalys arrived via hologram and delivered a keynote on the State of the Channel: Industry Outlook, Trends, & Opportunities. Jay covered a lot of ground, but the piece we are covering in this article is how B2B buying is changing, and so is the psychology, behavior, and journey – and specifically his good advice to get “obsessed” with the 28 moments of the new customer journey.

The “28 moments of the customer journey” is Jay’s way of describing the omni-channel journey that a buyer takes before they make their purchase. It includes search, social media, magazines, podcasts, user groups, marketplaces, websites, and more. 

Marketers have known for some time that the path to purchase is not linear. Harvard Business Review calls it “Getting out of your swim lanes.” Someone considering buying a new car may do online research, visit the auto maker’s and the local dealer’s websites, read a review in a magazine, click on a blog post, search out an auto influencer’s opinion, attend an auto show, and engage with content on social media before they make a final decision. 

But what does this have to do with the channel? If you’re a vendor and your marketing team is covering these elements, building relationships with influencers and distributing content, what’s the urgency with partners?

The path to purchase is digital, and it’s through your partners. 

We know that 75% of world trade is through the indirect channel. (source: WTO) Social media, websites, peer groups, virtual events, blogs, reviews, podcasts, videos, and much more – are all online.  

If your partners are not online, neither are you.

Ask yourself these questions

• Is every one of your partners sharing your content with their customers the way you want it to be seen?
• Is your content on their website, and is it current and brand-compliant?
• Do your partners share your marketing messages regularly through their own social media and email marketing?
• If someone is searching for your solution, will they find it with your partners?
• How is your message getting through your partners to the local buyers?

The honest answer for most vendors is that their own corporate marketing is great, but it’s not enough.  It’s reported that 90% of partners are small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) and less than 15% of all partners use the marketing content that their 

vendors provide. Is it because they don’t care? Absolutely not. The reason your marketing messages are not getting out is because 84% of partners don’t have dedicated marketing resources to execute.  It’s this exact same reason why up to 60% of MDF goes unused by partners. 

The solution? 

Do it for them with Through-Channel Marketing

Through-channel marketing (TCM) is the intersection of digital marketing and channel marketing, powered by automation. It delivers sophisticated, integrated marketing initiatives to, through and with channel partners – at scale.  It enables vendors to fully control the marketing content while enabling their partners to participate in the online path to purchase, and to be found by customers during the 28 moments of their journey. Because, if they can’t be found, they won’t enter the journey at all.

By taking a modern, digital approach that is automated and fully integrated with your partners, you can start to solve the challenge and elevate both your position and your partners’ presence in as many moments of the digital customer journey.

Want to learn more about Through-Channel Marketing and how it works? 

Check out these resources:

•  Video: How Through-Channel Marketing Works
•  Blog: Through-Partner Marketing Best Practices series – Part #1
•  White paper: The MDF Conundrum – Trends, Challenges, and How to Modernize for Success

AscendX Digital Inc. is a pioneer in Managed Through-Partner Marketing Services, and the only company with a revenue-generating model for distributors. Instead of spinning up a new product in your MarTech stack and putting more pressure on your marketing teams, consider looking at the outcomes of TCM and engaging as-a-Service. When you do, you can deliver a solution to market months faster, pay only for what you use, drive better partner and customer experiences, and reduce your risk.

Our team has many decades of technology marketing expertise, and we work with vendors and SMB partners every day. Whether you have a TCMA investment that needs strategic and/or operational support, or if you are looking for a fully managed service solution, AscendX Digital can help. Contact us and let’s talk!