An original research report on the use of channel marketing automation software by a global audience. To download the full report, visit www.StateofInboundChannelMarketing.com.

1. STATE
INBOUND
CHANNEL
MARKETING
2016

2. Introduction
What is Inbound Channel Marketing
About The Report
Partner Population
Regional View
Program Tier View
Top Countries View
Partner Churn
One Hit Wonders
Partner Marketing Activities
Overview
Average Number of Activities - Regional View
Average Number of Activities - Program Tier View
Mix of Activities - Global View
Mix of Activities - Regional View
Mix of Activities - Program Tier View
Content and Program Engagement
Top 10 Most Popular Downloads
Top 5 Most Popular Campaign Actions
Top 8 Most Popular Agency Services
Parting Thoughts
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Table of Contents

3. The State of Channel Marketing 2015 report from Averetek provided the industry with the first look at channel marketing performance metrics based
on real activity, and not just survey results. The report gave channel marketers something to compare themselves and their channel to in an easy and
practical way. We heard from many channel marketers who used the information and insights we shared to establish benchmarks for their channel
performance.
Our 2016 report looks at the channel through a different lens, which we’re calling Inbound Channel Marketing. We believe Inbound Channel
Marketing is the future of channel marketing. Inbound Channel Marketing is a methodology that combines the latest marketing framework with a
set of tactics oriented around the modern buyer’s journey.
As we examined the use of the Averetek platform in 2015, we evaluated the activity against our Inbound Channel Marketing Checklist to determine
how close brands are to realizing the Inbound Channel Marketing vision. The good news is that our clients and their channel partners are already
using many Inbound Marketing practices, even though they may not realize it.
The following report explores what we have learned over the past year serving our clients and their channel partners, including areas of opportunity
within channel marketing; nuances and expectations across geographic areas and tiers, and gaps where partners require a higher level of resources
and support.
Introduction
3 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016

4. Inbound Channel Marketing is a methodology that combines the content, tactics, and approach of Inbound Marketing with the segmentation model of marketing
to, with, through, and for channel partners. You can read more about Inbound Channel Marketing here.
What is Inbound Channel Marketing?
Attract
Blogs
Social Media
Keywords • Pages
Call-To-Action
Landing Pages • Forms
Contacts
Events • Workflows
Lead Scoring
CRM Integrations
Social Media
Smart-Calls-to-Action
Email • Workflows
Convert Close Delight
Strangers Visitors Leads Customers Promoters
To-Partner
Brands treat partners like any other marketing audience and develop campaigns and calls to
action to align partners to the brand mission
With-Partner
Campaigns aligned by stage of the buyers journey created by the brand and the partner and
executed by one or both parties
Through-Partner
For-Partner
Campaigns aligned by stage of the buyers journey created by the brand and personalized
and executed by the partner
Campaigns aligned by stage of the buyers journey created by the brand and executed by
the brand on behalf of the partner
4 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016

5. About the Report
Leveraging the experience of our clients and their channel partners and their use of our channel marketing automation platform, Averetek is uniquely
positioned to analyze and share what works (and what doesn’t) in channel marketing. Ranging from small to enterprise-level organizations, our clients use
our self-service marketing platform to empower their partners with the technology and information they require to drive their marketing initiatives. This can
range from downloading presentations and other marketing collateral, planning and executing seminars and webcasts, running lead generating campaigns
using landing pages and email, and requesting agency marketing services – usually funded by Market Development Funds (MDF), to engage a vendor or
service for a particular marketing need.
This report focuses on active channel partners, which we define as companies that participate in one of our clients’ partner programs and have performed
at least one action on the platform during 2015.
The vendor organizations represented within this report are diverse. Some have well-established channel partner programs and channel partnerships. They
are continuously improving their programs, recruiting new partners, and developing their existing partner relationships. Others are building new channel
programs, expanding internationally, or trying to reinvigorate an idle channel.
Averetek compiled the data for this report from our Inbound Channel Marketing platform for the years 2013, 2014, and 2015.
This report is not based on survey data. It is actual data collected from vendors and channel partners as they utilize the Averetek platform performing
everyday channel marketing tasks.
About the Team
Executive Sponsor: Peter Thomas 
Author: Mike Moore 
Editor: Carryl Roy 
Design: Russell Calhoun 

