Many IT partners tell us that they’ve dabbled in marketing and are frustrated that their sporadic efforts –– a trade show, a one-off online campaign –– failed to deliver results. Many of them wonder whether they’re wasting their time trying to do marketing.

Our answer: Marketing needs to be consistent and long-term. We’ve got the data to prove it.

Right frequency = 2x more leads

Recently, we analyzed 66,000 brand-funded through-channel marketing campaigns that we undertook for channel partners around the world. As shown in the figure above, we assigned a value of 1 to the number of leads generated by each campaign for partners who have sent between 1 to 10 campaigns in total. As the number of campaigns sent increases, so does the impact of each campaign. Partners who have sent between 11 and 30 campaigns see a 40% increase in the amount of leads generated per campaign. When there are more than 30 campaigns, the increased impact rises to 110%. In other words, a partner who has sent more than 30 campaigns generates more than twice as many leads per campaign than a partner who has only sent between 1-10.

The data shows why it’s critical not to view each marketing campaign as operating in a vacuum. Rather, each campaign builds off previous campaigns, compounding the effect.  

Consistent Trickle > Big Splash

SMB owners are often tempted to bet their fortunes on one make-or-break, budget-busting marketing drive. This decision is often borne of frustration and a desire to just get it over with. But it’s almost always a bad idea.

A ‘big splash’ might impress some prospects and might even produce some sales, but it’s unlikely to yield a significant ROI. A large percentage of the prospects who are targeted by the campaign simply aren’t looking to buy at the moment. They might like what they see now, but if they’re not receiving consistent communication from you in the coming months, they will have likely forgotten about you by the time they’re ready to buy.

Not only does a consistent trickle approach keep your business top-of-mind for buyers, but it goes much further in building a meaningful relationship than a major one-off campaign. Again, the point of a digital marketing campaign is not simply to promote your products, but to establish an ongoing correspondence with buyers. You do that by producing campaigns that include information about the industry that buyers will find interesting and relevant. Ideally, they will appreciate the campaign even if they’re not looking to buy and they will begin to look to you as a trusted industry authority.

The positive impact of long-term marketing is clear and you’re fully capable of reaping the rewards. Just sending out one campaign per month means that by the end of the year you should be in a position to experience significant ROI.

Don’t let limited resources derail you

If you’re a small to midsize channel partner, it’s understandable that you would be tempted to forgo marketing entirely or only do it occasionally. You’re likely not a marketing expert and you don’t want to take valuable time and budget away from your sales and customer service efforts.

This is where through-channel marketing programs can help. Through-channel marketing campaigns are funded by brands and sent through channel partners to the end-buyers. Campaigns can be customized to include the partner’s logo and contact information, so that it appears to come from the partner.

Short-term marketing doesn’t work. What you need is long-term marketing that allows you to build a relationship with buyers that will produce results for years.

Limited resources? We’ve got you covered.

Don’t have the time or the marketing tech to create and send campaigns on your own? That’s okay – that’s what we’re here for. Extu offers you the opportunity to do long-term marketing at no cost to you, and no more than five minutes of your time a month.