Channel program owners work in lockstep with their product marketing teams to create content at scale for their partner communities. But simply having content isn’t good enough. In fact, low-quality assets can actually do more harm than good. And not just from a buyer perspective, but from a partner perspective too.
Our parent company, A Fluent Vision, released the 2018 State of Partner Marketing, a survey of channel partners and their perceptions of co-marketing support from their vendor partners. In it, they uncovered that only 47% of partners viewed manufacturer-provided content as “very useful” or “extremely useful”. Below is some of the feedback on channel program content, and a few ways IMS360 can help you avoid these pitfalls.
It’s too broad:
Between capturing an audience, detailing solutions and services, positioning yourself and partners as a leader, and driving specific actions, content is not a “one size fits all” endeavor. When a piece of content is too broad, it fails to capture the attention and engagement, therefore producing few quality outcomes.
In the 2018 B2B Buyer Survey Report conducted by DemandGen Report, 62% of buyers rated experience with or knowledge of their industry as “very important” attributes in sales people. The same stands for the content. Being too general in your content tends to leave your audience with more questions than answers since it doesn’t provide context that demonstrates how a solution works for specific buyers.
Too product focused, instead of solution or business impact focused:
Products can have specific features that create a huge competitive advantage, but it can also be easy to get lost in the details of a product and lose the bigger picture. IT buyers are looking for specific solutions from a larger vantage point: how will this help my business and help me do my job better?
While 72% of buyers rated features and functionality as “very important” when evaluating a list of solutions, 72% also stated that it’s “very important” that the solution solve a pain point. Make sure your content speaks more about how a product benefits its end users, rather than the features that enable the product.
Lack of industry knowledge/proper manufacturer expertise related to our customer base:
Most partners today are marketing savvy—and they know their customer base. Partners are reluctant to use generalized marketing content because it prevents them from establishing themselves as experts for a specific industry. In fact, 66% of respondents in the DemandGen 2018 B2B Buyer Survey Report said that winning vendors demonstrated a stronger knowledge of the solution area and business landscape than vendors who were not selected. It’s imperative that channel program content includes assets that show the success of a solution within a specific industry if a partner is going to use it to effectively generate and engage leads.
Content is not focused on customer problems:
If your content does not demonstrate a full working knowledge of your audience’s pain points, you’ve already lost their interest. This goes beyond just industry knowledge—buyers want to know that your partners are doing their homework. 73% of buyers said that winning vendors demonstrated a stronger knowledge of their company and its needs compared to competitors. Trust your partners to know their customers best; allow them to customize your messaging to meet specific challenges and pain points. A healthy balance is key, after all, teamwork makes the dream work!
No way to differentiate:
Your brand is highly important, there is no argument there. But if partners cannot customize the content in your channel program, it’s highly unlikely for buyers to engage when they’re receiving the exact same email from multiple partners. But you can enable partner customization at scale. Some of the simplest but most effective ways to differentiate is by enabling imagery options for different industries, or template color changes to align with a partner’s brand. Another option is adding editable text sections for partners to share their value propositions and how they differentiate from other solution providers.
That’s where we come in!
If you’re working with a creative agency that isn’t IT industry-specific, your content could be falling flat with partners and end-users. IMS360 is the expert IT agency adept at creating customizable content at scale for your channel marketing programs. We can help you meet your goals: improve brand awareness, increase lead generation, and maximize partner engagement by including effective customization opportunities.
Schedule your no-cost consultation today to see how IMS360 can enhance your channel program.
