Unlocking Partner Potential: How Engagement and Enablement Fuel Growth
October 14 2024
The key to driving higher partner loyalty, faster sales, and long-term success.…
Solving Common Channel Management Issues
September 25 2024
Solving Common Channel Management Issues In today's complex B2B ecosystem,…
Creating a Repeatable MDF Program
July 24 2024
Best Practices for Consistent Partner Engagement Market Development Funds (MDF) are…
Maximizing Partner Engagement During Summer
July 11 2024
Innovative Strategies for Success Charles Bowen said, "Summertime is always the…
Measuring for Success
June 27 2024
How to Identify and Track the Right Metrics Your business thrives when you…
How AI is Revolutionizing Channel Marketing Strategies
June 24 2024
As channel companies seek ways to optimize their marketing strategies and…
Partner Onboarding Part Two: An Investigation into Task Completion
May 21 2024
Partner Onboarding: Task Completion Building upon our previous research on partner…
Zift Solutions at Channel Focus Virtual 2024
April 11 2024
We are proud Platinum sponsor of Channel Focus Virtual 2024, April 17-18! If you…
5 Ways to Boost Revenue through Strategic Partner Marketing
April 3 2024
Introduction In today's ever-evolving business landscape, establishing and…
Investment with Market Development Funds (MDF) and Beyond for Partners
March 13 2024
Historically, vendors make investments in channel programs and partners with…
Looking Forward to 2024: Predictions for the IT Channel from the Industry Experts
January 4 2024
On a recent Zift Channel Chats webinar, industry leaders Juan Fernandez, Channel…
2024 Success Guide: Top 5 Strategies for Professional Growth in the New Year
January 3 2024
Are you ready to make 2024 your most organized and productive year yet? We all…
Breaking Down Channel Events: Where to Go, What to Do, and How to Make the Most of It
December 12 2023
Let's journey back to 1979 when COMDEX (the Computer Dealers Exposition) marked the…
A Guide to Channel Events Execution
December 12 2023
An effective event strategy requires careful planning, resource allocation, and…
AI in Channel Marketing: What You Need to Know
November 30 2023
The world of channel marketing is on the cusp of a revolution, and the driving…
Evolving With the Ecosystem: Is With-Partner Marketing Up for the Challenge?
November 9 2023
We often talk about to-partner marketing, where suppliers create materials and…
Partner Onboarding 101: Tips for Building Lasting Partnerships
October 31 2023
Effective channel partner onboarding is the cornerstone of successful partnerships.…
7 Tips for a Successful Partner Ecosystem Strategy
October 24 2023
Partner ecosystems are growing in popularity, with almost a third of total global…
5 Key Metrics for Effective Channel Partner Engagement
October 19 2023
When it comes to channel business partnerships, success hinges on more than just…
RevOps, Explained
October 10 2023
Revenue Operations (RevOps) is a relatively new approach to doing business, but…
Sharing is Caring: The Importance of Data-Driven Collaboration
October 3 2023
In our engagements, we often see vendors missing a critical boat: They don’t share…
How Building Materials Companies can Maximize the ROI of their Marketing Programs
September 15 2023
In the building materials industry, marketing is critical for generating brand…
5 Keys for Building Materials Manufacturers to Build Partnerships and Maximize Sales
September 1 2023
Maximizing Sales Through Distributors In order to be successful in the building…
How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Has Changed Channel Marketing in 2023
August 23 2023
Marketing, and by extension channel marketing, has undergone a radical…
3 Channel Marketing Mistakes Building Material Manufacturing Companies Make and How to Avoid Them
August 14 2023
You have a good product, but your sales aren’t growing. You are calling on the…
Breaking Ground: Launching Disruptive Products in the Building Material Manufacturing Industry
July 27 2023
Creating a truly innovative, disruptive product is the Holy Grail for any company,…
Personalizing Dealer Portals for Building Material Manufacturers
July 11 2023
Your building materials partners’ sales people are, in a very real sense, the face…
How Do Partner Programs Create High-Quality Channel Marketing Programs?
