B2B tech audiences love interactivity. For a decade or more, they’ve been on starvation diet of whitepapers, fact sheets and case studies. If any market was ripe for an interactive content marketing makeover, it’s B2B tech audiences.

I have been a marketing manager in a US-based vendor. I sympathise with the pressure vendors are put under to meet year-end targets and quarterly reporting metrics. This pressure sometimes obscures our view of the critical components of channel marketing. So what’s the solution?

I’m increasingly hearing about vendor sales managers, with excellent track records managing direct sales teams, who treat their reselling channels as if they’re just a bigger bunch of reps. For those managers, here are some thought starters on why the indirect channel must be managed differently.

Finding questions you can answer with a “definite maybe” is one of my great joys in life. However, whether vendors should treat resellers as customers is definitely not one of these questions. There’s no “maybe” about it; resellers are not vendor customers, definitely.

When we meet with vendor channel marketing managers who are responsible for MDF or COOP funds three common themes emerge.

Many vendors offer marketing funds to their channel to pay for marketing and lead generation campaigns. Unfortunately, too often these funds go unclaimed. This is a missed opportunity for the channel who would benefit from the additional funding to grow their business.

While the specifics of each campaign will help determine its likelihood of success, there are six key ways you can use design to make sure your DM is successful.

Many organisations talk about targeting the C suite, or top level management in an organisation. After all, they are usually the ultimate decision-makers and can open doors to other top-level connections. Yet most people will agree that it is very difficult to get the attention of a C-level executive because they are the most highly-protected and time-poor people in any organisation.

Data is the lifeblood of most organisations, yet too many organisations neglect their data until it gets to a point where the data is almost useless. Data starts to get out of control when it’s not maintained regularly.

To improve the effectiveness of email marketing activities (without buying a fully-fledged CRM or marketing automation system) follow these six tips.

It can be a constant challenge for vendors to use their marketing development fund (MDF) effectively. Ideally, partners who are eligible for MDF allocations apply for funds of their own volition in a timely manner and use them efficiently and effectively to build pipeline and increase sales for the quarter. The reality is that partners often leave MDF on the table.

When I speak to vendor channel marketing managers a common theme typically comes up. It’s the fact that many resellers don’t apply for their eligible MDF.

Did you know that in the last hour alone you were probably exposed to more than 200 branded messages?[1] That’s 200 different companies all fighting for your attention. Most people learn to adapt to this onslaught by shutting off their receptors to traditional marketing methods like advertisements and logos. And the B2B world is no different, with marketers working hard to get the attention of business decision-makers.

Marketers are spoilt for choice when it comes to communication channels. Traditional channels have now been supplemented by digital options. Smartphone use has also radically increased, changing the user experience. Whatever your chosen channel, good design principles remain unchanged.

Whether you care to admit it or not, your marketing database is riddled with old and useless data. You should be worried. Data decay is costing you money. Your direct marketing activities won’t generate sales if your database is littered with inaccurate information.

Just bought a list of email addresses from a reputable Australian list provider? Then read this before you take another step. It could save your company’s reputation, not to mention a lot of money.

An effective eDM needs an enticing subject line. It needs strong, personalised copy that propels the reader to the end offering a clear, simple call to action. You’ve got to create the eDM your customers want to receive, not the eDM you want to send.

The problem with social media is that the rules can change quickly and the service is free. That means there’s no real guarantees about the service or experience you will receive.

When your business focuses on creating and then moving millions of units into market, the stakes are high if you get it wrong.  Not only can your brand take a very visible hit, your bottom line can take a beating too.

What other marketing activities do you know of that gives you an opportunity to bring prospects into your world for an hour or two (or longer) and be completely engaged with you at the exclusion of all else? Hopefully this post will help you think a little differently about using events in your marketing strategy.