In Part 3 of this Channel Chatter series, we continue sharing highlights from our recent Channel Visions video interview with Heather K. Margolis, CEO of Channel Maven Consulting.
Catch up with Part 1 and Part 2 of the series, and read on to get Heather’s take on content marketing, the impact of social media within the channel, the power of first impressions in inbound and outbound marketing – and why channel partners should focus on building an audience.
Q. CAN YOU DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT MARKETING?
A. Content and content marketing are the way that we are communicating to people today. Sending an email that doesn’t have a piece of valuable content that allows them to glean more information is useless. We’re not only bombarded with information, we’re also drawn to more information. Having something like a video, ebook or infographic is incredibly valuable. Think about how content is evolving and how important that content is to the recipient.
Q. WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA IMPORTANT FOR CHANNEL PARTNERS?
A. By the time consumers are reaching out to someone regarding a product or service, they’ve already done a ton of research independently. If they don’t see a partner on social media, they are going to be less likely to do business with that channel partner and instead will reach out to the partners they’re already seeing on social media.
Q. ANY TIPS FOR INBOUND AND OUTBOUND MARKETING?
A. A positive first impression is essential or both inbound and outbound marketing. For inbound marketing, channel partners need to be sure that they are making a good impression when someone finds them online. When a partner is reaching out to someone via outbound marketing, and that prospect visits the partner’s website but isn’t impressed with the information they find, they will likely seek out someone else to work with.
Q. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BUILD AN AUDIENCE – RATHER THAN BUYING A LIST?
A. One of the worst things that a partner can do is take an email that a vendor has created for them, go purchase a list of contacts who have never heard of them, and then send that email. We much prefer to help partners build their online presence and build their executives’ social presence.
For partners to be successful with demand generation and nurturing those contacts and connections, they must have a strong online presence, so that people can get used to seeing and hearing their name and reading articles that they have posted before prospects receive an email from them – not the other way around.
To learn more, watch Part 3 of our Channel Visions interview with Heather here:
About Heather Margolis, CEO, Channel Maven: Heather has led channel programs for companies like EMC, EqualLogic and Dell. She helps channel organizations build smarter channel programs, manage channel relationships to find added value, and engage their communities through social and traditional media.