December 20 2022
Setting up a channel marketing strategy to successfully motivate partners is one of…
Getting the Right Balance: To-, Through-, and For-Partner Channel Marketing Strategies
September 27 2022
Originally Published: February 22, 2022 Without a tie-in to overarching…
Introducing Portal Posts
June 13 2022
To-partner communications is key to building partner engagement and to making sure…
ZiftONE Expands Digital Communication
May 12 2022
New Co-Brandable Videos, Improved Through-Partner Social Media and To-Partner…
Product Update: Social Media Administration
May 10 2022
Looking for a way to help your partners gain followers, sell your products, and…
8 Fundamentals of Through-Channel Marketing Automation
April 26 2022
Through-channel marketing is vital to sales partner relationship…
Create a New Relationship Avenue with Virtual Events
January 19 2022
As we’ve all seen, COVID-19 has drastically changed the landscape of the channel.…
Zift Solutions’ Virtual Event Campaigns Integrate the Webinar Experience
January 18 2022
CARY, N.C. – Jan. 18, 2022 – Zift Solutions, a leading provider of partner…
How to Build Your 2022 Forecast: Go Ask Your Customers!
January 5 2022
Picture this: You’re a salesperson. Your sales manager has given you marching…
Speaking of Value-Add: What Differentiates Your Product
December 21 2021
It’s one of the oldest concepts in the channel: Distinguish yourself from the…
The Questions to Ask for Channel Partner Success in 2022
December 7 2021
Time now for partying, presents, and planning. Holiday season, yes, but also the…
7 Ways the Best Channel Programs are Budgeting for 2022
October 28 2021
Simplified, effective budgeting can be achieved when the right tools power…
The Key to Your Channel Marketing Strategy? Preparation
October 14 2021
It’s a four-letter word many people don’t like to hear used, but it’s critical to…
10 Steps to Achieve Channel Marketing and Sales Alignment for Your B2B Company
July 8 2021
Sales and marketing alignment increases the power of marketing’s…
Built for Success: Sales and Marketing Alignment Best Practices from Channel Leaders
June 28 2021
Sales and marketing alignment is a challenging but worthwhile pursuit…
How to Create a Channel Partner Marketing Program: 7 Steps to Increase Pipeline
June 16 2021
Successful channel marketing doesn’t just happen. It takes planning,…
11 Channel Marketing Best Practices to Engage Partners and Earn Mindshare
June 9 2021
Ah, channel partners—you gotta love ’em. They bring your company business on a…
Mergers, Not Acquisitions: 5 Marketing and Sales Alignment Strategies
June 1 2021
Honing marketing and sales alignment strategies can better serve Chief Revenue…
Lead by Example: How to Help Your Partners Achieve Sales and Marketing Alignment
May 24 2021
If you aren’t asking it yet, there’s a crucial question to begin raising with your…
Why Your Channel Marketing Collateral Isn’t Working For Your Partners
January 21 2021
How many partners do you have in the NFL cities? How do you think their customers…
Proving Your Channel’s Value in 2021 – Your Questions Answered
December 17 2020
On December 10th, Zift teamed up with the experts at Vistex & AchieveUnite to…
10 Channel Strategies to Drive Higher Sales & Marketing ROI
November 20 2020
There really is no precedent one can draw an analogy from to describe the level of…
Tracking the Winds of Change in Growth Marketing
May 14 2020
When I joined my first SaaS marketing organization, the winds of Predictable…
How to Amp Up Partner Engagement Now
April 8 2020
The channel is always changing. But it’s changing faster than ever (along with the…
Back to Boot Camp for the Channel
April 1 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the channel landscape. Before COVID,…
The 3 Cs of To-Partner Communications Amid COVID-19
March 12 2020
