4 tips for building incentive programs

Nowadays channel marketing is all about getting into the shoes of your channel partners, to find out what gets them going, and what drives them to action.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through a four-step guide on how to align your marketing strategy to the natures and aspirations of modern-day channel partners, so when confronted with your incentive program, they see their own reflection smiling back at them.

Make it convenient
Taking into consideration this highly dynamic and mobile modern generation of channel partners, it’s essential that information and resources in your program are made available at convenient times. We’re talking first thing in the morning when participants check their mobile device over toast and a coffee, in bed just before lights out, or in the queue to buy a sandwich at lunch.

Make it simple & linear
It’s important to remember that there are a whole host of companies competing for the attention and loyalty of your reseller, so your brand and program need to stand out from the crowd. One often massively overlooked method of ensuring an advantage is simplicity. All rules and time frames should be clearly defined and easy to follow. And all the different parts of a campaign need to be clearly linked to one another.

Make content quick and easy to consume
Training and courses should be provided in bite-size chunks which can be consumed in and around participants’ busy day-to-day lives. Nowadays people turn to their phones every hour – waiting for a bus, in a lift, or during their lunch break. Make them turn to your content to while away those twilight moments, because it’s engaging, fun, and contributes to their self-development.

Tailor and personalize promotions
You need to give your channel partners customized offers based on 100-degree data about their tastes, demographic, and history. What has engaged them in the past? Utilize this valuable information to pinpoint the resources, activities, offers, and rewards that will stimulate them best – these will ultimately be your path to success.

To get this right, you need strong automated incentive management software which can capture and sort through complex data on channel partners and which is capable of creating customizable programs with tailored rules that directly suit their individual interests.