By Amanda Hawkins, Marketing Director
Channel partnering doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and those folks working in the channel have some key go-to places for great content. Before I joined PartnerPath I was a bit foggy on what the partnering channel is, and thanks to great sources like these I (try to) stay in-the-know on all the latest partnering happenings. Whether it’s news, opinions or advice, I’ve bookmarked the following sites for their great content.
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CRN – They’re huge, they have tons of content, and you can count on them to cover what’s going on in the channel. Whether you prefer video, slideshows, reviews, lists of channel chiefs, research, podcasts or breaking news articles, they’ve got it. If you’re looking for up-to-the minute news start here.
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TechTarget (SearchITChannel) – TechTarget covers a wide variety of topics in the technology space and their channel content is just one focus. You can find definitions, program announcements, highlights from the latest channel events and interviews on trending partnering topics. Search their vast article database to hone in on what you need.
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Channelnomics – Hardly a day goes by that I don’t receive a great channel news article from Channelnomics. They’ve got content covering not only vendors but solution providers, distributors, tech markets, tech trends and more. Read the weekly channel rundowns to get a quick view of what’s going on or read a Vendor Q&A to see what other channel insiders are up to.
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ChannelInsider – Focusing on the viewpoint of the VAR (value added reseller) and channel partners, ChannelInsider posts regular blogs and news articles that highlight the latest in channel trends and announcements in the partnering world. Find slideshows and analysis sorted by specific industry topics.
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Channel Partners – Sort by technology or just read their top stories to get a perspective on what is happening in the Telco/Agent channel. Channel Partners posts videos, image galleries, reports and hosts their own annual event so you can choose how you like your channel content.
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Channele2e – Co-founded and run by Amy Katz and Joe Panettieri, Channele2e tackles the channel conversation “from entrepreneur to exit.” Their mission is to focus on strategic discussions focusing on all aspects of business affecting MSPs and VARs. We find great content on the next generation of partners here.
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TheVARGuy – Boasting podcasts, videos, lists, surveys, special reports and channel news, TheVARGuy is a great resource in the VAR and channel community. In particular, they often have interviews with industry insiders and also feature guest blogs.
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Averetek – Admittedly we love our friends over at Averetek, and for good reason. They’re all about channel marketing and they know their stuff. Subscribe to their blog for opinions, research, tools and tactical advice on how to improve and grow your partner marketing in oh-so-many ways.
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PartnerPath – Um, yes. That’s us, and you’re reading the blog now. We’ve got years and years of blogs posted with advice, research and channel industry best-practices, plus we’ve added our weekly Tech Channel Video Cast this past year. Watch a 10-minute video chat every Friday or read key takeaways from guests on our webinars, all delivered to your inbox.
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Google – Specifically, I mean google alerts. No matter how many bookmarks you set, you’re likely to miss something specifically important to you and your channel role if you don’t put google to work for you. Set up a few google alerts on your company, channel chiefs you admire, thought-leaders and trending topics and wait for the interesting content to be sorted and sent directly to you. It’s how I land at most of the sites I’ve included above!
What are your favorite channel blogs and sites? Let us know and spread the knowledge!
Amanda Hawkins is Marketing Director at PartnerPath and worked primarily in the print industry before learning about all about the world of channel partnering.
