Channel Marketers Need To Become Community Marketers — Here’s How
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A lot has changed in the 25-plus years I have spent in the technology channel. New technologies, partner business models, shifting demographics, expanding communication vehicles, and most recently, new technology buyers with different psychologies, behaviors, and journeys have created a whirlwind of change for vendors, distributors, and partners alike.
The one constant is the complexity of finding, recruiting, and managing thousands of partners globally, each with their own unique set of business practices, target markets, value proposition, and culture. We estimate that there are over 600,000 partners worldwide when you include broader technology channels such as IT, telecom, print, pro A/V, etc. This doesn’t include the millions of companies that are converging into the tech services space from far and wide.
Channel partners know that to be successful, they need to carve out a niche — whether that be by line of business, by industry (and, increasingly, by subindustry), by size of customer, geographically, technologically, and by business model. These six vectors are not mutually exclusive, and buyers of technology are looking for a match across all of them.
Partner programs are going through a major change, as the number of nontransacting partners entering the market far outweighs traditional resale-type partners. Selling through the channel is rapidly changing to selling to and with partners.
Cutting through all these changes and finding the ideal partner profile can be a daunting task. The channel is highly diverse and incredibly decentralized. As someone who previously cofounded a company with the aim of bringing them together, I can assure you it isn’t easy!
Most vendors make the mistake of focusing too much on their own communication vehicles inside their domain. Partners continuously point this out to vendors in their advisory councils and repeatedly mark communication and collaboration as top inhibitors to selling more.
The magic behind finding, recruiting and nourishing a top performing channel boils down to three simple questions about partners:
- What do they read?
- Where do they go?
- Who do they follow?
If you were able to ask all 600,000 global technology service companies (with an average of eight people at each) these three questions, you would learn that there are 56 channel-facing magazines around the world, 150-plus trade shows, numerous vendor and distributor communities, over a dozen associations and peer groups, and countless thought leaders who blog, run social media groups, host webinars and podcasts, and participate widely across the media and show landscape.
Understanding influence across this massive ecosystem is important for vendors. Some partners rank visibility and community involvement highest on their criteria for partnership, even higher than product, pricing, or margin potential.
The SMB (small- and medium-sized business) channel, which makes up over 90% of these firms, is significantly influenced inside its own chosen communities. For example, if you were to look at the MSP (managed services provider) market, you would find 31 distinct communities that highly influence the 50,000 MSPs globally. Targeting these 31 communities is a manageable and, for many vendors, profitable market.
With Google and numerous ratings sites at their fingertips, why do partners choose communities?
During this time of growing electronic ubiquity, the need for trusted and expert sources of information has increased significantly. The amount of competitive choices for products and services, combined with vast information on the internet and endless buzz through social media, has created a scenario where cutting through the white noise has become one of the most important skills.
Communities offer a smaller group of like-minded people (perhaps even competitors) who share similar experiences and challenges, have the ability to collaborate, and help improve decision making. The feeling of belonging is strong, as well as the affinity of membership. There is a feeling that communities are more democratic, as they are built by the membership, and participation is encouraged and celebrated.
Who Starts These Communities?
How Do These Communities Interact With Their Followers?
A dizzying array of new marketing vehicles have popped up in recent years. Traditional media such as magazines and events are very important in communicating to a community, but new media allows innovative ways to extend and enhance the message. From webinars, podcasts, vodcasts, blogs, tweets and LinkedIn and Facebook groups to virtual trade shows, community groups are using as many as 30 different marketing vehicles to drive collaboration within the group.
The challenge with these marketing vehicles is different than in the past. The main inhibitor to effective marketing used to be money; today, it is effective content and delivery. Many of the vehicles I mentioned above are free or cost very little compared with traditional media. Keeping content fresh, relevant, and abundant takes dedicated resourcing and should stretch beyond the marketing department.
Media savvy executives who can keynote an event, tweet about it offstage, promote the message through a podcast, do a media interview, and then write a blog about it later on represent the new model for the future. Messaging that would have required triple-checking through legal a few years ago needs to be sent out just in time and delivered consistently.
Be visible every day.
Community members have very effective personal spam filters. Anything that doesn’t add value to the community will be rejected and have a negative result for the vendor behind it. Selling to a community will be ignored and likely get you kicked out.