6. 6 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
PART ONE
PARTNER
POPULATION

7. WHAT WE SEE
Regardless of region, channel partners embrace marketing
automation offered by their brand partners.
WHAT IT MEANS
The key to channel marketing success outside North America
is to provide a marketing automation platform and content
in local languages.
INBOUND CONNECTION
Around the world, inbound marketing is taking hold as the
dominant methodology, with more than 70% of international
marketers saying they lead with inbound. Source – State of
Inbound 2015.
Platform Use by Region
PARTNER POPULATION
Regional View
North America LATAM EMEA APJ
44%
8%
36%
12%
7 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 20167 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016

8. 8 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Most brands organize their channel partners by tiers, with unique requirements and benefits attributed to each level of the program. For the purpose of this
report, we have standardized the various partner levels from our clients’ programs (e.g. Gold, Silver, and Bronze) and labeled them Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Additionally,
we define an “active partner” as a partner that has taken at least one action on the platform during 2015.
WHAT WE SEE
The platform use chart resembles an hourglass shape.
The population of Tier 3 partners has grown to a value almost
equal to that of Tier 1 partners.
THE TREND
In 2014 we observed that the traditional partner pyramid was
flipped on its head, with more Tier 1 partners using the Averetek
platform than Tier 3 partners. This year the story is different.
WHAT IT MEANS
Growing adoption among Tier 3 partners is a good sign that brands
are building momentum in the largely unmanaged bottom tier of
partners. This activity should lead to increased sales results and
overall growth in partner revenue.
Platform Use by Program Tier
PARTNER POPULATION
Program Tier View
Tier 1 - 38%
Tier 2 - 27%
Tier 3 - 35%

9. 9 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
WHAT WE SEE
The United States had more users on the Averetek platform
than any other country, by a significant margin.
WHAT IT MEANS
The key to this kind of adoption is having local marketing
managers who:
• Use the platform to post and share campaigns in local
languages, as opposed to the platform being used as a
content repository for the worldwide team, and field teams
doing their own thing outside the platform.
• Engage partners to help the partners understand how to
use the platform.
THE TREND
Germany, Mexico, and Brazil added a large number of
partners in the last year.
PARTNER POPULATION
Top Countries View
Top 10 Countries Using Averetek Platform
U
nited
States
U
nited
Kingdom
G
erm
anyM
exico
Brazil
Canada
Italy
India
Russian
Federation
AustraliaChina
N
etherlands
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0

10. 10 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
An important metric to consider when looking at your channel programs is the partner churn – the channel partners that participate one year but not the
next, or in one program and then not again for some time. Looking at partner channel churn will help you identify segments of partners to reward for their
continued participation, those that must be encouraged to continue their participation, and those that may be on the decline (as evidenced by their fading
interest in your programs.)
Year-Over-Year Platform Use Analysis
Active in 2013
Active in 2013 and 2014
Active in 2013 and 2015
Active in 2014
Active in 2014 and 2015
Active in 2013, 2014, 2015
New in 2015
WHAT WE SEE
In our 2015 report, we looked at the population that used the
Averetek platform over the course of two years. Only 39% of
partners used the platform in both 2014 and 2015.
Now looking at a three-year view, we see even more variety
regarding platform use.
THE TREND
Within this three-year window, 57% of the partners were
active in 2015 with:
• 30% showing up for the first time.
• 4% making a semi-annual appearance.
• 9% active in 2014 and 2015.
• 14% of partners consistently used the platform all three years.
WHAT IT MEANS
From this data, you can see that partner adoption will
ebb and flow. Partner churn is an important and often
overlooked long-term metric for any company running
channel programs. Spend time analyzing your partner
engagement over time to see which partners participate
consistently and which do not. Consider creating programs
to engage the on again/off again partners.
PARTNER POPULATION
Partner Churn
19%
8%
4%
16%
9%
14%
30%
2015

11. 11 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
The largest at-risk population for partner churn are the partner organizations that perform only one activity in a year.
WHAT WE SEE
• 15% of Tier 1 partners had only one activity in 2015.
• 19% of Tier 2 partners had only one activity in 2015.
• 27% of Tier 3 partners had only one activity in 2015.
THE TREND
• Tier 1 partners with only one activity shrank from 24% in
2014 to 15% in 2015.
• Tier 2 partner engagement improved as well, with only
19% of partners completing a single activity in 2015, as
compared to 24% in 2014.
• Tier 3 partners improved their activity engagement
with 27% performing only one activity in 2015,
compared to 36% in 2014.
WHAT IT MEANS
This is a move in the right direction for all tiers. The more
activities a partner completes, the more likely they are to
be consistent in their marketing efforts.
Tier 3 partners are the group we consider the most at-risk
since many of them sit in an unmanaged segment of the
partner program. They’re expected to utilize self-service
resources, including enablement programs, without much
support.
Consider designing engagement programs that involve a
string of connected activities to keep partners engaged.
Partners by Activity Level in 2015
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
PARTNER POPULATION
One Hit Wonders
15%
19%
27%
85%
81%
73%
One Activity
One Activity
One Activity
Multiple Activities
Multiple Activities
Multiple Activities

12. PART TWO
PARTNER
MARKETING
ACTIVITIES

13. Logging into a channel marketing automation platform is a great first step for channel partners. They gain access to a broad range of
activities they can use to drive brand awareness and sales. They can also download marketing materials, plan and launch a seminar or
webcast, customize and execute a landing page and email, and request turnkey marketing activities (like telemarketing services or list
purchases). But which of these activities do they care about the most?
In the next section, we’ll take a look at the activities performed by thousands of channel partners around the world during 2015 to give you
a sense of how they used the resources available to them and how their activity level and areas of interest vary by geography and partner
program tier. This real-world information can help guide your efforts as you set expectations for your program rollout.
The following section refers to four terms that should be familiar to all readers, but for avoidance of doubt, this is how we define them:
Campaign Execution: An activity such as a landing page, syndicated content, email or print piece. These are co-branded
and customized by partners within the Averetek platform and executed to a target list of prospects or customers.
Download: A static document that is downloaded by a partner for use in their own sales and marketing activities.
Common download types are playbooks, sell sheets, whitepapers, comparison matrices, or guides of any kind.
Event: An in-person seminar or live webcast hosted by a partner and managed through the Averetek platform.
Agency Services: Third-party marketing services purchased through the Averetek platform and paid for using MDF
or by the partner. Typical service types are telemarketing, list purchase, social media assistance, and event logistics.
PARTNER MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Overview

14. 14 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
WHAT WE SEE
Around the world, the average number of marketing activities
executed per year is growing in every category, with a few
exceptions.
THE TREND
• Downloads were slightly lower in APJ, but all other activity
types grew, with Events 3 times greater than they were in
2014.
• EMEA showed a minor decline in Agency Service requests,
though all other activity types saw growth.
• LATAM had a small decline in Campaign Executions, but
the regional average was still above the global average.
• North America saw growth across all activity types.
WHAT IT MEANS
Brands are always competing for partners’ attention with a
myriad of other priorities. The fact that the average activity
level of partners is increasing on the Averetek platform means
brands are succeeding in delivering useful tools and content,
as well as conveying the value proposition, to their channel
partners.
PARTNER MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Average Number of Activities - Regional View
REGION Downloads Events
Campaign
Executions
Agency
Services
Regional
Average
APJ 14 6 20 3 21
LATAM 14 4 18 1 20
EMEA 17 4 20 3 26
NORTH AMERICA 17 7 14 3 18
GLOBAL AVERAGE 15 5 17 3 20
Average Activities by Region
INBOUND CONNECTION
Consider the cultural preferences of the markets your
partners sell in when crafting campaigns. The more your
campaigns speak to local issues, the more responsive
customers will be to your partners’ events and campaigns.