I learned a new word this week: Infodemic. It’s officially defined as, “An…
Lead Generation Keeping You Up at Night? Your Dream Channel Strategy is Waiting
February 26 2020
We’ve all had nights where we lie awake, full of questions. Did I leave the oven…
Up Your Partner Enablement Game with EQ Nurturing
December 19 2019
According to Forbes, 70% of global revenue is traveling through third-party…
The Island of Misfit ChanTech Toys: Scenes from SiriusDecisions Tech Exchange 2019
December 16 2019
Most of us have attended a tech tradeshow. Row upon row of nearly identical booths,…
The Rise of Modern Marketing in B2B Channels
December 4 2019
Not long ago, partner marketing relied on selling a product to a customer with a…
Channel Onboarding, Engagement, & Services: Lessons from Oxford and London
October 21 2019
I have longed to visit the UK for years, particularly Oxford and London. These…
How Campaign Management Can Save Time & Resources
October 14 2019
Have you ever been in charge of putting all the pieces of luggage in the car for a…
AchieveUnite, Channel Acceleration & the Lifetime Value of Partners
August 5 2019
Our Zift Zone Strategic Alliance Program has some standout channel leaders in its…
Rethinking To-Through-For-Channel Marketing
July 31 2019
For several years as a research analyst focused on B2B channels, I conducted dozens…
SiriusDecisions Highlights: Leading the Changing Channel
May 20 2019
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C.…
UX Best Practices for the Channel
May 16 2019
Sign into the solutions or platform you’re using to manage your channel program.…
Views from the Summit: The Best of Channel Marketing
May 10 2019
One of the best parts about working at Zift is celebrating our customer successes!…
Make Yourself Heard: The Importance of Social Media Branding
April 23 2019
Having a social media presence as a business is a no-brainer. The influx of…
SEO in 2019: 4 Paths to Success
April 2 2019
It’s 2019, and SEO strategies have changed (for the better). Gone are the days of…
Email Deliverability: How to Land in Contacts’ Inboxes
March 20 2019
You draft. You revise. You test. And test again. And test some more, just for good…
WeChat: The Social Media Giant You Should Be Paying Attention To
March 14 2019
“So, what’s the deal with WeChat?” That was the question among coworkers and I…
Misalignment Mayhem: Defeat Your Channel Challenges
March 7 2019
What problems are hitting your channel program hard? Do you feel up against the…
The Art of Social Listening
February 28 2019
You’ve got your social media accounts set up on the usual suspects: Twitter,…
Think Again: Using Predictive Analytics and ABM to Your Advantage
February 18 2019
How can you implement Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and make smarter, more…
Not So Dazed and Confused: Refining Your Messaging to Partners and Customers
December 5 2018
We’ve all received a text and immediately thought to ourselves, “What?” Just that:…
5 Examples of Click-worthy Trends for Partner Communications
October 18 2018
Writing content partners will actually engage with is harder than it sounds,…
5 Marketing Best Practices for Your Channel Program
September 17 2018
Recently, I presented at Viavi’s Americas Partner meeting, and I’ll be covering…
When Trucking Meets B2B Marketing
August 8 2018
Breaker one-nine, this here's the Rubber Duck, You got a copy on me Pigpen? C'mon.…
Keep in Touch: The Importance of Launching Campaigns When Rebranding
July 25 2018
Technology innovations and the expanding global economy have led to rapid…
Two Sides, One Reality: Overcoming Branding Changes in the Channel
July 17 2018
Marketing isn’t easy in B2B channels. Branding efforts can be even tougher.…
Channel Visions: Partner Engagement & ROI
June 18 2018
If there’s one thing marketers are passionate about, it’s data to back up…
Marketing Misalignment in Manufacturing: Lessons Learned from the MAPI Summit
