1. Demystifying
Channel Partner
Marketing
Programs
www.ecoastmarketing.com
A Blueprint for
Scalability and Success

2. ???
?
? ?
??
?
?
How do you select the
partners to participate?
What types of marketing campaigns
do the partners need and want?
How will I track the ROI
and key performance
indicators (KPIs)?
What marketing tactics will generate
the greatest quality and quantity of
marketing qualified leads (MQLs)?
What software platforms
will facilitate the program?
Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Where to Begin
Channel partner marketing programs are designed to enable
channel partners to create demand and ultimately drive revenue
for your products and solutions. If modeled correctly, a channel
marketing program is a scalable way to meet the needs of multi-
ple partner types throughout your channel regionally, nation-
ally and even globally.
Where do you begin with the concept of a channel partner
marketing program? Begin with asking yourself the right ques-
tions. The answers will help dictate later decisions around which
partners you’ll offer marketing programs to and what you’ll
offer for tactics including how you will deliver the marketing
services to your channel.
2

3. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Define Your Partners
Let’s start with defining the current profile of your partners.
Regardless of the products or solutions sold through your
channel, your partners have common characteristics that will
help you plan your program.
1. Who is your partner audience?
If you are hi-tech, this could mean ISVs, Cloud Partners, Retailer
Partners, System Integrators (SIs), Distributors, VARs, Solution
Providers, etc.
2. What is the current state of marketing in your channel?
Do your partners have few internal resources? Do they have lim-
ited marketing expertise? Is their approach to marketing tactical
verses strategic?
3. Do your partners want to use the assets you’ve created?
Partners have been known to avoid your content. Also, selective
on lead follow through and reporting.
4. Can your partners execute a marketing campaign?
In terms of scalability, your partners may not be prepared to
execute on marketing initiatives. They may not have the tools to
use, track and leverage those programs. They may be strapped
for time, staff and/or financial resources.
5. Do the stakeholders have the same goals?
There could be many stakeholders in the program: PAMs,
CAMs, PSMs, PMMs, the partner and his team. All with their
individual agendas and MBOs they are working towards.
3

4. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Your Partner Support System
How are you supporting the partners as a supplier? How are
you modifying an existing program or creating a new one? The
competition for partner mindshare exists even in the use of
marketing programs provided by suppliers like you. Some com-
mon reality checks include:
• Partners might not be held accountable for ROI reporting.
• Partners often want to spend their MDF in familiar ways.
• Partners are asked to use multiple partner portals.
• You have been following the path of least resistance –
approving promotional items or events lacking strategy.
• Partners may not be incented to participate with existing
programs.
• Marketing assets have canned offers and messages not
attractive to partners.
4
Ease of Use ROI Reporting
Strategy Incentives
Customization

5. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Scalability of Partner Services
When we look to understand the landscape of scaling your part-
ner services, we already know partners have limited time as well
as lack the resources and/or skills in marketing. How are you
going to facilitate execution, enabling partners to drive revenue?
Whether you as the supplier provide support yourself through
your partner marketing team or hire a vendor, the bottom line
is someone has to do it. Do you have the resources?
Concierge Service
Concierge service is a consultative tool that can scale your part-
ner marketing programs, providing hands on strategic market-
ing expertise including:
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses of the partners’ sales
and marketing capacity.
• Closing knowledge gaps around sales and marketing by
gaining best practices from marketing experts.
• Aiding in developing a long term strategy versus short term
campaigns for your partner.
• Serving as the senior advisor who monitors execution,
progress and reporting.
Concierge becomes all about moving away from self-service and
includes elements of onboarding, driving increased participa-
tion, reporting of metrics by tactic and reporting of KPIs. The
desired state then becomes one in which:
• Partners are using supplier assets.
• Partners are driving demand generation programs rather
than waiting for leads.
• Partners are easily and frequently navigating the portal and
program you’ve established.
• Partners are mapping partner deal registrations to the
contributing marketing initiatives.
5

6. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Building A Program Framework
After identifying the skill gaps at the partner level and assem-
bling the marketing team to scale your program, now it’s time
to put the framework together. Gain further understanding of
your partner community by surveying your partners, tier part-
ners by revenue or other chosen categorization, and consider the
software platform options available which are required to run a
modern partner marketing program.
Why All the Pre-work?
This is all necessary best practice, as partner programs are often
later leveraged in a Marketing Demand Center at a global level.
Your pre-work will serve as footings for you to determine the
marketing tactics to offer via the program. The answers frame
your vision. You can then anchor the program with concierge
experience that incorporates the ability to onboard partners,
generate leads, report metrics and tie to KPIs.
6
Survey
Tier Platform

7. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
7
Survey Partners To identify your program objectives in terms of meeting revenue and driving demand
while closing skill gaps.
To understand the stakeholders both at the partner level and within your own
organization. These are the teams and individuals that are impacted by the program
results. Their input is needed especially if you sit in a global role.
To understand how to design a process where deal registration is easily tied to
marketing funding or automated for the partner.
To learn how to encourage program adoption. Then later establish the metrics.
To listen and document partner readiness to then help you determine the best
marketing mix and services to offer as part of the program.
Tier Partners To identify the 80/20 split. Your top 20% of the partner community may receive a
more customizable approach to the program where your trailing 80% may receive a
flavor of concierge combined with turnkey marketing campaigns.
Larger partners by design will have more resources while the smaller partners
typically require a more turnkey approach, as we’ve seen through the years while
applying prescriptive plays. Identify the opportunity to drive revenue growth through
segments of your partner channel along with focusing on those upsell and cross-sell
opportunities that lie dormant.
Software
Platforms
To determine what existing software programs your partners already use. Yours?
Other suppliers? The distributors?
To determine if the software platforms provide a positive user experience for the
partner. Can the partner easily find what they are looking for or does the portal require
multiple clicks to get there? As Richard Branson says, “Complexity is your enemy. Any
fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple.”
Purpose of Program Framework Preparation

8. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Funding Your Program
After the tools have been scoped which allow you to bring
data, assets and experience together, now it’s time to financially
fuel the program. Historically, these programs have used dollars
from accrued marketing development funds (MDF) to market-
ing subsidies or a combination of the two sources. The options
vary from partially funding programs and campaigns to fully
funding these initiatives.
Your goal remains to drive revenue and reward behavior. And,
if you are looking for software to automate this process, there
are companies like Global Channel Management (CCI) for MDF
management and TIE Kinetix for content syndication.
Designing a menu of prescriptive marketing plays in a portal
will not instantly drive behavior or drive revenue through
the channel. Avoid the build it and they will come approach.
Regardless of how simple it is for someone to choose and
implement a marketing package, you will need some level of
funding to incentivize the behavior.
8

9. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Make Your Marketing Portal Appealing
An effective approach to developing your marketing portal is
to assemble the assets in an organized fashion that simplifies
the view. The layout should reflect a menu-like display allowing
partners to see all choices available where they can easily
select what works best for them. Avoid over complicating
the descriptions through excessive details that can drive their
interest away.
Starting with a smaller partner program? Over the years, eCoast
has built microsites for those suppliers ramping up services slowly.
This works well for those that have opted to move forward with-
out implementing software platforms or technology specifically
designed for portals and reporting.
9
Campaign Type AccuBuild95 List Natural SEO
3-Month Play
Social Media
3-Month Play
Tele-Prospecting
80-Hour Play
Price $2,500 $4,500 $3,000 $5,100
Duration 3-4 weeks 3-months 3-months 80 hours
What’s Included Premium list service
that creates a highly
targeted, custom
contact list.
Keyword analysis
Initial website
benchmark report
Two net change
website reports
Content edits/
additions
Improved organic
search results
Increased website
traffic
Set up or custom
brand social media
profiles including
LinkedIn, Twitter, and
Facebook
Content development
editorial calendar
Three 30-minute
training sessions on
techniques and best
practices
Monthly reporting
80 outbound calling
hours resulting
in 9-point lead/
appointment
opportunities.
Results 500 built and live
verified records,
guaranteed 95%
accuracy.
Improved search
engine results.
Increased audience
interaction, brand
awareness, and web
traffic.
Estimated 3-5 leads/
appointments.
Campaign Sample Menu Set Up

10. Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
What To Offer
Most suppliers offer a variety of services that could include any
of the following, depending on the scope of your program:
Tele-Prospecting Services
• Appointment Setting
• Lead Generation
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
• Inbound Response Management
• Event Attendance Generation
Call Blitz Programs
• Partner Led
• Sales Enablement
• Real Time Reporting
Partner Marketing Services
• Email Marketing
• Google AdWords
• Social Media
• Collateral (Case Studies, White Papers, Brochures)
• Content Marketing and Content Syndication
• Search Engine Optimization
• Web Development and Design
List and Data Services
• Guaranteed Accurate Lists
• List Verification
• List Building
10
CallBlitz
Marketing
ListsandData
Tele-Prospecting

11. eCoast Marketing | www.ecoastmarketing.com | 1.877.766.7355 | sales@ecoastmarketing.com
Demystifying Channel Partner Marketing Programs
Keep Your Program Up-To-Date
Finally, consider the evolution of your program and portal as
you bring your marketing program concept to life. Your initial
design will need modification as the partner business model
and sales compensation structures are altered year to year.
Modes of reaching prospect audiences today are changing at
a rapid rate. Many of the tactics we are presently using were
never conceived of prior to adoption of the smart phone
and mobile applications. Only now partners everywhere are
learning how valuable search engine optimization (SEO) is
to their business. Remain agile and embrace the changing
marketing landscape.
Want To Learn More?
eCoast provides high quality demand
generation services that helps businesses
and their distribution channels drive
demand by building sales pipelines to
support business goals. From appointment
setting and lead qualification campaigns
to content marketing and search engine
optimization strategies, we fuel demand
to grow your business. To learn more
about how eCoast can support your lead
generation marketing plan, email us at
sales@ecoastmarketing.com or call us at
877.766.7355.