Manufacturers and Channel Partners: A State of Disconnect [Infographic]
The channel and manufacturer dynamic is in upheaval. Recent research from Zift and…
The Shrinking Sales Cycle: How to Win the Online Content Game
The beloved sales cycle -- the time it takes someone to move from the Awareness…
Automation Fusion: Blending Platforms to Drive Direct and Indirect Channel Revenue
Sometimes the stars align – and they did so last week at Zift. We brought together…
Content Marketing & The Buyer’s Journey
What if you could target each of your partners' customers -- not just based on…
What Makes Them Click? Digital Ads in a Noisy World
Eighty percent of smartphone owners check their phones each morning before brushing…
Adapting to Channel Change: The Cisco Story
We are pleased to have Chad Reese, Director of Partner Digital Marketing for Cisco…
Capturing Mindshare & Loyalty: Treat Channel Partners like Leads
I recently had the pleasure of serving as speaker and workshop participant at…
Channel Marketing Enablement: Moving the Herd
In Laz’s latest Channel Chatter post, he highlights key points from his new…
3 Steps to Start Driving Channel Sales
Did you know that indirect channels make up nearly 70% of all technology sales,…
The Manufacturers’ Black Hole of Lead Status [Infographic]
Recent research from Zift and MAPI has uncovered a startling reality. While 84% of…
Top 10 TED Talks for Marketers & Connecting with People
TED talks are a great source of inspiration and knowledge. Though they only became…
Why Channel Sales Leaders Should Care About Channel Marketing Automation
For the past several years as a research analyst, I had a front-row seat watching…
SimpliVity Partner MR2 Solutions Navigates IT Shifts
Zift is pleased to have Ron Salazar, General Manager, MR2 Solutions, as a guest…
Are Manufacturers Missing Out? New MAPI Study Says YES
Industrial manufacturing is in the midst of significant change with mergers and…
Zifters Go Back to Class
Summer vacation is over, and school is back in session. As the kids (and some of…
The 5 Reasons I Chose Zift Solutions
Like most people, I was looking forward to some downtime this summer. In…
Building a Channel Dream Team
I’m not a big basketball fan. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional game, but…
6 Steps to Consider Before Purchasing & Implementing a TCMA Solution
At Zift, I get the opportunity to work closely with organizations interested in…
Does Blogging Still Fit in Today’s Marketing Mix?
Blogging was one of the first digital marketing tactics to really take off. In…
Successful Channel Marketing Begins with an Effective Marketing Campaign & Collaboration
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
While we hope your marketing team is enjoying some deserved vacation time this…
Zift’s Tour Rolls On: Find Out Where You Can Join Us & Turn Up the Volume on Your Channel
Zift’s Spring Tour has been such a hit that we’re rolling on with new Summer and…
What Channel Marketers Can Learn from Pokémon Go
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]
Cisco recently published the infographic “What’s Your Online Health and…
5 Most Memorable Social Media Campaigns of All Time
Every once in awhile, a social media campaign turns into something truly…
How to Make the Most of Your Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) Tool
In a previous post, we talked about how to tell if your company is desperately in…
Channel Organizations: Why You Need to Market Your Marketing
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
Mixing up the types of content you use can be an effective way to re-energize your…
Sharing Is Caring: 5 Key Ingredients of a Positive & Profitable Partner Experience
While many channel organizations claim that creating and sustaining a rewarding…
How to Maximize Your Social Media Channel Efforts
Choosing the right social media channel for your marketing efforts involves…
Channel Data: Tracking Partner Program Performance
Today’s B2B channel program managers have access to more advanced resources,…
WANTED: Best Practices from SiriusDecisions Summit
Zift was in Nashville, Tennessee last week as a sponsor of the 2016 SiriusDecisions…
Channel Visions: Measuring Direct ROI with SiriusDecisions’ Maria Chien
Some channel leaders shine particularly bright. There is an undeniable spark as…
Keep it Simple: The 5 Key Ingredients of a Positive & Profitable Partner Experience
While many channel organizations claim that creating and sustaining a rewarding…
Channel Visions: Adapting to Change with SiriusDecisions’ Maria Chien
Some channel leaders shine particularly bright. There is an undeniable spark as…
What’s Hot Now in the Channel [Infographic]
The channel is turning up the heat. As more channel marketing organizations…
6 Email Marketing Best Practices to Generate More Leads
Why is my email open rate so low? Why aren’t my email campaigns producing any…
What’s the Secret Recipe For a Profitable Partner Experience?