May 29 2018
I recently had the opportunity to lead a series of round-table discussions…
Three Tips to Navigate the Changing Channel
April 24 2018
If you’ve been in channel marketing for more than a couple of years, you’ve…
One and Done? Not in Channel Marketing
April 2 2018
As the NCAA Final Four draws to a close with the National Championship…
The Importance of Providing Partners with Relevant, Engaging Content
March 27 2018
Channel marketing has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years.…
Rules of Engagement: Getting and Keeping Partners Engaged
March 22 2018
There exists a type of partner that companies dream of working with - the…
Five Tips to Organically Grow Your List
October 19 2017
The lynchpin of a good digital marketing campaign is your list. The hunt for new…
Digital Advertising KPIs: Your Keys to Measuring Performance
September 26 2017
No matter what content you create and/or what platforms you are using, setting…
Time is Money: Why Channel Tools Matter
May 19 2017
Tegile Systems knows how to build and sustain strong channel partner relationships…
SiriusDecisions Summit 2017: Must See Channel Sessions
May 16 2017
We just touched down in Vegas and are ready to roll at SiriusDecisions Summit 2017.…
Filling Some Big Shoes
May 11 2017
Channel Chatter welcomes Channel Marketing Expert, Mike Gallagher as a guest…
Part 2: Overcoming Account Based Marketing Obstacles in the Channel
April 5 2017
In my previous Channel Chatter post, I explained why Account-Based Marketing (ABM)…
Overcoming Account-Based Marketing Obstacles in the Channel (Part 1 of 2)
April 3 2017
The Holy Grail of sales has long been the warm lead. It’s far easier to sell to…
One is the Loneliest Number
March 30 2017
At a recent event, I overheard a supplier talking about demand creation and…
The Manufacturing CMO ‘Must-Do’ List [Infographic]
March 10 2017
When you’re already behind the curve, there’s no time for a traditional ‘To-Do’…
Blending the Art & Science of Digital Marketing
January 20 2017
Blending the art and the science of digital media marketing means staying ahead of…
Want to Grow Your Leads? Automate, Automate, Automate
January 17 2017
Leads are the lifeblood of your business, the fertile soil in which revenue grows.…
A Manifesto for Marvelous Marketing Analytics Reporting
January 13 2017
Today’s marketers are swimming in data from multiple sources, including their CRM,…
Demystifying the Digital Advertising Channel
January 10 2017
While digital advertising as a viable marketing tool has been around for years now,…
Writers of the Lost Art: Email Subject Lines
December 20 2016
The email subject line. It’s what stands between you and your beloved reader.…
The Shrinking Sales Cycle: How to Win the Online Content Game
December 8 2016
The beloved sales cycle -- the time it takes someone to move from the Awareness…
Content Marketing & The Buyer’s Journey
December 1 2016
What if you could target each of your partners' customers -- not just based on…
What Makes Them Click? Digital Ads in a Noisy World
November 29 2016
Eighty percent of smartphone owners check their phones each morning before brushing…
Channel Marketing Enablement: Moving the Herd
November 10 2016
In Laz’s latest Channel Chatter post, he highlights key points from his new…
Top 10 TED Talks for Marketers & Connecting with People
October 21 2016
TED talks are a great source of inspiration and knowledge. Though they only became…
Why Channel Sales Leaders Should Care About Channel Marketing Automation
September 27 2016
For the past several years as a research analyst, I had a front-row seat watching…
6 Steps to Consider Before Purchasing & Implementing a TCMA Solution
August 26 2016
At Zift, I get the opportunity to work closely with organizations interested in…
Does Blogging Still Fit in Today’s Marketing Mix?