Beyond the human requirements of personal interaction and belonging, communities provide tangible benefits to all involved. Unfiltered information based on common experience will always trump random white papers and case studies posted on the internet. The give/get relationships within a community inspire openness and, in most of the communities I have seen, a level of bluntness that is refreshing.
Key Advantages Of Communities
What Is The Future Of Communities — And Why Now?
As information overload continues to flood the channel, communities will continue to form and grow, adding value to members. For example, we have grown from 10,000 software firms a decade ago to now over 175,000. I predict that this number will hit 1 million by 2028. What happens when a big chunk of these firms decide they need a channel?
Specialization will continue to expand as well, driving more need for these groups and subgroups. There is an upper limit to the size of a community where the point of diminishing returns kicks in, the point where coordination of the group and the generality of messaging outweigh the benefits listed above.
Smart communities will organize subgroups before the fringe members go off and launch a competing community. The permutations and combinations of geographic, technology, industry, line-of-business, solution, and business model specializations are endless.
Are you saying I should join thousands of communities?
No. Without some level of focus, you would stretch your organization too thin and not add value anywhere. For every firm I have worked with at Forrester, there are a manageable number of communities full of their ideal partners.
The future of the channel account manager will transition to community managers in order to support the diverse partner ecosystem. With millions of potential partners flooding into the marketplace, those that can find, recruit, manage, and nourish partners at scale will determine future winners and losers.
Check below for the world’s largest, most comprehensive list of channel resources, including magazines, associations, peer groups, social groups, and vendor- and partner-facing channel consultancies.
List Of Global Channel Magazines (Alphabetical):
ARN (Australia)
URL: https://www.arnnet.com.au
Main Region: Australia
Contact: Susan Searle
Channel Asia (Singapore)
URL: https://sg.channelasia.tech/
Main Region: Asia
Contact: Susan Searle
Channel EMEA
URL: https://www.channelemea.com/
Main Region: EMEA
Contact: Stuart Wilson
Channel Middle East
URL: https://www.channelmiddleeast.com/
Main Region: Middle East
Contact: Manda Banda
ChannelBiz UK
URL: https://www.channelbiz.co.uk/
Main Region: UK
Contact: Andrew Wooden
Channelbuzz.ca (Canada)
Main Region: Canada
Contact: Robert Dutt
Channel Daily News (Canada)
URL: https://channeldailynews.com/
Main Region: Canada
Contact: Fawn Annan
ChannelE2E
URL: https://www.channele2e.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Amy Katz
Channel Executive Magazine
URL: https://www.channelexecutivemag.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Matt Pillar
Channel Focus Community
URL: https://www.channelfocuscommunity.net/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Rod Baptie
Channel Futures
URL: https://www.channelfutures.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Craig Galbraith
Channel Info (UK)
Main Region: UK
Contact: Jon Morton
Channel Insider
URL: https://www.channelinsider.com/
Main Region: North America
ChannelLife (NZ)
URL: https://channellife.co.nz/
Main Region: NZ
Contact: Kai Ping Lew
Channel Marketer Report
URL: https://www.channelmarketerreport.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Terry Moffatt
Channel Marketing Journal
URL: https://www.channelmarketingjournal.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Jeff Mesnik
ChannelNews (France)
URL: https://www.channelnews.fr/
Main Region: France
Contact: Johann Armand
Channelnomics
URL: https://www.channelnomics.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Larry Walsh
Channel Partner Insight
URL: https://www.channelpartnerinsight.com/
Main Region: NA+EU
Contact: Josh Budd
Channel Partners
URL: https://www.channelpartnersonline.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Craig Galbraith
ChannelPartner.de (Germany)
URL: https://www.channelpartner.de/
Main Region: Germany
Contact: Ronald Wiltscheck
ChannelPro Network
URL: https://www.channelpronetwork.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Michael Siggins
Channel Pro (UK)
URL: https://www.channelpro.co.uk/
Main Region: UK
Contact: Maggie Holland
ChannelWorld.cz (Czech)
Main Region: Czech Republic and Slovakia
Contact: Matěj Čuchna
ChannelWorld.in (India)
URL: http://www.channelworld.in/
Main Region: India
Computerworld (Denmark)
URL: https://www.computerworld.dk/channel
Main Region: Denmark
Contact: Lars Jacobsen
CRN
URL: https://www.crn.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Bob Skelley
CRN (Poland)
URL: https://www.crn.pl/
Main Region: Poland
Contact: Tomasz Golebiowski
CRN (UK)
URL: https://www.channelweb.co.uk/
Main Region: UK
Contact: Jonathon Whiteley
DealerWorld (Spain)
URL: https://www.dealerworld.es/home
Main Region: Spain
Contact: Julio Benedetti
Direction Informatique (Canada)
URL: https://www.directioninformatique.com/
Main Region: Canada
Contact: Fawn Annan
DQChannels (India)
URL: https://www.dqchannels.com/
Main Region: India
Contact: Rachna Garga
Dutch IT-channel
URL: https://dutchitchannel.nl/
Main Region: Holland
Contact: Witold Kepinski
E-ChannelNews (Canada)
URL: https://e-channelnews.com
Main Region: Canada
Contact: Julian Lee
eSP (EMEA)
URL: http://www.it-sp.eu/
Main Region: EMEA
Contact: Bob Snyder
European Reseller (EMEA)
URL: http://www.europeanreseller.com/
Main Region: EMEA
Contact: Geoff Marshall
eWEEK
Main Region: North America
Contact: John Pallatto
Heise (Germany)
Main Region: Germany
Contact: Marlene Heise
ITEuropa (EMEA)
Main Region: Europe
Contact: Alan Norman
MicroScope (UK)
URL: https://www.computerweekly.com/microscope
Main Region: UK
Contact: Simon Quicke
MSPinsights
URL: https://www.mspinsights.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Matt Pillar
MSSP Alert
URL: https://www.msspalert.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Amy Katz
Redmond Channel Partner
URL: https://rcpmag.com/Home.aspx
Main Region: North America
Contact: Henry Allain
The Register (UK)
URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/
Main Region: UK
Contact: Chris Williams
Reseller News (NZ)
URL: https://www.reseller.co.nz/
Main Region: NZ
Contact: Susan Searle
SearchITChannel
URL: https://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Nick Martin
Smarter MSP
Main Region: North America
Contact: Brian Babineau
SMB Nation
URL: http://www.smbnation.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Harry Brelsford
Software Business Growth
URL: https://www.softwarebusinessgrowth.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Matt Pillar
TahawulTech.com (Middle East)
URL: https://www.tahawultech.com
Main Region: Middle East
Contact: Natasha Pendleton
TechCentral.ie (Ireland)
URL: https://www.techcentral.ie/
Main Region: Ireland
Contact: Paul Byrne
Telecom Reseller
URL: https://telecomreseller.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Doug Green
Telecoms.com (UK)
URL: http://telecoms.com/
Main Region: UK
Contact: Scott Bicheno
VARinsights
URL: https://www.varinsights.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Matt Pillar
XaaS Journal
URL: https://www.xaasjournal.com/
Main Region: North America
Contact: Jay McCall
List Of Global Channel Associations (Alphabetical):
Alliance Aces Community
URL: https://allianceaces.com/
Contact: Chip Rodgers
ASAP (Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals)
URL: http://www.strategic-alliances.org
Contact: Mike Leonetti
AscdiNatd (IT/Telecom)
Contact: Joe Marion
ASCII
Contact: Alan Weinberger
AVIXA
Contact: David Labuskes
BICSI (Telecom)
Contact: John Clark
Channel Collective
URL: https://channel-collective.com/
Contact: Scott Frew, Kenneth Fox, Peter Olive
ChannelNext (Canada)
Contact: Julian Lee
CompTIA
Contact: Todd Thibodeaux
GTDC (Global Technology Distribution Council)
URL: https://gtdc.org/
Contact: Frank Vitagliano
IAMCP (Microsoft)
Contact: Sergio Baptista
IT Nation Evolve Peer Groups
URL: https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve
Contact: Arlin Sorensen
ITAC (Canada)
URL: http://itac.ca/
Contact: Denise Shortt
ITBOG
URL: https://itbog.org/
Contact: Scott Sanders
IT Owner’s Compass
Contact: Lori Tisinai
MPSA (Managed Print Services Association)
URL: http://yourmpsa.org/
Contact: Tawnya Stone
MSPAlliance
Contact: Charles Weaver
SMBTN
Contact: Dave Seibert
Taylor Business Group
URL: https://taylorbusinessgroup.com/
Contact: Michael France
TruMethods
URL: https://www.trumethods.com/
Contact: Gary Pica
TSIA (Tech Services)
URL: http://www.tsia.com
Contact: J.B. Wood
List Of Channel LinkedIn Groups (By Size):
Telecoms Professionals: IoT, LTE, M2M, OTT, Internet of Things, Mobile, Telecom
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/23013/
Members: 590,336
B2B Technology Marketing Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/43707/
Members: 112,670
The IT Sales Global Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/78687/
Members: 40,811
VARs / Resellers / Distributors
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1246227/
Members: 39,000
Channel, Sales & Account Management Experts (37,000+)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/129519/
Members: 38,965