15. 15 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Just as we saw different activity averages by geography, we also see differences based on partner program tier.
PARTNER MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Average Number of Activities - Program Tier View
TIER Downloads Events
Campaign
Executions
Agency
Services
Tier
Average
TIER ONE 19 5 16 3 23
TIER TWO 10 3 13 2 16
TIER THREE 15 10 26 2 21
Average Activities by Tier
WHAT WE SEE
• Tier 1 partners average 23 total activities a year.
• Tier 2 partners average 16 total activities a year.
• Tier 3 partners average 21 total activities a year.
THE TREND
Comparing the averages for 2014 and 2015, we see that:
• Among Tier 1 partners, Downloads and Events were up slightly,
while Campaign Executions and Agency Services held steady.
• In Tier 2, Downloads and Agency Services held steady, while
Events were up slightly. Campaign Executions showed an increase
in 2014 but have declined slightly in 2015, returning to 2013 levels.
• For Tier 3 partners, Downloads and Agency Services were the
same, but Events were up 100% and Campaign Executions grew
by 30%.
WHAT IT MEANS
As seen in the Partner Population Program Tier View, Tier 3 partners
are using the Averetek platform in greater numbers. This table shows
that they are performing more Campaign Execution activities than
the Tier 1 and 2 partners. This higher-level of activity should lead to
increased revenue performance among the Tier 3 partners.

16. 16 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
WHAT WE SEE
• Downloads represent 65% of the activity mix.
• Campaign Executions represent 33% of the activity mix.
• Agency Services and Events were each only 1% of the activity mix.
THE TREND
When comparing the mix of self-service activities in 2015 with
2014, we see:
• Downloads were down 11 percentage points year-over-year.
• Campaign Executions were up 12 percentage points year-over-year.
• Agency Services and Events were flat in the year-over-year
comparison.
• Since the overall volume of activity grew across the Averetek
platform, nothing was lost by partners shifting the mix from one
activity to another.
WHAT IT MEANS
Providing partners with content and resources to download is always
useful, but the Campaign Executions are what we’re after, because
those drive quantifiable leads for the business. Helping a partner use
professional content, easily customize the look and the message,
and share that content with their customers and prospects drives
awareness, interest, and sales.
INBOUND CONNECTION
Seeing this mix shift – the growth of Campaign Executions and the
decline of Downloads – shows us that channel partners are becoming
more comfortable running digital marketing campaigns provided
by their brand partners. To develop a stronger, more compelling
long-term pipeline, more campaign content and programs should be
developed and directed at the awareness stage of the buyer’s journey.
2015 Activities by Popularity
PARTNER MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Mix of Activities - Global View
Downloads
Events
Campaign Executions
Agency Services
65%
33%
1%
1%
2015

17. 17 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Looking at the same data segmented regionally gives us the opportunity to examine differences in activities around the world.
WHAT WE SEE
• APJ, EMEA, and LATAM are nearly identical in their mix of activities.
• North America stands apart as having a significantly higher
percentage of download activity than the other regions.
WHAT IT MEANS
Offering campaigns in local languages and driving engagement
through the field marketing and partner marketing teams around the
globe made the difference in increasing Campaign Execution activity in
regions outside of North America.
INBOUND CONNECTION
Translation is always a burden, to be sure, but putting that burden
on your channel partners almost guarantees that they won’t engage
in your programs. The brands who invest the resources in offering
campaigns in local languages are reaping the rewards. Providing
ready-made content allows channel partners to focus on building trust
with clients and prospects, rather than wasting time on translations.
THE TREND
Like the global view of the activity mix in the previous chart, the
majority of regions showed a shift to a greater amount of Campaign
Execution activity, with North America being the exception. The mix in
North America is almost unchanged from 2014.
PARTNER MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Mix of Activities - Regional View
APJ EMEA LATAM North America
Downloads Campaign Executions Events Agency Services
2015 Activities by Region
0
20
40
60
80
100

