MSP vs VAR: What is the Difference?

In the world of partner programs, there lives a vast lexicon of terms that can get confusing. Some types of partners have similar tasks, but very different names and approaches to selling. One role that continues to evolve is that of the value-added resellers (VARs). Many resellers are finding themselves on the precipice of change. Increased competition, SaaS, and freemium software are all signals of a quickly shifting landscape. In response, many VARs have chosen to focus on increasing profit

How to Make Sure Your Partner Enablement Material is Effective | Relevize Blog

If you hire an employee, you want to give them the best possible tools to succeed. The same concept applies to partner relationships. There’s no reason to expand your sales avenues if you’re not going to support the team. That’s where partner enablement comes in. It’s the act of ensuring that everyone trying to sell your product, has everything they need to make that happen. Partner enablement is the practice of supporting partners with the proper materials, resources, training, and informatio

Keys to a World-Class Channel Partner Strategy | Relevize Blog

Designing the perfect channel partner strategy can be a complex process. There’s a balance between offering an enticing reward and making a profit. Yet, the right strategy can go a long way in securing lasting partnerships, that provide returns for years to come. So, what is a channel partner strategy and how do you build a successful program? Here we review the best methods, including optimizing data, creating a roadmap, and providing the right partner enablement materials. Strategy for chann

Maximizing the Return on Your MDF Funds | Relevize Blog

Winning partner mindshare spurs future growth, but your business must co-invest across the ecosystem. This means channel partners must be willing to make collaborative financial contributions that often cross company boundaries. It’s really all about investing in mutual success. That starts with providing ample market development funds (MDF) to light the fuse on the rocket. Say you hire a rock star graphic designer, but the tools they use are outdated. In this case, you may want to provide the

Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone: How To Market Outside Your Normal Target Market | Relevize Blog

When a business first starts, there is usually a target audience in mind. This segment can be based on a variety of factors like location, preferences, gender, or other demographics. As operations evolve, however, the original target market may shift. Extenuating circumstances like a pandemic will also curb how a company approaches marketing. This trend can be seen in almost every industry on the planet. Consider a female clothing store that expands its line to include men. That’s going to req

10 Tips for TikTok Marketers

TikTok has become the ultimate destination for short-form mobile videos. It has over a billion monthly active users globally, and the app continues to grow in popularity. In 2021, TikTok generated over $4.6 billion in revenue. These statistics are enough to convince marketers that they can’t overlook this platform’s potential. So here are the top 10 tips to help marketers get the maximum out of their TikTok campaigns: The use of hashtags is one of the most critical marketing tips for TikTok.

Customer Service in 2023 — What to Expect?

Over the past few years, customer service has changed dramatically. With the advent of new technologies, we’ve seen a shift from traditional phone-based customer service to digital channels like live chat and social media. According to reports, around 90% of Americans consider customer support as a deciding factor in whether or not to do business with an organization. This shifts the attention away from the product to focus on the service aspect that a brand offers. As we move into the next de

How to Become a Top Value Added Reseller (VAR) | Relevize Blog

In the competitive landscape of business, every company is seeking out added value. This means they’re always looking for ways to close deals faster and sell more products. In order to become a top value-added reseller, you need to stand apart from the crowd, leverage your expertise, and maximize the benefits to your client. How does one accomplish such a feat? Partner enablement starts with baby steps and some insightful tips. In this article, we’ll look at the best practices successful VARs a

Spending Big Ad Budgets on Small Networks

The social media paradigm is changing very rapidly. The platforms once considered to be small are today’s giants, and the new kids on the block are the ones ruling the roost. It has become crucial for companies to spend their ad budgets on small networks. It sounds like strange marketing advice, but there are several reasons for doing so. For context, a study found that people love watching ads on TikTok as they’re more enjoyable and inspiring than other platforms. In addition, Snapchat found

New Social Media Trends for Marketers

As the world is changing around us in so many ways, we stand on the brink of a refreshing and much-anticipated shift in the way we market to consumers. The only thing that is constant in marketing…is change. With that being understood, it’s important to consistently revisit top trends and leading stats a few times throughout the year to ensure you are on the right track and aligned with the best competition. So what are a few things to take note of right now? In their yearly Social Trends Re

How Marketers are Taking Advantage of Voice-Activated Search

As an increasing number of consumers are searching via voice-activated tools (think Alexa and Siri) which means marketers need to think outside of the box when creating new content. In fact, 1 in 4 American homes now has a smart speaker of some kind. The time is NOW to start thinking about how this affects the way we consume content. To succeed in a voice-driven future, marketers must learn how to optimize content for questions and create cross-channel strategies. According to a recent survey

How to Create a Purpose-Driven Marketing Campaign

A global study shows that consumers are 4-6 times as likely to purchase, protect, and champion a purpose-driven company. When you use purpose to drive marketing and sales, people will vehemently defend your brand like an old friend. These are loyal advocates because they see, through your marketing campaigns, that the brand’s values align with their own. These actions are the direct result of successful purpose-driven marketing campaigns. Messages that are so relevant to other people’s values,

What is a Channel Partner? | Relevize Blog

Ready to scale, but lack the resources? Even if you want to bulk up revenue, there are only so many sales your team can make in a day. However, this doesn’t mean you have to spin your wheels. There is a simple solution to this common problem and it’s called channel partnering. A channel partner is a company that sells products, services, and technologies on behalf of a manufacturer or vendor. They act as the middleman between you and the end customer. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship th

Breaking Through the Noise: What Running a Successful Channel Partner Program Looks Like | Relevize Blog

There is more opportunity to drive revenue with partners than ever before. B2B companies can anticipate gains in everything from KPIs to account retention and attributable revenue. Money can be directly traced to partner ecosystems and it’s an exciting time to break through the noise with an avenue that drives value for your end users. What does that look like? We spoke to Anthony Kapitanski, Head of the Channel Partnership team at Chili Piper, to gain some greater insight on running a successf

The Most Important Reseller Channels to Maximize Sales | Relevize Blog

Today’s B2B buyers are tech-savvy and acutely aware of what they need. This means resellers must work harder to get their attention and gain loyalty. Buyers will oscillate between channels and typically spend 27% of their purchasing time researching independently online. To engage modern prospects on a nonlinear buying journey, you must understand how to interact with different sales channels and use them for outreach accordingly. The best resellers combine several avenues to drive brand awaren

What Does it Take to be a Top Sales Rep at a VAR? | Relevize Blog

No matter the business vertical, modern buyers are smart cookies and they don’t need you to force-feed them pitches or spout off random data. What people need is to feel nurtured, educated, and heard. Relevize sat down with Mark Mahovlich, Vice President of Strategy and Execution for ICM Cyber, to discuss the nature of selling at a VAR, what it takes to last, and tips for reaching success. After spending 29 years in the industry, Mark is full of insightful analogies and strategies for staying

The Importance of Personalized Video and Why You Need It Now

Given this, how can you efficiently meet your customer needs? To compound things, most consumers will expect you to predict them too. So, personalization has very real power. And when you combine that with the right video marketing strategies, you have a digital marketing method that’s pure gold. Personalized video can be applied to almost every aspect of your business. It is an effective tool for customers, employees, prospects, and professionals in general. Customizing a video for an individu
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