August 4 2016
Blogging was one of the first digital marketing tactics to really take off. In…
Successful Channel Marketing Begins with an Effective Marketing Campaign & Collaboration
August 2 2016
While the lion's share of pressure to generate sales typically falls to the channel…
5 Reasons Your Marketing Should Be Denied a Summer Vacation
July 29 2016
While we hope your marketing team is enjoying some deserved vacation time this…
What Channel Marketers Can Learn from Pokémon Go
July 18 2016
Image source: The VergeBehavior is a funny thing. Marketers know this as well as…
Your Email Marketing Journey and the Danger of Being Blacklisted [Infographic]
July 15 2016
Cisco recently published the infographic “What’s Your Online Health and…
Channel Organizations: Why You Need to Market Your Marketing
July 6 2016
In both B2B and B2C marketing arenas, channel marketers often have to work with a…
More Social Media Savvy: The Other Content that Drives Results
June 28 2016
Mixing up the types of content you use can be an effective way to re-energize your…
How to Maximize Your Social Media Channel Efforts
June 14 2016
Choosing the right social media channel for your marketing efforts involves…
6 Email Marketing Best Practices to Generate More Leads
May 10 2016
Why is my email open rate so low? Why aren’t my email campaigns producing any…
Making the Most of the Modern Marketing Experience
April 28 2016
Zift’s President and CEO Ken Romley, along with our resident Oracle Marketing Cloud…
4 Ways to Align your Sales and Marketing Teams
February 26 2016
Does your organization suffer from a tenuous relationship between your sales and…
Channel Marketing Success Cornerstone #3: Content Development & Execution
February 24 2016
Zift’s latest eBook uncovers The 4 Cornerstones of Channel Marketing Success. In…
How Often Should You Update or Rebuild Your Website?
February 11 2016
You’d be hard-pressed to come across a business in 2016 that does not have their…
The 4 Cornerstones of Channel Marketing Automation Success (Part 1 of 4)
February 9 2016
Channel Marketing Automation (CMA) promises a host of benefits, from time savings…
What Are Your Website Analytics Telling You?
February 4 2016
In today’s digital world, there is data surrounding almost everything you do as a…
Stepping into the Social Media Arena with Confidence
January 7 2016
Zift welcomes guest blogger, Stacy Madden, Marketing Manager of Greenlight Group, a…
Email Marketing: 7 Tips to Help You Avoid the Dreaded Spam Filter
December 18 2015
NOTE: Read this blog post in its entirety once for yourself, the “savvy email…
Adapt or Die: How Retargeting Is Helping to Evolve Channel Marketing
December 10 2015
Is it a bit coincidental that almost every website you're visiting is advertising…
4 Common Email Marketing Mistakes SMBs Make (And How to Fix Them!)
December 2 2015
Contact lists can make or break your email campaign. So maintaining a healthy…
How to Prove the Value of Social Media Marketing
November 24 2015
As a marketer, it can be difficult to prove the value of your social media…
Marketing Iteration Intelligence: If At First You Don’t Succeed
November 12 2015
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” or, in marketing terms, if your…
3 Simple Steps for Solving the Partner Content Conundrum
November 9 2015
When channel partners clamor for content, Content Syndication can seem like…
The Power of Many
October 29 2015
We are pleased to have Laurel Burton, Vice President of Marketing at Faction, as a…
Marketing Win-Wins Take Careful Planning and Expert Advice
October 8 2015
One of the hot topics I've been hearing a lot about this year has been how to make…
Channel Visions: Making Channel Marketing Work with Heather K. Margolis, CEO of Channel Maven (Part 3 of 3)
October 1 2015
In Part 3 of this Channel Chatter series, we continue sharing highlights from our…
Channel Visions: Making Channel Marketing Work with Heather K. Margolis, CEO of Channel Maven (Part 2 of 3)
September 24 2015
In Part 2 of this Channel Chatter series, we continue sharing highlights from our…
Channel Visions: Making Channel Marketing Work with Heather K. Margolis, CEO of Channel Maven (Part 1 of 3)
September 17 2015
In this Channel Chatter series, we’ll deliver highlights from our recent interview…
Why Did My Email Campaign Fail?
