Content is an important part of any marketing strategy. It provides value to customers and prospects throughout the various stages of their buyer’s journey. It educates them on partner solutions and how they fit their needs.
In a world where people are not just used to, but dependent on online research, it’s in partners’ best interest to make sure they’re providing enough content to keep buyers engaged. Based on our current research, we’re going to dig into the challenges of content marketing, how important customization options are, and what types of content are high on partners’ list of priorities.
The Complexities of Content
Content marketing may seem like an easy concept. Just push out some content and reel in some leads. However, there’s a lot more to content marketing than that. First, partners need to decide what their overall strategy will be and what type of content is appropriate throughout their marketing campaign. Every piece of content should have a purpose and messaging that strategically aligns to the buyer.
Developing content is an undertaking in itself. Depending on the type of content, it can take up to 30 hours to develop a single asset. Creating content requires a copywriter, designer and subject matter expert. How many partners have the time and resources to dedicate to this initiative?
Why Customization Matters
Custom content plays a huge part in the nurturing process. According to a recent survey conducted by Time, Inc., including 17,000 people, 89% of consumers believe custom content is a great way to break through online clutter. Partners understand the power of brand loyalty and the impact content has on their customers.
The challenge is that content development and writing is a specialty skill. Not all engineers, sales experts or even marketers are content writers. Partners don’t always have the budget to hire a copywriter or content marketer which is why they are dependent on marketing programs and vendors.
Providing partners with a diverse set of vertical-centric content and customizable options allow them to stand out in this competitive landscape.
AFV’s research shows that one of the ‘biggest frustrations with manufacturing support is lack of customization’. If you are searching for a way to really add value to partners, try offering more customizable assets through your channel program.
“Too much content. Not laid out in an easy way to find it and customize it”
And the Most Popular Pieces of Content Are…
Pre-made email campaigns and landing pages were identified as the ‘most wanted’ content from partner marketing programs. Partners love the idea of having a pre-made campaign, but not all partners can afford the extra expense that most full-service activities costs.
Providing partners with something as simple as a 3-touch email series with a solution focus creates a foundation for them to create a truly targeted message. The problem isn’t that no such thing exists. The issue lies in the quantity and quality of these types of customizable assets and their availability.
Landing pages have a few important jobs. but the top benefits are generating leads, collecting buyer information, and most importantly, keeping the prospect focused on a specific call to action.
Where to Go from Here
Partners are always looking for assets they can use for both sales and marketing. By creating assets that have vertically centric go-to-market messaging, you’re taking the burden off partners to promote your branded solutions.
More importantly, making customizable assets available to partners can free up limited marketing resources for them. Having these items accessible will take away the stress and angst of partner marketing. Therefore, Content is not only needed for partner success, but a great way to add value to your channel program.
Want to find out what else partner had to say about channel marketing programs?