Partner marketing
Partners may be considered as nothing more than an alternate channel of distribution. But the reality is that they are on the front line, representing your company, products, and services on a daily basis.
Don’t overlook the value that these partners add to the process. In the Content Management Solutions (CMS) industry, for example, partners are not only selling your product, but also integrating it with marketing automation, CRM, and other technologies in the marketing stack. They are visionary business people who not only understand the technology, but also the business environment in which it is being used.
That puts partners in a unique position. They have insights into how your technology is being used and how it’s being applied in various vertical markets. It’s key to tap into this expertise and include a strong partner component in your PR program. Just a few ideas for you to think about:
Attend partner meetings – The best way to know your partner channel is to attend meetings. Opportunities present themselves simply because you’re there, on site. At one partner event, I was invited to participate in a live podcast simply because I was in the right place at the right time.
Interview partners at every opportunity – You may be surprised how much product knowledge and market expertise that your partners bring to the table. Capture that expertise on video and use it for PR purposes. Or perhaps as the basis of a magazine article. Shooting HD video these days is as simple as traveling with your smart phone or tablet.
Invite partners to support you at live events – including trade shows, conferences, and seminars. They complement the knowledge and capabilities of your direct sales force.
Involve partners in your webcasting program – The market has an endless appetite for great content, and partners can provide you with some of it. Ask them about the marketplace, what business problems they are helping companies to solve, and about particular success stories.
Engage partners in your PR program – Partners often go broader and deeper than your direct sales force. They are experts at making connections between various marketing stack technologies. If you have an idea for an article, think about how to involve a partner or two.
Share partner accomplishments through social media channels – Your company may only have 10 or 20 direct sales reps, but it likely has dozens of solution partners. So you should never be at a loss for material to share through LinkedIn and Twitter.
Introduce partners to editors and analysts – There is a healthy curiosity about partners. Who are they? What are they like? What value do they add to your company? Always have a few key partners in mind to bring up in conversations with editors and analysts and you may find them desiring to talk these partners directly at some point.
INVOLVE PARTNERS IN ARTICLES, VIDEO INTERVIEWS & SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
They become an extension of your company and help to build thought leadership. Embedding video “talking heads” into online articles – as was the case with the two articles shown here – dramatically improves their visibility and likelihood of being read.
Click on article above or below to view in its entirety
“During Jim Panagas’ tenure, we saw the huge impact he had on the rising tide of awareness and visibility. We benefited greatly from his many strategic efforts. He is a personable, intelligent and proactive force– a great asset to any team.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working collaboratively in the partner channel with Jim for almost 3 years now. He is the definition of professional – always ready for whatever the job is at hand. He impressed me with his communications savvy and preparedness for any PR, marketing, or event related task.”