Doing Partner marketing the right way

Partner marketing is an evolving concept in the B2B SaaS space but its potential remains underutilized. Misunderstanding or delegating it to overburdened marketing teams risks program inefficiencies. Without a cohesive co-marketing strategy and impactful lead-generation initiatives, partners may struggle to sell effectively — threatening your partnership’s sustainability.

This guide dives into the essentials of partner marketing and why it matters and how to excel at it. Plus, learn from expert advice and real-world examples from leaders in the B2B SaaS space.

What Is Partner Marketing?

Partner marketing is a collaborative go-to-market strategy where two companies join forces to engage and convert their ideal customers. Together, they execute campaigns like webinars, trade shows, co-branded ads and more to capture mutual prospects’ attention.

However, effective partner marketing demands deep partner knowledge, understanding market trends and a mastery of one’s own product value. It also requires strategic collaboration with teams across the organization, given its often limited resources.

Expert Take:

Katie Bird, Alliance Marketer at Deloitte, emphasizes the need for adaptability:
"Scrappiness is the top skill for partner marketers. You’ll rarely have all the resources you need, so you must rely on persuasion and strong relationships to succeed."

Why Does Partner Marketing Matter?

Expanded Reach

Partners provide access to networks you don’t have. Co-marketing amplifies your message, reaching prospects who already trust your partners or seek complementary tools and services.

Strengthened Relationships

Neha Verma, a partner marketing consultant, highlights:
"Beyond reach, partner marketing fosters trust and focus within partnerships — giving them direction and clarity."

Economic Resilience

Katie Bird explains that partner marketing is critical during tough economic conditions:
"In downturns, partner marketing accelerates deal closures, improves customer retention, and enables scalable go-to-market strategies with minimal internal resources."

5 Ways to Elevate Partner Marketing (With Examples)

1. Craft a Compelling “Better-Together” Story

The foundation of any successful partnership is a clear narrative about how your solutions complement each other. Define specific use cases, share customer success stories and showcase measurable ROI.

Real Example:

Kelsey Kinzer, Digital Marketing Lead at JumpCloud, ran a webinar with Datto, addressing market trends for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Their “better-together” story resonated deeply with MSP prospects, making the event a success.

2. Partner with Small and Mid-Sized Companies

Smaller partners, while resource-constrained are often more invested and willing to collaborate deeply. They can drive a 20-30% increase in deal registration after demand-gen campaigns.

Real Example:

Katie Bird’s team once prioritized strategic marketing with a smaller cybersecurity partner. Over time, that partner became a significant revenue contributor.

3. Enable Your Partners to Succeed

Empower partners with clear messaging, sales pitches and marketing resources. Focused enablement efforts can lead to over 50% growth in deal registrations.

Real Example 1:

Interactive product demos provide step-by-step walkthroughs for partners, helping them understand and sell your product effectively. Companies like Bombora use these demos to drive co-marketing success.

Real Example 2:

“Campaigns in a Box,” as designed by Will Nunes at mParticle, simplify marketing for partners by providing ready-to-use resources, event templates and co-funding opportunities.

4. Invest in Partner Marketing

Partners can generate over 20% of annual revenue. To maximize this potential, allocate 25% of your marketing budget to partnerships. Be sure to tie the budget to specific metrics like ROI and deal generation for better justification.

Pro Tip:

Katie Bird recommends keeping 5-10% of your quarterly budget flexible to address unexpected partner needs.

5. Celebrate and Share Success Stories

Publicize wins from partner marketing campaigns to build credibility and justify further investment. Internally, highlight key metrics such as ROAS, email click-through rates and demo completions during quarterly business reviews.

Streamline Your Partner Marketing with Technology

Managing partner marketing campaigns, budgets, and attributions can be overwhelming. Why rely on spreadsheets when specialized tools exist?

Why Sharkdom?

Sharkdom simplifies partner marketing with:

• Resource Libraries for easy asset sharing
• To-Partner Email Marketing to drive engagement
• MDF Management to optimize marketing fund usage
• Co-Branded Collateral Tools for consistent branding

Sharkdom’s platform ensures seamless collaboration between partners and helps unlock the full potential of partner marketing.

Schedule a demo today to see Sharkdom in action!