Alliances & Channels Friends (Strategic Alliance, Business Development, Partnership, Channel)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/35747/
Members: 26,762
CompTIA – The Computing Technology Industry Association
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/83900/
Members: 21,921
AVIXA
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/37705/
Members: 19,444
Channel Partners Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1593337/
Members: 19,050
PartnerPoint – An Online Community of Microsoft Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2393/
Members: 15,364
Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3443/
Members: 11,464
Managed Service Providers Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1006817/
Members: 10,980
MSP 501
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2729912/
Members: 9,045
IT Channel Alliance
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/40162/
Members: 8,925
MSP 501
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2729912/
Members: 8,902
The Reseller Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3249701/
Members: 8,853
MSP – Managed Service Provider
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/150252/
Members: 7,728
Alliance Best Practice
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/37691/
Members: 6,724
Alliance Management and Business Development Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1895301/
Members: 6,522
ChannelWeb Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/93801/
Members: 5,830
CRN UK – technology channel professionals
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2090479/
Members: 5,612
Channel Executive Magazine
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2075090/
Members: 5,393
Business Development & Strategic Alliances / IT & Telecom
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2187695/
Members: 5,378
Move the Channel – Marketing, Sales, Planning & Enablement
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2922094/
Members: 5,133
Technology Services Professionals – Collaboration & Networking – TSIA
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2044178/
Members: 4,886
Trusted Business Advisor (Vendors, Distributors, VARs, Consultants)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1839169/
Members: 4,738
ITdistri worldwide IT Distribution Specialists
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3930165/
Members: 4,633
Channel Futures
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2730003/
Members: 4,551
PMAP – Partner Manager Alliance Program
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/64746/
Members: 4,508
Channel Live Discussion Group
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3708076/
Members: 4,491
Managed Service Provider (MSP) Best Practices
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8368183/
Members: 3,996
Channel Sales for Hire North America
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2114805/
Members: 3,683
The Channel Institute: Training for Channel Managers, Channel Marketing, Channel Sales
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7401584/
Members: 3,476
Channel Excellence
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1768647/
Members: 2,969
VAR Marketing
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1984918/
Members: 2,646
Telecom Channel Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/118262/
Members: 2,630
CompTIA Advancing Women In Technology Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4266775/
Members: 2,577
Channel Rewards & Incentives Best Practices
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1846279/
Members: 2,546
Alliance of Channel Women
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3777746/
Members: 2,441
Channel Experts
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/49620/
Members: 2,334
Channel Focus
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2460374/
Members: 2,037
ChannelCrowd
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/42991/
Members: 1,897
MSPAlliance Group
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/41238/
Members: 1,814
The Channel Company
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/167945/
Members: 1,750
Australian IT Channel
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1607307/
Members: 1,746
Dutch IT Channel Club
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1823486/
Members: 1,730
Indian IT Channel Alliance
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144647/
Members: 1,605
Channel Partners in Energy
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4067610/
Members: 1,569
MSP University
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2087914/
Members: 1,552
Channel Insider
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1469277/
