The Channel has shifted significantly in the past few years. Channel Partners are working with multiple Vendors; end-users are driving digital transformation, and customers want business outcomes instead of solutions.  In addition, new IT channels are cropping up across the landscape as S-a-a-S and other as-a-service Vendors enter the market with always on, from anywhere, cloud-based platforms to address user pain points.

Welcome back to another episode of #CMCtv. In this episode, we discuss Internet of Things (IoT) and the impact IoT has on Partners and The Channel. Stephen DiFranco, Principal at IoT Advisory Group, joins Heather K. Margolis, CEO, and founder of Channel Maven Consulting, to lend his expertise on IoT and its relationship to The Channel.

As Twitter says, “You are what you Tweet.” Sad but true; more than one reputation has been built or destroyed in 140 characters or less.

Effective June 18, the Twitter privacy policy was updated. Chances are millions of users received the notice but didn’t have time to find out what it means for them. We get it, we’re busy too and fine print is a tough pill to swallow; but with the recent upheaval in engagement strategy caused by their recent algorithm updates and how they impact social media syndication, it’s a good time to find out what other Twitter changes might be suddenly impacting The Channel.

IT Vendors dedicate considerable resources to writing, publishing, and maintaining Channel Partner blog platforms. The topics range from solution updates, to portal asset additions, to news and launches, to upcoming events (on and offline), and more. All of which is valuable information to help Partners grow their businesses alongside your solutions… when and if they actually engage with and read the content. Sadly, there are over two million blog posts published online every day and of the published B2B blogs, anywhere from 60 – 90 percent go unread.

Historically, Twitter has been a dynamite platform for driving traffic to websites, building awareness, and generating demand. However, recent algorithmic changes altered that so, if your Channel Partners are experiencing significantly diminished engagement metrics, there’s good reason and they’re not alone. We’re all suffering.

Hiring the right Channel Account Managers (CAMs) can make or break your relationship with Channel Partners, increase (or decrease) their ability to drive revenue with your solutions, and greatly impact their willingness to engage with your teams. In a recent presentation at the 20^th anniversary of Channel Focus North America, Heather K. Margolis gave details on the top traits of world-class CAMs. Here are three to look for when hiring an effective CAM:

Channel Maven Consulting welcomes Larry Walsh, CEO of The 2112 Group, for this enlightening episode of #CMCtv. Here, Heather K. Margolis, Channel Maven’s CEO, and Larry Walsh discuss the horizon of The Channel. Specifically, what is in store for Vendors and Partners over the next three years.

This week we were honored to sponsor the 20^th anniversary of Channel Focus North America in San Diego. It was the best Channel Focus event to date; smart panel discussions, expert presenters, tons of networking with Channel executives and a killer view!

Last fall we attended the Hubspot Inbound conference and were privy to some LinkedIn changes coming down the pike. We sent an email with the information we had (you can see it here) and promised an update as changes rolled out.

The visual changes to LinkedIn are striking, starting with a new navigation and circular image but are you aware of what happened to some of our favorite features? A few were axed altogether, some were removed and then quickly added back, and others are still available but moved.

Welcome to Channel Maven TV (#CMCtv)! In this episode, Brad Rolfe, Channel Maven VP of Client Engagement joins Heather K. Margolis to share a few laughs and suggestions for Channel enablement and Channel best practices (that aren’t always practiced).

Here’s a recap; enjoy the full episode below: