Engaging in business-to-business (B2B) partner marketing is a strategic approach to broadening your market reach and attracting new leads. By collaborating with other companies to market and sell your products, you can leverage their customer base and resources, enhancing your marketing outcomes. Crafting an effective B2B partner marketing strategy can be intricate, however.Here are some expert tips to enhance the success of your marketing partnerships. WebFX boasts a wealth of experience in developing and executing impactful channel partner marketing strategies. To discover how we can optimize your B2B channel partner marketing, request your complimentary quote.B2B partner marketing entails forming alliances with other businesses to promote and distribute your products.B2B partner marketing strategies encompass a variety of formats, such as:
Affiliate Marketing: Companies send traffic to your website through affiliate links.
Distribution Partnerships: You collaborate with a company that incorporates your product into their distribution channels.
Dealership Partnerships: Companies act as licensed dealers of your products, certified to sell them.
Co-Marketing: Two companies collaborate to market each other’s products, potentially as a combined offer.
For instance, Frito Lay and Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Taco exemplifies a successful co-marketing venture. 
These are merely a few examples of the numerous marketing partnership possibilities for B2B entities. Companies often innovate and devise novel, distinctive methods to collaborate with other businesses for marketing and sales.Wishing to craft a thriving B2B partner marketing strategy? Explore these suggestions!1. Begin with a modest approachPartnerships require varying degrees of commitment. An affiliate marketing partnership is relatively straightforward, while a dealer partnership is more intricate. If you’re new to B2B channel partner marketing or your company is smaller, start with a simpler partnership.Should the partnership prove fruitful, you can progress to more complex agreements. Gradually build up your relationship with each new partner, starting with a basic affiliate agreement and eventually moving to co-marketing or other more involved arrangements. This incremental approach allows you to refine your campaigns and achieve better results over time.2. Establish shared objectives and define KPIsSetting clear objectives and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for any marketing endeavor. In partner marketing, it’s equally important that both parties are aligned on goals. Your objectives should be SMART goals, which are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
An example of a non-SMART goal is “increase the number of leads generated.” A SMART version of this goal would be “increase the number of leads generated by 50% by the end of the year.” Collaborate with your partners to set campaign goals and share data to monitor progress. Establishing mutual goals and KPIs will keep your campaigns on track and inspire partners to sell more of your products.3. Implement reporting processesA critical early step in developing B2B partner programs is ensuring you have systems in place to track campaigns and report outcomes. You also need to know which leads originated from which partners, particularly if you have lead-sharing or revenue-sharing arrangements. With digital marketing, you can use tools to automatically track lead data.By adding UTM parameters to your URLs, for example, you can identify which leads come from various sources. Using Google’s Campaign URL Builder, you can generate UTM parameters for each partner. Google Analytics will then track the number of leads from different URLs.UTM parameters can also be used to track leads from different channels and campaigns. 
You can also utilize tools like MarketingCloudFX to track campaign data, manage leads, and perform other critical tasks.4. Address all stages of the sales funnelFor more complex partnerships, you should provide your partners with marketing materials for each stage of the B2B sales funnel. If you’re unfamiliar with the sales funnel, it’s a visual representation of the sales process.
The top of the funnel includes prospects who have just learned about your brand.
The middle of the funnel involves engaging leads to foster interest in your products and services.
The bottom contains the most qualified leads ready to make a purchase decision.
As you move down the sales funnel, potential prospects decrease, but their qualifications improve. 
Providing marketing materials for each stage enables your partners to market your products more effectively and boost sales. For instance, if you sell accounting software, your top-of-the-funnel content might offer accounting tips for small businesses, while your bottom-of-the-funnel content assists leads in selecting the appropriate accounting software.5. Leverage digital marketing channelsWith over 4 billion internet users and more than 2 billion online shoppers, not having a robust online presence is a missed opportunity. Digital marketing aids businesses in being discovered and making a positive online impression.To elevate your B2B partner marketing success, assist your partners with digital marketing tactics such as:Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO employs various techniques to help a website rank well for relevant search terms.Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: PPC campaigns enable you to place targeted ads on search engine results pages, social media, and other websites.Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing involves engaging with users to build brand awareness and attract new leads.Email Marketing: Email marketing nurtures leads and maintains customer relationships by sending relevant emails.Content Marketing: Approximately 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing, and utilizing various digital content types can help you create standout content. You can provide completed content, collaborate on content creation, or offer tools and ideas for content generation.Consider content types such as:
Videos
Podcasts
Infographics
Webinars
E-books
Whitepapers
Case studies
Original research
6. Maintain open communication with partnersEnhancing partner relationships and boosting the success of B2B partner programs involves keeping partners informed about your company’s changes, products, and marketing initiatives. Regular meetings or calls with partners to provide updates and answer questions are recommended. Ensure partners can easily contact you outside of scheduled meetings.Also, facilitate the sharing of sales data and other information through a digital marketing platform.7. Develop a partner portalFor businesses with numerous partners or more intricate marketing alliances, consider creating a partner portal on your website. Partners can log in to access product information, marketing materials, campaign data, and communicate with your company’s point of contact. Here’s an example of Samsung’s partner portal. 
Providing these resources streamlines partner interactions, improves their experience, and reduces your team’s workload.At WebFX, we have guided businesses across various industries to achieve success with their channel partner marketing.We offer a comprehensive suite of digital marketing services to elevate your B2B partner marketing. Our services include:
SEO
PPC Advertising
Social Media Marketing
Email Marketing
Content Marketing
And more
Our digital marketing services deliver results. Over the past five years, we’ve generated over $10 billion in revenue for our clients. To learn more about our channel partner marketing services, request your free quote today or call us at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist!
