Blog
(page 10)
2016
April
Takeaways from Oracle Modern Marketing Experience 2016
Three takeaways from Oracle's Modern Marketing Experience on extending investments, embracing ecosystems, and working within established environments.
Zift's spring 2016 tour schedule
Zift's spring 2016 event schedule covering Modern Marketing Experience, Marketo Summit, SiriusDecisions Summit, and Channel Visionaries.
Channel Focus North America 2016 highlights
Highlights from Channel Focus 2016 including sessions on IoT, through-partner marketing, and using partner data to make decisions.
Earth Day: Reduce, reuse & recycle your marketing content
Earth Day reminds us to adopt sustainability in business. Green practices for channel programs include digital resources, recycling, and optimized workflows.
Measuring return on channel investment (ROCI)
Calculating gross ROCI is no longer enough; program leaders need systems of insight to track partner program ROI at a granular level.
Interview with Maria Chien on channel transformation
SiriusDecisions' Maria Chien discusses channel trends including partner mindshare, account-based marketing, and partner experience.
March
When and how to contact sales leads
Tips for following up with leads including doing homework, being helpful, and responding within one hour for better qualification rates.
Building authority in a digital world
Guest post from MSM Solutions on using content syndication, email campaigns, and concierge services to establish brand authority online.
Zift Solutions launches Campaign Marketplace
Zift Solutions introduces the Campaign Marketplace, offering self-service & full-service marketing campaigns to help partners optimize MDF and boost channel performance.
Channel Breakthrough Live event highlights
Highlights from Channel Breakthrough Live at Google with insights on digital marketing, AdWords optimization, and channel marketing management.
Channel marketing success cornerstone #4: CMA platform operating model (part 4 of 4)
Establish a CMA platform operating model before launch to balance tactical tasks, streamline management, and optimize ROI in channel marketing automation.
Channel partner performance management
How combining CRM, PRM, and CMM analytics creates a more complete picture of partner community performance.
The big question: do I really need CMM if I already have PRM or CRM?
Understanding the differences between CMM, PRM, and CRM, including each platform's role in channel management and how they integrate.
February
Sales and marketing alignment in four steps
Four approaches for aligning sales and marketing teams including shared terminology, defined goals, closed-loop reporting, and data-driven decisions.
Content development and execution for channel marketing
How to develop a content strategy and marketing execution calendar for channel marketing automation programs.
Developing a partner engagement plan
Segmenting partners and evaluating engagement levels to develop successful channel marketing automation strategies.
How often should you update your website?
Checklist for determining when to update your website, including brand alignment, mobile responsiveness, and user experience.
Channel marketing automation cornerstones
Why vision and strategy are essential for channel marketing automation success, and how rushing implementation leads to failure.
What are your website analytics telling you?
Analytics allow marketers the opportunity to fuel the sales process. Getting started with website analytics and building reports that matter.
Building momentum into 2016 and beyond
Build channel momentum into 2016 and beyond with planning tips, trend insights, goal setting, and partner outreach tactics designed to sustain long term growth.
January
Barcode Factory case study
How The Barcode Factory uses Zift's content syndication and email campaigns to keep product messaging fresh for customers.
Gorilla in the marketplace
Responding to a competitor calling Zift the "gorilla in the marketplace" and why size enables better customer care.
GreenLight Group's social media success story
Guest post from HPE partner GreenLight Group on using Zift for social media syndication, saving 20+ hours monthly.
2015
December
Seven tips to avoid spam filters
Email marketing tips including subject line hygiene, email formatting, IP address management, personalization, and whitelisting.
Zift joins Pledge 1%
Announcing Zift's commitment to Pledge 1% and inviting readers to help select charitable organizations for donations.
Retargeting in channel marketing
How B2B channel marketers can use retargeting with display ads, including frequency capping, CTAs, and conversion pixels.
4 common email marketing mistakes and how to fix them
Four email marketing mistakes including purchased lists, lack of opt-in, and stale contacts, with guidance on avoiding them.
November
How to prove the value of social media marketing
How to report social media value to stakeholders using engagement rates, amplification metrics, and cross-channel tracking.
Channel Visionaries event highlights
Highlights from Channel Visionaries 2015 including a keynote on partner experience challenges and channel marketing technology.
5 key ingredients for a positive and profitable partner experience
A webinar with SiriusDecisions covering partner engagement challenges and the role of technology in partner experience.
Iterating on marketing campaigns
Tips for improving marketing campaigns through pilot testing, A/B testing, and continuous iteration based on feedback.
3 steps to solve the partner content syndication challenge
Three steps to effective content syndication including defining goals, keeping content fresh, and tailoring content to partner and customer needs.
October
Faction's channel marketing with limited resources
Guest post from Faction's VP of Marketing on supporting a partner community with a small marketing team.
Content marketing that educates, not sells
Five tips for creating effective content including staying on topic, speaking in the customer's voice, and educating rather than selling.
Interview with Faction's Laurel Burton on partner enablement
Faction's Laurel Burton on empowering channel partners as thought leaders and working with distributors in the cloud market.
Planning multi-vendor channel marketing
How multi-vendor, vertical marketing requires expert advice and careful deal structure to work together effectively.
Making channel marketing work with Heather K. Margolis, part 3
Heather K. Margolis on content marketing, social media for channel partners, and why building an audience beats buying lists.
September
Making channel marketing work with Heather K. Margolis, part 2
Heather Margolis on building partner programs that work, educating partners, and why she started Channel Maven.
Making channel marketing work with Heather K. Margolis
Interview highlights with Heather K. Margolis on channel changes, vendor-partner relationships, and partner enablement.
Zift acquires SharedVue
Zift Solutions acquires SharedVue, a division of The Channel Company, to become the largest channel marketing and management solutions provider.
Video brings channel marketing to life
Statistics on video consumption and how to provide video content to partners for social media and web outreach.
August
Why did my email campaign fail?
Email isn't new, but response habits have changed. Common reasons campaigns fail and how to fix low open and click rates.
Closing the sales enablement gap
How Zift bridges the gap between sales and marketing enablement through collaborative tactics that deliver channel revenue growth.
Meeting partners where they work
Embedded Access Applications (EAAs) as an alternative to portals, delivering content and tools within partners' existing systems.
Forrester Wave TCMA report recognizes Zift for integration
Zift captures highest score in Technology Category in Forrester Wave Through-Channel Marketing Automation Platforms Q3 2015.
Measurement in channel marketing
How account-based marketing and Through Partner Marketing Automation (TPMA) enable measurement and visibility across the sales pipeline.
July
Interview with Sal Patalano on channel challenges
Sal Patalano discusses vendor-partner relationships, partner experience, and the shift to subscription pricing models.
Channel success blueprint - services and support (part 4)
A menu of partner support services from basic to concierge levels that address varying partner needs and expertise.
Zift app for Hootsuite
The Zift app for Hootsuite brings partner content and social scheduling into one interface.