Members: 1,539
Alliances & Channels Friends / USA
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3895556/
Members: 1,470
CenturyLink Channel Partner Program
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4036288/
Members: 1,456
MicroScope Channel Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2270894/
Members: 1,305
Channel Gurus Europe
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/120315/
Members: 1,299
The Partner Channel
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1967423/
Members: 1,296
IT Channel Newspaper & community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4496192/
Members: 1,254
Taking your partner channel from good to great
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/925697/
Members: 1,248
Channel Marketer
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4125441/
Members: 1,235
Microsoft Partner Group from Redmond Channel Partner Magazine (RCPmag.com)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3896751/
Members: 1,103
RingCentral Channel Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3179763/
Members: 1,097
CompTIA UK Channel Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2099212/
Members: 940
Ericsson Channel Partner High Value Networking (HVN)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3300428/
Members: 930
Cisco Channel Partners – Africa
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4410183/
Members: 900
Channel Update – An agent community for positive change
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2881002/
Members: 868
Beyond Channel Enablement … Motivation
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2974444/
Members: 762
Partner Relationship Management Tools & Best Practice
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3895603/
Members: 741
Alliance For Channel Success
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4247417/
Members: 735
B2B & Channel Marketing Insight Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3916108/
Members: 645
MSP/ VAR Marketing & Operations Group
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2119069/
Members: 614
Channel Partners IT Meeting Point
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4793661/
Members: 612
Cisco Channel Connection
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8358199/
Members: 562
Channel Marketing & Communications
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4213469/
Members: 551
EMEA Channel Vendors / Distributors / VARs / Resellers
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4281350/
Members: 538
Oracle Channel Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4142038/
Members: 526
Global Channel Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8259770/
Members: 476
IT Channel Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8314791/
Members: 473
VAR Marketing Tips and Tactics
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3515245/
Members: 456
ChannelTune
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/827077/
Members: 455
Global IT Community Association (GITCA)
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144364/
Members: 409
Channel Sales & Marketing Jobs UK, Ireland and Europe
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8301556/
Members: 378
Channel & Reseller Certification Forum
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4075000/
Members: 360
Channel Partner Alliance
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8113366/
Members: 356
Global Channel Management
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8106068/
Members: 348
CompTIA ANZ Channel Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8312056/
Members: 342
Mid-Market Channel Professionals
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4424864/
Members: 325
Austin Channel Professionals
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2298874/
Members: 320
Frankly MSP Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12047655/
Members: 311
The Channel Meet Up
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8515510/
Members: 299
Strategic Alliances & Partner EcoSystem
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10327832/
Members: 279
Middle East Forum for Channel Partners
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4350329/
Members: 249
Channel Partner Strategies
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7000749/
Members: 248
IT Channel Insight
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4508096/
Members: 233
Channel Executives – Lead Generation, Social Media and Marketing
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/5060360/
Members: 227
PRM ~ Partner Relationship Management
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/36396/
Members: 167