While many channel organizations claim that creating and sustaining a rewarding…
How to Increase Partner Activity by 528% In Just 2 Weeks
As Senior Manager of Channel Engagement for Zift, my focus is on understanding a…
Making the Most of the Modern Marketing Experience
Zift’s President and CEO Ken Romley, along with our resident Oracle Marketing Cloud…
Your Backstage Pass for Zift’s Spring Tour
Forget Coachella, Burning Man and Bonaroo. The must-see shows of the season are…
Seeing Stars at Channel Focus North America 2016
Zift was in Hollywood last week taking part in Channel Focus North America 2016.…
How to Measure Return On Channel Investment (ROCI)
Business-to-business (B2B) organizations have been investing in channel marketing…
Channel Visions: Zift Talks Channel Transformation with SiriusDecisions’ Maria Chien
Some channel leaders shine particularly bright. There is an undeniable spark as…
When and How Should You Contact Your Sales Leads?
There’s a fine line between helpful and creepy. A colleague knowing that you were…
Establishing Authority and Building Value in a Digital World
We're pleased to welcome Matt Slutz, Business Development Executive for MSM…
Zift Solutions Launches Campaign Marketplace
New Campaign Marketplace Optimizes Use of Market Development Funds, Delivers…
The Inside Scoop from Channel Breakthrough Live!
This week, Zift had the tremendous honor of co-hosting Channel Breakthrough Live,…
Channel Marketing Success Cornerstone #4: CMA Platform Operating Model (part 4 of 4)
Zift’s latest eBook uncovers The 4 Cornerstones of Channel Marketing Success. In…
The Next Wave of Channel Partner Performance and Management
In my previous post, I talked about the marked differences and even overlap between…
The Big Question: Do I Really Need CMM If I Already Have PRM or CRM?
Customers often ask me about the differences between Zift’s Channel Marketing and…
4 Ways to Align your Sales and Marketing Teams
Does your organization suffer from a tenuous relationship between your sales and…
Channel Marketing Success Cornerstone #3: Content Development & Execution
Zift’s latest eBook uncovers The 4 Cornerstones of Channel Marketing Success. In…
Channel Marketing Success Cornerstone #2: Develop a Partner Engagement Plan
Zift’s latest eBook uncovers The 4 Cornerstones of Channel Marketing Success. In…
How Often Should You Update or Rebuild Your Website?
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)
Channel Marketing Automation (CMA) promises a host of benefits, from time savings…
What Are Your Website Analytics Telling You?
In today’s digital world, there is data surrounding almost everything you do as a…
Building Momentum Into 2016 and Beyond
When we launched Zift Solutions, our focus was to empower channel organizations…
Making the Old New Again: Barcode Factory Drives Sales and Keeps Messaging Fresh with Zift
We are pleased to have John Dombrowski, Marketing Director of The Barcode Factory,…
Gorilla in the Marketplace
Recently, I was having a conversation with a customer who heard a competitor refer…
Stepping into the Social Media Arena with Confidence
Zift welcomes guest blogger, Stacy Madden, Marketing Manager of Greenlight Group, a…
Email Marketing: 7 Tips to Help You Avoid the Dreaded Spam Filter
NOTE: Read this blog post in its entirety once for yourself, the “savvy email…
How We’re Extending the Season of Sharing & Caring
In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s most…
Adapt or Die: How Retargeting Is Helping to Evolve Channel Marketing
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!)
Contact lists can make or break your email campaign. So maintaining a healthy…
How to Prove the Value of Social Media Marketing
As a marketer, it can be difficult to prove the value of your social media…
Turning Channel Dreams Into Reality
I’m doing a bit of “California Dreaming” this week while here in San Francisco at…
On-Demand Webinar: 5 Key Ingredients For A Positive & Profitable Partner Experience
I recently had the pleasure of presenting and recording a new webinar with Laz…
Marketing Iteration Intelligence: If At First You Don’t Succeed
“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
When channel partners clamor for content, Content Syndication can seem like…
The Power of Many
We are pleased to have Laurel Burton, Vice President of Marketing at Faction, as a…
Channel Visions: Empowering Channel Partners as Thought Leaders and Leveraging Distributors with Laurel Burton, VP of Marketing for Faction
Determined to revolutionize a smarter, uncompromised way for IT pros to reliably…
Marketing Win-Wins Take Careful Planning and Expert Advice
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)
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)
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)
In this Channel Chatter series, we’ll deliver highlights from our recent interview…
The Power of Change: Zift’s Forward Momentum and SharedVue Acquisition
For some, change is stressful. For me and the Zift Solutions team, change is…
Why Did My Email Campaign Fail?
