Elevating the partner experience to support route to growth

The B2B landscape is experiencing rapid evolution. Amidst the uncertain macro-economic outlook, brands find themselves at a crossroads, trying to balance the need to adapt to a shifting environment and not just thrive but survive. The perpetual debate between investing to propel a brand forward and focusing on foundational elements has never been more significant. This dilemma resonates frequently in the discussions I have with marketing leaders.

In my experience, it seems as if marketing investment and team resources have been predominantly directed towards strategies that prioritise the end-user, emphasising brand building and demand generation. And why wouldn’t it, they are the customer the brand is trying to engage and, ultimately, sell to. Budgets are allocated for 'through partner' marketing, but there seems to be a disparity in dedicating similar efforts to nurture partners in the same vein as one would a customer. But with more technology brands pivoting to a partner-centric model, why isn’t the partner marketing strategy and investment keeping pace?

The vision: Adopting a partner-centric culture

The vision for B2B technology that marketing leaders should advocate for is one that fosters a partner-centric culture with the same intensity as cultivating a customer-obsessed one. This cultural shift needs to be an integral part of a broader transformation and strategic marketing plan, aligned with overall marketing and sales/business goals.

Unfortunately, the current scenario often sees partner marketing teams left in the dark when it comes to core activities, like product launches, messaging updates and brand campaigns – leaving them to scramble in the dark and try to adapt at the final stages. Effective partner marketing requires it to be integrated seamlessly into the overall strategy, with a clear and compelling message. This in itself is often a challenge, with partner marketing teams sometimes unsure of the right story to tell, resulting in a diluted message that doesn’t address the partner’s needs.

Effective partner marketing

It’s a big subject, but auditing your weaknesses and opportunities for growth across the following areas is a good place to start:

• Data is core: A robust data strategy focusing on fitness, enrichment, and segmentation is essential, allowing brands to target the right partners with the right message.
  
  
• Shift from traditional marketing channels: Move away from conventional channels and explore innovative approaches tailored to partners, fostering collaboration and improving their relationship with the brand.
  
  
• Align the value story with partner expectations: Develop a partner proposition across the ecosystem, as done for end-users, ensuring a consistent, dedicated value-story is delivered ‘to partner’. 
  
  
• Thought-leadership strategy: Develop a partner-focused thought-leadership strategy that addresses the things they really care about. Make it human and address their realities.
  
  
• Consistent partner experience: Ensure a consistent experience for partners throughout their engagement with the brand. Consider platforms, channels, and how automated touchpoints complement when human interaction is taking place.
  
  
• Utilise advocates: Don’t keep the stories of success in the dark. Gone are the days of the traditional case study format. Develop success stories with a multi-layer content approach to harness the power of partner advocates and get this proof point to market quicker.
  
  
• Aligning internal teams for success: Achieving effective partner marketing requires a careful examination of internal teams, structures, and skills to adapt to the shifting landscape and priorities. Alignment with internal teams across the business is paramount to success.
  

Breaking down the strategy into achievable steps, while aligning it with a long-term plan that demonstrates return on investment (ROI) is critical. Moving away from packaged ‘through’ content and generic newsletter style updates offers more scope for nurturing relationships with partners.

Engaging partners with ‘to partner’ communications helps to build trust, knowledge, and loyalty to your business. By clearly establishing your brand values with partners, it drives awareness and understanding, in turn increasing their motivation to promote your offering with their prospects. Co-branded ‘with partner’ communications help combine both your strengths to create joint strategies that open up new markets and opportunities. Working with partners in this way, helps strengthen relationships and empowers them to ensure their customers get the full value from the brand.

In conclusion, B2B technology marketing leaders must recognise the untapped potential within their partner ecosystem. Elevating the partner experience and integrating it seamlessly into the overall marketing strategy can not only drive short-term gains but also lay the foundation for sustainable, long-term growth. The time has come for businesses to prioritise partner marketing, viewing it not as an isolated function, but as a critical component of the holistic marketing approach.