CompTIA Emerging Technology Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8664110/
Members: 152
Marketing Multiplied – Channel Marketing Community
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12084600/
Members: 100
List Of Channel Facebook Groups (By Size):
IT & MSP Business Owners Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITBOG/
Members: 4,384
IT/MSP Entrepreneurs
https://www.facebook.com/groups/itentrepreneurship/
Members: 3,715
CharTec® MSP Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/chartec-msp-group-209443166286121/
Members: 1,478
Marketing & Sales For Managed Service Providers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/168890606848346/
Members: 1,008
Everything MSP Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingmsp/
Members: 965
You know you grew up with SBS if…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131473643614130
Members: 763
CompTIA Future Leaders Community
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CompTIAFutureLeadersCommunity/
Members: 432
ConnectWise Boss
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CWBoss/
Members: 426
MSP/ IT Networking Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1097606263748491/
Members: 403
Ransomware and Security
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThirdTier/
Members: 372
MSP Revolution
https://www.facebook.com/groups/msprevolution/
Members: 357
Women of The Channel
https://www.facebook.com/groups/543952052428055/
Members: 342
CompTIA’s Emerging Tech Community
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CompTIAEmergingTechCommunity/
Members: 228
IT Owner’s Compass
https://www.facebook.com/groups/itocompass/
Members: 223
IT & MSP Rockstars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MSP.Rockstars/
Members: 219
SMB Professionals I.T. Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/smbproit/
Members: 177
CompTIA Technology Lifecycle Services Community
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CompTIATLS/
Members: 69
List Of Channel Consulting Groups (Vendor-Facing, By Size):
The Spur Group
HQ: Redmond, WA
# of Employees: 192
Contact: Richard Flynn
URL: https://www.thespurgroup.com/
bChannels
HQ: Oxford, UK
# of Employees: 138
Contact: Matt Rowland-Jones
URL: https://www.bchannels.com/
Outbound (Channel 360)
HQ: UK
# of Employees: 92
Contact: Simon Fagan
URL: https://www.out-bound.co.uk/
Canalys
HQ: Singapore and UK
# of Employees: 67
Incentive Solutions
HQ: Atlanta, GA
# of Employees: 56
Contact: Steve Damerow
URL: https://www.incentivesolutions.com/
Channel Impact
HQ: Moraga, CA
# of Employees: 53
Contact: Laura Bergerson
URL: https://www.channel-impact.com/
KLA Group
HQ: Denver, CO
# of Employees: 53
Contact: Kendra Lee
URL: https://www.klagroup.com/
compuBase
HQ: Paris, FR
# of Employees: 33
AFV (A Fluent Vision)
HQ: Roseland, NJ
# of Employees: 32
Contact: Walter Santiago
URL: http://afluentvision.com/
Channel Maven
HQ: Boulder, CO
# of Employees: 23
Contact: Heather Margolis
URL: https://www.channelmavenconsulting.com/
Alliancesphere
HQ: Atlanta, GA
# of Employees: 22
Contact: Lorin Coles
URL: https://alliancesphere.com/
TruMethods
HQ: Mooresville, NJ
# of Employees: 22
Contact: Gary Pica
URL: https://www.trumethods.com/
Portland
HQ: Amsterdam
# of Employees: 17
Contact: George van Brugge
URL: https://www.portland.eu/nl
Alinea Partners
HQ: Vienna, Austria
# of Employees: 15
Contact: Leahanne Hobson
URL: http://www.alinea-partners.com/
JS Group
HQ: Boca Raton, FL
# of Employees: 14
Contact: Janet Schijns
Extra Mile Marketing
HQ: Bellevue, WA
# of Employees: 12
Contact: Lori Stutsman
URL: https://www.extramilemarketing.com/
PartnerPath
HQ: Menlo Park, CA
# of Employees: 12
Contact: Diane Krakora
URL: https://www.partner-path.com/
CRN (The Channel Company)
HQ: Westborough, MA
# of Employees: 10
Contact: Beth Vanni
URL: https://www.crn.com/
The 2112 Group
HQ: Port Washington, NY
# of Employees: 9
Contact: Larry Walsh
AchieveUnite
HQ: Alexandria, VA
# of Employees: 9
Contact: Theresa Caragol
URL: https://www.achieveunite.com/
Purechannels
HQ: East Sussex, UK
# of Employees: 9
Contact: Glenn Robertson
URL: https://purechannels.co.uk/
nVision Consulting Group
HQ: Chicago, IL
# of Employees: 7
Contact: Robert Saxe
URL: http://www.consultnvision.com
Service Leadership
HQ: Texas
# of Employees: 7
Contact: Paul Dippell
URL: http://www.service-leadership.com/
BuzzTheory Strategies
HQ: AZ
# of Employees: 6
Contact: Casey Freymuth
URL: https://buzztheorystrategies.com/
Channel Dynamics
HQ: Sydney, AUS
# of Employees: 6
Contact: Moheb Moses
URL: https://www.channeldynamics.com.au/
On Demand Advisors
HQ: San Jose, CA
# of Employees: 6
Contact: Robert Jurkowski
URL: https://ondemandadvisors.com/
DLH Services
HQ: Falls Church, VA
# of Employees: 5
Contact: Dede Haas
URL: https://www.dlhservices.com/