With the digital world rapidly moving, it’s no surprise that the quantity of emails…
Closing the Sales Enablement Gap
As Zift has grown within the channel marketing automation space, becoming a leader…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #6: Work Where Your Partners Work
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
Independent Research Firm gives Zift highest score in Technology category and cites “Deep Integration Capabilities Involving Partners’ Applications”
Forrester Research has just published The Forrester Wave™: Through-Channel…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #5: Count on Measurement
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
Channel Visions: Zift Sits Down With Sal Patalano
As part of our exclusive Channel Visions video series, I recently had the…
A Blueprint for Channel Success: Services and Support (Part 4)
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
New Zift App for Hootsuite™ Makes Social Media Hum
OEMs, Suppliers and Distributors around the globe are using Zift Solutions to…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #4: Provide Campaigns to Existing Base
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
VerticalX Podcast: Best Practice Channel Marketing
I recently had the opportunity to join hosts Sterling Bailey and Marilyn Cox as a…
A Blueprint for Channel Success: Distributors (Part 3)
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #3: Evangelize Modern Marketing
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
A Blueprint for Channel Success: Resellers (Part 2)
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
Get The Most From Technology: Seeing The Bigger Picture
For those that think finding and implementing the right technology will solve all…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #2: Support Multi-Tactic Campaigns
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
5 Ways to Take the Guesswork Out of Your Sales Process
Zift welcomes guest blogger, Amanda Kahlow, CEO and founder of 6Sense. On July 8…
A Blueprint for Channel Success: Segmenting Partners (Part 1)
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
A Blueprint for Channel Success (1 of 4)
Building a successful channel program is a lot like building a house. This blog…
High Performance Channel Marketing Secret #1: Classify Partners by Potential
Zift’s latest eBook is Unlocking the 6 Secrets of High Performance Channel…
Handing Over the Keys
Zift is handing over the keys to success with a new eBook: Unlocking the 6 Secrets…
Channel Visions: Zift Sits Down With Red Hat’s Kimason Brown
I recently sat down with Kimason Brown, Global Partner Programs Manager for Red…
The Channel Goes Country at SiriusDecisions Summit 2015
World famous for its honky tonks, dive bars and dance halls, Nashville, Tennessee…
Making the Connection (New Video)
Channel success really comes down to partner engagement and connections. Without…
How Automation Can Transform Channel Partner Sales
Gil Cargill (Principal of Cargill Consulting Group) authored a Channel Pro magazine…
Focusing on the Future of the Channel
I’ve been here in Miami this week representing Zift Solutions at Channel Focus…
Making a Mark at Marketo’s 2015 Marketing Nation Summit™
With big name celebrities like John Legend and Arianna Huffington here at the…
California Dreaming: A Look Inside Channel Visionaries 2015
I’m in California this week, attending the 2015 Channel Visionaries Event and…
Partner Pride: PureIntegration Inspires
You might think that after working with thousands of channel partners, the details…
A Day in the Life of a Channel Partner
Zift welcomes guest blogger, Lisa Vega, Senior Marketing Manager for…
Overcoming the False Promises of Partner Portals [Infographic]
Many of today’s suppliers and channel marketers are heavily invested in partner…
Crawl, Walk, Run: A Proven Approach to Channel Marketing Success
I see it happen all the time. A well-intentioned supplier decides this will be the…
What Matters Most for High Performance Channel Marketing
I’m pleased to introduce Service Director of Channel Management Strategies for…
Make the Season a Little Brighter
As the holidays draw near, you’re likely spending a bit more time than usual…
How Many Tactics Does it Take to Secure a Deal?
