Recruiting profitable channel partners is an ongoing and challenging task. Not only do you need to have an enticing program, but you need a plan to market that program. Here we look at a multi-channel marketing approach to recruiting profitable channel partners.

LinkedIn Advertising

Advertising on LinkedIn is a great way to build awareness around your partner program and generate top-of-the-funnel leads. These ads should be aimed at educating potential partners about the benefits of your program, the incentives you offer, and the success other partners are having. They should be granularly targeted at your most sought-after partners. Including video and other visual content such as infographics can make these campaigns more successful.

Email Marketing

Email is an essential component of partner recruiting efforts and has proven very successful in many of the campaigns we run here at Winn. As the preferred channel of communication for many, email continues to be a viable marketing tool regardless of the aim of the campaign. Communicating the value of your partner program to a wide range of potential partners and following up with additional information for interested parties will fuel your partner pipeline.

Teleprospecting

The telephone is a must for partner recruiting programs as it provides the live touch necessary to build a relationship that leads to a partnership. It is a valuable tool in gathering business intelligence and decision-maker referrals. It is also how you will best qualify the leads that you receive through advertising and email efforts. A comprehensive call guide highlighting the program’s benefits and incentives will help you schedule worthwhile appointments.

Webinars

Webinars are being more widely used than ever in B2B marketing circles and is a great way to educate potential new partners. This type of platform also gives you a chance to humanize your brand, build relationships and answer questions. Providing some kind of incentive and designing your webinar around a particular theme will help to increase attendance and make it more engaging.

Winn has over 30 years of experience in recruiting profitable channel partners for some of the largest technology organizations in the world. Contact us today to learn how we can help increase the size and profitability of your channel partner ecosystem.