With all of the messaging bombarding your prospects these days, it is more vital than ever to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, even if you are the best in the world at what you do, without a strong marketing program you could very well be losing business to lesser competitors. Don’t you think it’s time to get your business the attention that it deserves? But marketing to prospects can be a tricky business. Providing valuable content is the best way to get them to tune into your messaging instead of your competitors. Teach them how to solve their own pain points through content marketing platforms like an eBook, video, or blog post.

Now how do you get exposure for that content?

You will come to see that it is the smaller, more simple parts that can make or break the marketing machine. Below are five examples of those parts, and what you can do to better maintain them to keep your marketing machine running smoothly.

1.) Valuable Content – By providing prospects with content that tells them how to solve their problems themselves you are making yourself a “thought leader” or resource. Sure, they may solve their problem themselves but the next time they need more help they are going to reach out to you.

2.) Search Engine Optimization - Your website’s ability to get found by your prospects depends largely on your ability to create content that is optimized for the keywords they are searching for. There are no short cuts when it comes to SEO. To rank well in search engines, your company needs to create content, and lots of it. One easy way to keep a steady stream of content going for your company is to blog and blog regularly. Don’t be afraid to link to relevant content on your site from your vendors site to help build your SEO mojo.

3.) Lead Generation - Say it with us: compelling content attracts leads. Compelling landing pages which describe compelling eBooks or videos can be optimized to turn up in search engines which can help your ability to get found. In addition, offering content that helps solve a real need your prospect has may seem like giving away free advice, but it can be one of the best ways to find new business. You don’t want to ask too much information in the landing page as people won’t fill it out but you should ask name, company, title, and email in return for the content, and what would have been a casual website visitor has just turned into a solid lead.

4.) Email Marketing – Stumped about what to include in your upcoming newsletter? That’s probably because you’re dwelling on that little word news. Your emails to your clients shouldn’t just be filled with bragging about your own company, but provide them with helpful educational content that can better aid them in using your products. Offer the occasional exclusive webinar or white paper or “how to” facts to keep things interesting. Make them feel special is a fantastic way to retain your client base.

5.) Social Media – As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, using sites like LinkedIn and Twitter can exponentially add to your marketing efforts and can quickly make you a thought leader when used correctly. Again, content is key. Offering insightful updates, sharing news stories from within your industry, participating in group discussions, all are great ways to keep your company top of mind with your prospects. It is vital that you keep up with your social media channels though. You would be surprised how quickly you can be forgotten when you start neglecting them.

Remember, these tools are only as powerful as you make them. They may require a fair amount of attention, but the return they can provide when used properly is more than worth it.

So vendors how are you helping your partners today? For more indepth information feel free to download our complimentary eBook, "Are your Channel Partner Engaging?".

Partners, what other resources and support are you looking for?