I’ll admit it. I’m a 1970s kid. If you are as well, then you likely remember that…
7 Secrets of Lead Nurturing Success
Bob Lamkin recently joined Zift Solutions as part of the Marketing Advocate…
A New Era for Channel Sales and Marketing
Our industry is experiencing a new era – and so is Zift Solutions. We recognize…
Not So Fast! Build a Foundation Before Leads Hit the Funnel
Our customers and their partners continually tell us that they want more leads. Who…
Generating & Nurturing Leads Through to Close
We’re excited to welcome guest blogger Chris White, AVP of Marketing for Orasi…
A Clear View of Success
Like most channel partners, Macabe Associates knew that they needed to drive…
Putting an End to the Leaky Pipe Syndrome
Lead generation can be expensive.
by Ken Romley
Boost SEO with Content Syndication
Content syndication is not only an effective tool for vendors and partners, it can…
Content Syndication: A 360-Degree View of the Channel
With today’s buyers spending nearly 70% of their time doing online research before…
Turning Leads Into Opportunities With Zift
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
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]
Is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) a part of your marketing mix? Hopefully you're nodding. If…
SiriusDecisions Channel Program of the Year
I’ve been in Orlando this week participating in the SiriusDecisions Summit. For…
How to Create a Fantastic Email Newsletter in 5 Easy Steps
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
Are you finding it tougher than ever to transform prospects into customers? That’s…
Do You Have a Clear Line of Site Into Partner Lead Activity? (Part 4 of 4)
This blog post is the fourth and final part in our series which aims to help…
Why Lead Nurturing is Essential to Channel Partner Success (Part 3 of 4)
This blog post is the third part in our series which aims to help suppliers…
How to Introduce and Optimize Automated Lead Distribution (Part 2 of 4)
This blog post is the second part in our series which aims to help suppliers…
How Suppliers Can Maximize Channel Success With Managed Services [Infographic]
Successfully executing multi-touch campaigns requires marketing and sales…
Navigating the Shift to SaaS and Cloud-Based Services
Channel Marketer Report recently asked me to share my thoughts on how channel…
Deliver Continued Channel Success through Optimization (Part 4 of 4)
To deliver the greatest value to channel partners and support their continued…
How to Secure Your Channel Partners’ Buy-In (Part 3 of 4)
Even the most powerful multi-tactic marketing campaigns will fail if you don’t have…
Zift Solutions CEO to Share Entrepreneur War Stories as Part of 2013 Internet Summit
Internet Summit is the Southeast's largest gathering of some 2,000 innovators,…
3 Key Steps to Building Effective Marketing Campaigns (Part 2 of 4)
As we shared in our previous post, Times have Changed: The Evolution of the Sales…
Times Have Changed: The Sales Environment Evolution (Part 1 of 4)
Dramatic shifts in today’s sales environment are driving big changes in channel…
Social Media – The Root of Modern Marketing [Infographic]
Tap into your channel partners network using social media Think social media…
Bottom Up Approach to Channel Marketing
Businesses today are increasingly placing the responsibility of driving sales on…
JumpStart Your Marketing!
Evolving Buyers
by Logan Cones
4 Reasons to Leverage Your Supplier’s Brand
Today we would like to welcome Mary Abdian as our guest blogger. Mary is the CEO of…
3 Ways to Optimize Partner Sales
As so many of today’s businesses rely on channel partners to drive product sales,…
SiriusDecisions Day 1: Change, Collaborate and Relationships
Yesterday the 2013 SiriusDecisions Summit kicked off in San Diego. The event…
Treating Channel Partners Like Partners
i.e. What’s Good For The Goose… Not to get too preachy here, but good partnering is…
Channel Focus Conference: Day Two
It was another busy day at the Channel Focus North America with Latin America…
Channel Focus Conference: Day One
It was a jammed, packed day at the Channel Focus North America with Latin America…
Meet our new VP of Marketing!
Zift Solutions would like to welcome David Buffaloe to our executive team as the VP…
6 Easy SEO Tips for Channel Partners
We understand that most channel partners we work with have limited time and…
16 Landing Page Tips to Improve UX and Conversions
Last week, we talked about ways to increase leads and conversion rates. This post…
Have You Changed Your Attitude Toward Content Creation & SEO Yet?
I know; more harping on about content creation. But, many businesses still don’t…
3 Effective Ways To Increase Leads & Conversion Rates
You have just seconds to convince someone that your web page is worth reading.…
39 Ways to Make It Easier for Channel Partners to do Business With You
Last week I was at the Baptie conference (which was great by the way) and I helped…