August 27 2015
With the digital world rapidly moving, it’s no surprise that the quantity of emails…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #6: Work Where Your Partners Work
August 18 2015
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #5: Count on Measurement
August 6 2015
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #4: Provide Campaigns to Existing Base
July 14 2015
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
VerticalX Podcast: Best Practice Channel Marketing
July 9 2015
I recently had the opportunity to join hosts Sterling Bailey and Marilyn Cox as a…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #3: Evangelize Modern Marketing
June 25 2015
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #2: Support Multi-Tactic Campaigns
June 16 2015
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
A Blueprint for Channel Success: Segmenting Partners (Part 1)
June 9 2015
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
A Blueprint for Channel Success (1 of 4)
June 9 2015
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #1: Classify Partners by Potential
June 4 2015
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
Handing Over the Keys
June 2 2015
Zift is handing over the keys to success with a new eBook: Unlocking the 6 Secrets…
Making a Mark at Marketo’s 2015 Marketing Nation Summit™
April 16 2015
With big name celebrities like John Legend and Arianna Huffington here at the…
Crawl, Walk, Run: A Proven Approach to Channel Marketing Success
January 29 2015
I see it happen all the time. A well-intentioned supplier decides this will be the…
What Matters Most for High Performance Channel Marketing
January 23 2015
I’m pleased to introduce Service Director of Channel Management Strategies for…
7 Secrets of Lead Nurturing Success
December 3 2014
Bob Lamkin recently joined Zift Solutions as part of the Marketing Advocate…
A New Era for Channel Sales and Marketing
October 30 2014
Our industry is experiencing a new era – and so is Zift Solutions. We recognize…
Boost SEO with Content Syndication
July 30 2014
Content syndication is not only an effective tool for vendors and partners, it can…
Content Syndication: A 360-Degree View of the Channel
July 16 2014
With today’s buyers spending nearly 70% of their time doing online research before…
Turning Leads Into Opportunities With Zift
July 10 2014
Join us in welcoming guest blogger, Brent Clouse, VP of Marketing for…
One Size Does NOT Fit All: The Vital Importance of Email List Segmentation
June 16 2014
Your product or service is the best on the market. You've got a large email…
3 Reasons Why B2B Companies Should Use PPC to Grow Sales [VIDEO]
June 5 2014
Is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) a part of your marketing mix? Hopefully you're nodding. If…
How to Create a Fantastic Email Newsletter in 5 Easy Steps
April 29 2014
The inimitable Helen Hayes once said, “We relish news of our heroes, forgetting…
How You Can Drive Better Marketing Results by Selecting the Right Tactical Mix
March 27 2014
Are you finding it tougher than ever to transform prospects into customers? That’s…
3 Key Steps to Building Effective Marketing Campaigns (Part 2 of 4)
October 28 2013
As we shared in our previous post, Times have Changed: The Evolution of the Sales…
Social Media – The Root of Modern Marketing [Infographic]
September 20 2013
Tap into your channel partners network using social media Think social media…
Bottom Up Approach to Channel Marketing
July 17 2013
Businesses today are increasingly placing the responsibility of driving sales on…
6 Easy SEO Tips for Channel Partners
February 6 2013
We understand that most channel partners we work with have limited time and…
16 Landing Page Tips to Improve UX and Conversions
December 10 2012
Last week, we talked about ways to increase leads and conversion rates. This post…
Have You Changed Your Attitude Toward Content Creation & SEO Yet?
November 29 2012
I know; more harping on about content creation. But, many businesses still don’t…
3 Effective Ways To Increase Leads & Conversion Rates
November 20 2012
You have just seconds to convince someone that your web page is worth reading.…
The Most Effective Way For B2B Companies To Build Their Email Lists
February 2 2012
Building an email list is important to any company. Having a way to connect with…
5 B2B Facebook Pages Worth Copying
January 26 2012
This is just a short entry reviewing a post from Jeff Bullas that highlights uses…