Demand Generation Blog

Analyzing the endless amount of marketing data coming from internal and external sources to find what works and really matters is a part of everyday life for channel marketers, or at least it should be.  Even with all of the new technology available, gathering information from all channels to give you a scope of the big picture can be a daunting task.  When infused with traditional marketing tactics, marketing automation, inbound marketing and through-channel marketing represent the next level for companies looking to drive growth and collaboration throughout their channel partner communities.

Channel partner marketing has evolved as technology has changed the way B2B organizations connect with, market, and sell to prospects. Martech is a popular buzzword that essentially encompasses any technology that aides in the marketing process. There are an infinite number of “marketing stacks” that can be assembled and used to carry out campaigns. Finding the right tools and knowing how to implement them is a must for successful channel marketing. Traditional marketing techniques are by no means obsolete. In fact, many new technologies simply optimize our efforts and provide detailed analytics, while others take the art of marketing to a whole new level. Here we’ve gathered descriptions on some of the most effective tools we’ve used for our clients and our own marketing campaigns.

An effective, balanced marketing strategy will read like a romance. The key players in this love story are inbound and outbound marketing. Although they accomplish different goals inbound and outbound marketing strategies and tactics are complementary. The strengths of one approach are often the weaknesses of the other approach and marrying them together will help you optimize your marketing efforts and results.

Marketing automation systems shine when it comes to identifying interested prospects, but a personal approach is the best way to convert leads generated by inbound marketing campaigns. Sales teams rarely have the bandwidth to manage the number of leads generated from marketing automation and at times these leads will be very early in the buying process. What’s the solution when there are “too many leads” and not enough resources to properly nurture them? Surprisingly, it’s a marketing tool that predates marketing automation by decades: teleprospecting.

When used selectively, direct mail is still a viable means of getting the attention of key decision makers within your most valued accounts. Multi-channel marketing utilizes a variety of marketing strategies to engage a target audience and direct mail is an integral piece. No longer a mass marketing device, direct mail is now most effective when used in strategic situations.