CMCtv Episode 8: Engage Partners Online with LinkedIn and Twitter

Welcome back to #CMCtv. In this episode, we talk about the importance of optimizing your social profiles to engage Partners online.

Once just a suggestion, social media and social selling are now driving forces in SEO, messaging, amplification, and engagement for brands. In fact, they’ve changed the way we do business in the Channel. With over 70% of IT decision makers use social media to help them make a purchase, traditional marketing is no longer enough. Vendors have to be where Partners want them to be, when they need them to be there.

To be successful today, especially in B2B, you need to incorporate social media into your integrated marketing strategy. It can’t be an afterthought. Understanding how others perceive us online is critical for B2B demand generation, and one wrong move, or no moves at all, can be detrimental to that overarching strategy.

Think about it like this: first impressions are important. In this online world, your organization’s online presence is the first impression of your company, solutions, and Partner Program. Having an unprofessional, or non-existent, online presence is like showing up to a meeting unprepared. Not so great.

Consider your own online search experience. When looking for information online, it probably goes something like this: you come across a website and if it’s unprofessional, incomplete, or not giving you with the information you need, you move on to the next. The same principle applies when prospective or current Partners come across your social profiles. You have about three seconds to make an impression and provide a value proposition that will keep Partners on your profile longer and (hopefully) click through to learn more on your website.

Without optimized social media profiles; generating leads, sales, and maintaining customer relationships is increasingly difficult.

When it comes to B2B, Partners are generally doing their social research on LinkedIn and Twitter, and on these platforms is where Vendors have the best chances of reaching and engaging their audience.

So, what can Vendors do on LinkedIn and Twitter to better engage Partners online? In this episode, Lexi Strickland, a Senior Channel Marketing Analyst at Channel Maven Consulting, explains:

• How to optimize social profiles to enhance your overarching marketing strategy and drive demand
• Why social listening is crucial to your Channel’s success
• What kind of content will grab your Partners’ attention

Join us to learn how Vendors can spruce up their social profiles and online engagement to drive more demand.

Looking for more information on how you can better engage Partners online?

Check out some of our blogs here:

Why Communications to Your Channel Really Matter

3 Ways to Improve the Channel Partner Journey

Amplify Partner Experience With Your Channel Blog