Some partners just get it. They understand that combining forces with complementary partners will make them more successful.
One such partner is Bishop Technologies. Tapping the strengths of four other companies, Bishop recently organized and executed a marketing campaign that added at least 30 highly qualified leads to the Office 365 migration pipeline. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on July 31, 20140 comments
What if you had an easy way to explain what your company does and how awesome it is to work for you? Not with dry, technical job descriptions, but with real people explaining what it is like to work for a Microsoft partner.
A new e-book, specifically written to help Microsoft partners' recruiting efforts, profiles young women, each working in a different role for a Microsoft partner. Titled "12 Amazing Tech Jobs and the Women Who Rock Them: Imagine What You Can Do," this e-book aims to educate and inspire the young people you want to recruit. The e-book and supporting promotional materials are located here on Microsoft's Ready-to-Go marketing site. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on July 16, 20140 comments
Whether you are considering sponsoring a local charity fundraiser or a trade show premium, you can get more value from the money spent with a bit of planning. Before you write the check, consider how you can turn the investment into a win-win for your organization, as well as for the event attendees.
Charity Events for Team-Building
Supporting community events not only gives back to the community but can also provide a great way to do team building with a purpose. Take your charity sponsorship to the next level by promoting active volunteer participation with your employees. Your employees lead busy lives and while they may want to support charity events, they may find it hard to make the time. A few considerations: More
Posted by Barb Levisay on June 25, 20140 comments
Have you updated your Pinpoint profile lately? The Microsoft online partner directory and associated product, MarketPlaces, provide exposure to the millions of visitors doing product research on the Microsoft business sites. To make the most of that opportunity, find some time soon to update your profile applying best practices from experts.
Advice from the Trenches
Anya Ciecierski, co-founder of the ERP SoftwareBlog and other Microsoft partner group blogs, recently shared some of her top suggestions for Pinpoint profiles.
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Posted by Barb Levisay on June 12, 20140 comments
The term "thought leadership" gets thrown around a lot when talking about marketing content. We all know that most content is not coming from thoughtful leaders sharing their wisdom with the world. And it's OK that not all of your marketing content is thought-provoking or industry-leading. As long as your content educates your audience and establishes your knowledge of the market, it's doing the intended job.
Content is the currency of marketing in today's buyer-driven sales process. Your prospects are doing their own research and your job is to help educate them. Whether you are reaching out to them through e-mail with whitepaper offers or building your online presence with a blog, educational content is marketing gold.
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Posted by Barb Levisay on May 28, 20140 comments
Whether the investment you make in the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) Expo is time spent visiting the booths or tens of thousands of dollars as an exhibitor, you will up your return with thoughtful planning. As hard as it is to focus during WPC with sessions, old friends and parties all vying for your attention, you need a solid plan to make sure you leave with concrete revenue opportunities.
Make the Most of Your Expo Visit
As an attendee, you should plan your time in the Expo hall just like you do for sessions. Ask your consulting team for two lists -- the top customer challenges and the ISVs with most potential. With those lists in hand, you can focus on specific vendors, but keep an eye out for new players that solve an emerging problem.
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Posted by Barb Levisay on May 15, 20140 comments
Over the years, there has been valid criticism that Microsoft's through-partner marketing programs were too product-focused. To its credit, the marketing team is changing that approach. Specifically, there are three campaigns currently on the Microsoft Ready-to-Go (RtG) marketing site that deserve attention from every category of partner.
Connect with SMB Realities
The three campaigns are components of high-level messaging for SMBs to "stay ahead of the game."
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Posted by Barb Levisay on April 30, 20140 comments
Contrary to what you may have heard, newsletters are not dead. While blogs are a great way to drive traffic to Web sites, most partners don't have the resources to post meaningful content several times a week. A monthly e-mail newsletter, on the other hand, is an achievable goal for time-strapped service providers.
To make the most of your newsletter, take a methodical approach to the content. Your goal is to educate, but you should educate with your endgame in mind. You want to initiate conversations with your readers.
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Posted by Barb Levisay on April 16, 20140 comments
In the Microsoft Dynamics community, Jon Rivers has built his position as an industry influencer through a consistent presence in social media.
As the channel partner manager for Data Masons, a Dynamics-certified ISV, Rivers believes the key to using social media effectively is to focus on the interests of the community that your business serves.
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Posted by Barb Levisay on April 02, 20140 comments
Now that we're in the full swing of spring event season -- conferences, trade shows and prospecting events -- do you have your follow-up plans in place? Memorable follow-through with the connections that you initiate during events can make the difference between long-term impact and wasted effort.
Once your customers or potential partners get back to work, with a million issues fighting for their attention, keeping your message top-of-mind requires a systematic approach. Work with your sales team to review the contact list and determine the most appropriate follow-up for each one. Your next steps should match their stage in the buying process.
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Posted by Barb Levisay on March 19, 20140 comments