18. 18 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Looking at the same data segmented by tier gives us the opportunity to examine differences in activities by partner program level.
WHAT WE SEE
• Tier 1 and Tier 3 partners are nearly identical in their mix of activities.
• Tier 2 partners executed almost 50% more campaigns than the Tier
1 and Tier 3 partners.
THE TREND
• The shift to a greater mix of Campaign Executions is most evident in the
year-over-year change among Tier 2 partners. They almost doubled
the amount of Campaign Execution activity in the overall mix.
• In some cases, Tier 1 and Tier 3 partners substituted Campaign
Executions for Downloads, but not the extent seen with the Tier 2
partners.
WHAT IT MEANS
Tier 2 partners almost never have the same marketing infrastructure
and resources found in a Tier 1 partner organization. Seeing the growth
of their activity on the Averetek platform indicates that a previously
unfulfilled need is now being met. Brands that give their partners tools
and content will see it put to good use.
INBOUND CONNECTION
Tier 3 partners show a proclivity to executing campaigns at the same
level as Tier 1 partners. With prescriptive campaigns that map out a
recipe of activities from the beginning to the end of the buyer’s journey,
their volume of campaign executions should grow in a fashion similar
to that of the Tier 2 partners.
PARTNER MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Mix of Activities - Program Tier View
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Downloads Campaign Executions Events Agency Services
2015 Activities by Tier
0
20
40
60
80
100

19. PART THREE
CONTENT
PROGRAM
ENGAGEMENT
All of the content, marketing tactics, and turnkey marketing services
made available to channel partners through the Averetek platform
can be measured, providing visibility into what partners use and
don’t use. The ability to monitor this activity helps channel marketers
plan which content to produce, which enablement programs to
implement, and which third-party services to negotiate with to
support the needs of their channel partners.
&

20. 20 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
In our eBook, What’s in a Channel Marketing Bill of Materials?, we described the content that partners need at each stage of the buyer’s journey. The chart below
shows the top 10 most popular types of content downloaded by partners.
WHAT WE SEE
Understanding that partners can only download what’s made
available to them, here’s what we see:
• Campaign Guides, Product & Solution Materials, and
Whitepapers represent more than half of the download
activity in the top 10.
• Email materials (for use through the partners own email
platform) and content for use in Social Media are widely
used by partners.
THE TREND
• Campaign Guides had more than double the downloads
of 2014.
• Small year-over-year declines were seen in the use of
Whitepapers, Call Scripts, Email Materials, and canned
Presentations.
WHAT IT MEANS
Partners don’t always know what do with the content in front
of them. Campaign Guides are the answer to this problem.
A concise guide can provide partners with simple, step-by-step
guidance that helps improve the outcome of their efforts.
INBOUND CONNECTION
As partners become more ambitious in their marketing
tactics, downloads that offer guidance on the use of digital
and social as well as content to share on these mediums will
continue to grow. Brands that support this opportunity will
benefit from greater partner engagement and an increased
share of voice in social and search
CONTENT AND PROGRAM ENGAGEMENT
Top 10 Most Popular Downloads
Campaign Guides
Product & Solution
Materials
Whitepaper
Call Script
Email Materials
Presentation
Copy Blocks
Web Banner
Video
Social Media Content
2015 Downloads by Type
2015
2014
22%
NA
NA
9% 11%
7%
7%
8%
4%
4%4%
17%
14%
10%
10%
9%
6%
5%
4%
4%

