Discover how channel marketing management can help you overcome the challenges of onboarding and assist partners with marketing skills

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The Challengesof Partner Onboarding Using a
Channel Marketing Management Tool

2. © ZINFI Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In a post-pandemic work environment, marketing is finally returning to its physical
roots. As we come out of our caves and ditch our masks, it is becoming normal again
to attend events and tradeshows.
Partners have traditionally marketed in a way that depends heavily on events, and
the last few years have been tough for companies trying to get their partners
engaged with digital tools. In this article, we will explore some of the new challenges
organizations face when it comes toonboarding partners with a channel marketing
management platform.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

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What isa channel marketing management platform?
A traditional channel marketing management platform typically has a set of
co-branded tools – like search, social, email, events, microsites, syndication and so
on – that a channel partner can use to run a variety of marketingcampaigns. We will
discuss in a minute what a next-generationchannel marketingmanagement platform
looks like.
What are the challengestoday?
As GDPR and other data privacy laws have kicked in over the past five years, most
partners’ email marketing lists have shrunk, because a lot of their prospects didn’t
sign up for that double opt-in email campaign. As a result, partners resorted to a
variety of other tactics exclusive of outbound email campaigns. Covid-19 made the
situation even worse since most partners were unable to hold events. The
combination of shrinking double opt-in lists and the virtual disappearanceof event-
based marketing pretty much killed partner marketing during this period.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

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Did channel marketing work before?
The simple answer is: sometimes. Yes, channel marketing did work prior to the
pandemic and data privacy restrictions; however, it tendedto focus on telemarketing,
email and event marketing. Around 15 years ago, there were a whole bunch of new
channel marketing management providers entering the market with a set of tools that
basically replicated direct marketing toolsets. There was a modest level of innovation
at the time, and some of the tech vendors embraced those tools, but eventually, they
fizzled out.
Why didn’t these toolswork well?
There are really two answers to this. First, most channel partners did not – and still
do not – have dedicated resources for marketing, and they tend to generate their
leads via word-of-mouth, or the vendor does it for them. Second, the first-generation
channel marketing management tools were not that great. So, poorly designed
channel marketing management software, coupled with minimal partner
engagement, made this category more of a science project instead of an enabler of
demand generation.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

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Where ischannel marketing management headed?
In a post-pandemic world where millennials are becoming the driving force behind
most purchases and Gen Xers are co-deciders, the best-of-breed channel marketing
management platforms tend toprovide a set of legacy tools alongside a new set of
tools. The emphasis today is a lot more about designing the right tactics and
programs that align with partner capabilities than randomly throwingout bunch of
integrated campaigns and expecting partners to generate loads of leads overnight.
Is onboarding partnerswith a channel marketing management platform still
challenging?
Yes, it is always challenging to onboard partners using a new software platform or
portal, because partners are busy doing their own thing, and there may be dozens of
vendors trying to get them engaged. Partners have neither the timenor the money to
pursue something new. Onboarding them to any type of channel program remains
difficult; getting them to take the steps to onboard using a digital channel
management platform is that muchharder.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

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What would be the best way to proceed from here?
In spite of all the things I have said so far, there is still a decent opportunity to help
channel partners use channel marketing management platforms in an effective way.
But it is critical tomake sure the right programs and campaigns are given to the right
partners. Also, when it comes to thechannel, vendors shouldkeep in mind less is
more. If you have a five-tactic campaign working well on the direct side, do not
expect a channel partner to replicate that success. You will have much better
outcomes if you keep channel programs simple, give partners a couple of tactics
they can realistically execute and then build on the results.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

7. © ZINFI Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
How can we onboard partnersglobally?
First, you have to be able to provide the right campaigns for specific kinds of
partners. Then, if you want to onboard partners globally, you must have a localized
version of those campaigns and make sure they will work in thosemarkets. Finally,
you should really consider a platform that is super easy to useand has self-guided
tours. Another approach is to outsource a partner marketing concierge agency that
can help you onboard partners to your platform. The good news is, today there are a
few highly user-friendly platforms like ZINFI’s partner marketing management
platform that guides youthrough the onboarding process. With the right localized
programs, you should be able to onboard partners relatively easily and replicate your
efforts across different partner types and geographies.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

8. © ZINFI Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
I hope this article gives you a good overview of some of the challenges we face
today in a post-pandemic world and also lays out a few pragmatic solutions. The key
is to make sure you have a channel marketingmanagement platform that is built for
tomorrow and not a reflection of the past. With that in place, you will need to design
the right campaigns for the right partner groups, and then think through a structured
onboarding program to make sure partners find it easy to engage, learn and deploy
your campaigns and other features in the platform.
The Challenges of Partner Onboarding Using a Channel
Marketing Management Tool

9. Automating Profitable Growth™ www.zinfi.com
Automating Profitable Growth™
© ZINFI Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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