Gilroy Associates
HQ: Westtown, PA
# of Employees: 5
Contact: Kevin Gilroy
URL: https://www.gilroyassociates.com/
Phoenix Consulting Group
HQ: San Jose, CA
# of Employees: 5
Contact: Norma Watenpaugh
URL: http://www.phoenixcg.com/
SMB Group
HQ: Boston, MA
# of Employees: 5
Contact: Laurie McCabe
Alliance Best Practice
HQ: Birmingham, UK
# of Employees: 4
Contact: Mike Nevin
URL: http://www.alliancebestpractice.com
Channel Partners
HQ: Singapore
# of Employees: 4
Contact: Greg Eckstein
URL: http://www.channelpartnersgtm.com/
In2itive Marketing
HQ: Middletown, NJ
# of Employees: 4
Contact: Shawn Cordner
URL: https://www.in2itivemarketing.net/
Partner Perspectives
HQ: Fort Myers, FL
# of Employees: 4
Contact: Tim Lowe
URL: http://www.partner-perspectives.com/
ARM Partners
HQ: Leesburg, VA
# of Employees: 3
Contact: Timothy Steele
URL: https://www.thearmpartners.com/
KloudReadiness
HQ: Plymouth, MA
# of Employees: 3
Contact: George Mellor
URL: https://www.kloudreadiness.com/
Morris Management Partners
HQ: Gig Harbor, WA
# of Employees: 3
Contact: Ryan Morris
Partner Programs
HQ: Chicago, IL
# of Employees: 3
Contact: Alex Glenn
URL: https://partnerprograms.io/
The Rudow Group
HQ: Redondo Beach, CA
# of Employees: 3
Contact: John Rudow
The Rhythm of Business
HQ: Newton, MA
# of Employees: 2
Contact: Jeff Shuman and Jan Twombly
URL: https://www.rhythmofbusiness.com/
C3|CustomerContactChannels
HQ: Miramar, FL
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Keith Lubner
URL: https://www.c3connect.com/
Channel2Go
HQ: Seattle, WA
# of Employees: 1
Contact: William Gilsing
Channel Institute
HQ: Dublin, Ireland
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Mike Kelly
URL: https://www.channelinstitute.com/
Channel Momentum
HQ: San Fransisco, CA
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Adriana Scalora
URL: https://www.channel-momentum.com/
Is Inspired
HQ: Denver, CO
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Gina Batali-Brooks
URL: http://www.isinspired.com/
Peer2Peer Partners
HQ: Vancouver, BC
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Tom Newton
URL: http://www.peer2peerpartners.com/
Revenue & Associates
HQ: Boston, MA
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Louis Gudema
URL: http://revenueassociates.biz/
Rush To Channel
HQ: Newport Beach, CA
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Patricia Rush
URL: http://www.rushtochannel.com/
Techaisle
HQ: San Francisco, CA
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Anurag Agrawal
List Of Channel Consulting Groups (Partner-Facing, By Size):
Marketopia
HQ: Clearwater, FL
# of Employees: 118
Contact: Terry Hedden
URL: https://www.marketopia.com/
Technology Marketing Toolkit
HQ: Franklin, TN
# of Employees: 41
Contact: Robin Robins
URL: https://www.technologymarketingtoolkit.com/
Ulistic
HQ: Sebring, FL
# of Employees: 38
Contact: Stuart Crawford
TruMethods
HQ: Mooresville, NJ
# of Employees: 22
Contact: Gary Pica
URL: https://www.trumethods.com/
Cogent Growth Partners
HQ: Atlanta, GA
# of Employees: 15
Contact: David Schafran
URL: https://www.cogentgrowthpartners.com/
IT Nation Evolve Peer Groups
HQ: Tampa, FL
# of Employees: 15
Contact: Arlin Sorensen
URL: https://www.htgpeergroups.com
Taylor Business Group
HQ: Saint Charles, IL
# of Employees: 12
URL: https://www.taylorbusinessgroup.com/
Service Leadership
HQ: Texas
# of Employees: 7
Contact: Paul Dippell
URL: http://www.service-leadership.com/
Union Resolute
HQ: Portsmouth, NH
# of Employees: 7
Contact: Mark Troy
URL: https://www.unionresolute.com/
ClikCloud
HQ: Orange County, CA
# of Employees: 5
Contact: Dan Shapero
Teckedin.com
HQ: Albuquerque, NM
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Debby Kruzic
URL: https://www.teckedin.com/
Tubblog
HQ: Newcastle, UK
# of Employees: 1
Contact: Richard Tubb
URL: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/
Further Channel-Related Reading
What I See Coming For The Channel In 2020
Channel Software Tech Stack 2020
The 64 Best Channel Podcasts Of 2019
Channel Marketers Need To Become Community Marketers — Here’s How
Marketplaces Make Their Mark In The Channel
Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Comes Of Age
Through-Channel Marketing Represents The Third Stage For Sales And Marketing Leaders
Channel Data Is A Competitive Differentiator
Measure What Matters: Unlocking The Power Of Partner Ecosystems Demands Powerful Measurement
Time To Rethink Channel Incentives And Program Management (CIPM)?
Channel Automation Becomes Table Stakes For Partnership Success
Can You Deliver A Great Partner Experience Without Great Onboarding?
Do Channel Vendors Need Public Relations Anymore?
Channel Reimagines Physical Events, Looking To Reopen Slowly
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