Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Technology resellers handle hundreds of disruptions throughout the daily workflow. From internal to external pushbacks, there is a lot that can go awry for VARs. It’s best to analyze the categories of technology through which vendors need to focus on when it comes to channel partner training. Studies show Data Management, Vision & Capabilities and Proof of ROI are some of the most common digital marketing challenges, that can be combatted and perfected in the future. 
Data management
It’s best to know just what the GDPR means and how it can affect everyone involved, especially those who are heavily reliant on email as their main digital strategy. Data is also used by vendors as a way for their resellers to become more meaningful to their customers over time. It is the fuel to help resellers gain insights on the purchases, that their customers are processing and how to develop a more personal relationship overall. Many small to midsized technology resellers lack the experience and expertise of sophisticated data management. The road ahead leads to outsourcing this function in the future.
Vision & Capabilities
Though it may seem odd, some technology resellers still expect community events will be the fix for their marketing plans. Those are the ones that will get left behind. Out with the old and in with the new. There is so much more to successful marketing plans than event coordination and mailers. VARs need to stay relevant in the digital marketing age. Understanding video as a key marketing tactic is important for crafting out informative and clever campaigns that speaker louder than text and photos. Vision and marketing capabilities are highly prioritized when it comes to recruiting new channel partners. Cloud computing and other emerging business models can help vendors increase their interaction with more agile and sophisticated partners.
Proof of ROI
If you are using vendor funding, then you, the reseller, would need to be able to trace their ROI back to digital investments. This is done in order to keep investing in the following marketing tactics:
- Analytics
- Tracking
- CRM
There are fewer known excuses for not having accurate proof of performance numbers. Resellers will need to invest in both skills and technologies to capture analytics and present data in a meaningful way. Through this, resellers can gain access to social media stats, analytics, CRM, lead management, reporting and marketing automation tools.
In Conclusion
The difference between digital marketing success and failure for their channel partners is listed as the following.
- Their growth orientation – Are they looking forward or backwards?
- How good are they at managing and analyzing their own digital marketing?
Technology resellers with a forward-looking digital perspective combined with the right data management resources, are already ahead of the pack.