21. 21 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Using the Averetek platform, partners can choose from landing pages, email campaigns, lead nurturing programs, syndicated web content, and other
marketing automation tactics.
WHAT IT MEANS
• As brands create more campaigns that offer bundled
emails and landing pages, partners embrace the integrated
tactics and use them to drive effective lead generation
campaigns.
• If your company is making any investment in Direct Mail
we strongly recommend you discontinue it and use your
resources elsewhere.
INBOUND CONNECTION
Despite being the most popular, standalone emails rarely lead
to good conversions. Buyers often require more information
to understand an offer, hence the existence of landing pages.
When email and landing pages are used together, visitors
are more likely to convert to leads as they develop a better
understanding of the offer being presented to them.
WHAT WE SEE
• Standalone email (not linked to a landing page and an
offer) represents the most popular campaign action.
• A new category of Email & Landing Page together is the
second most popular.
• Syndicated Web Content activity has more than tripled,
year over year.
• Direct Mail (print) has continued to shrink this year, to
almost a third of its previous level.
2015 Campaign Actions by Type
CONTENT AND PROGRAM ENGAGEMENT
Top 5 Most Popular Campaign Actions
Email
Email & Landing Page
Landing Page
Syndicated Web Content
Direct Mail
2014
45%
30%
30%
11%
6%
N/A
12%
9%
4%
2015
2%

22. 22 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Agency services are offered to channel partners through Averetek’s marketing store. Partners can purchase services with their own money or with Market
Development Funds (MDF) granted to them by the brand.
WHAT WE SEE
• Inbound Marketing (services related to content creation and social
engagement) is now the top service category.
THE TREND
• Tele-Related Services were the top service in 2014 but has declined
to half its share from 2015.
• List Services grew from 3% in 2014 to 17% in 2015.
• Training increased significantly, from 1% of the top 10 in 2014 to 11%
of the top 8 in 2015.
WHAT IT MEANS
ThedeclineofTele-RelatedServicesmakessense,particularlyasthereare
moreservicerequestsforInboundMarketinghelp.Weknowthatmodern
buyers don’t want to be called out of the blue – they’ll initiate contact
with a vendor once they’ve decided they are ready. Inbound Marketing
is an approach that helps attract customers to you as opposed to trying
to interrupt their lives with your marketing.
The increase in List Services is likely related to the increase in Campaign
Executions. If partners don’t have an existing database to market to, a list
purchase can provide a quick fix, though the results will never be as
good as a database built over time through Inbound Marketing.
The increase in Training is another sign of partners committing to
self-improvement, particularly in the area of sales and marketing skills.
2015 Agency Services by Type
CONTENT AND PROGRAM ENGAGEMENT
Top 8 Most Popular Agency Services
Inbound Marketing
Tele-Related Services
List Services
Event Services
Training
Printed Material
Promo Items
Demo Development
2015
2014
31%
33%
31%
24%
16%
1%
.01%
7%
5%
19%17%
16%
11%
4%
2%
.02%

23. 23 State of Inbound Channel Marketing 2016
Parting Thoughts
Producing the State of Channel Marketing 2015 was a new endeavor for the Averetek team. We had never summarized and analyzed all of
the data collected on the Averetek platform to see what we could all learn from it. Our theory that the information would be useful, both to
our clients and to others in the industry, was validated. We deeply appreciate all of the feedback, questions, and insights you shared with our
team as a result of the report.
As we prepared this year’s report, we had the benefit of being able to take a longer look at the trends in the data. Through our analysis, it’s
clear that partner adoption of marketing automation and Inbound Marketing tactics are growing globally.
We believe the greatest opportunity for brands is to move to offering more Inbound Marketing activities. Partners are buyers too; they know
that it doesn’t make sense to hammer away at a prospect anymore. The brands that are offering Inbound Marketing activities are seeing up-
take and their partners are winning business.
We hope you enjoyed this report and found it to be informative. If you have any suggestions for future reports or have any questions, please
feel free to contact us.
Mike Moore
mike@averetek.com
Want To Use A State Of Inbound Channel Marketing Chart In
Your Next Presentation? Download All of the Charts Here.

24. STATE
INBOUND
CHANNEL
MARKETING
2016
www.StateofInboundChannelMarketing.com