Supporting the largest partner ecosystem in the tech industry
We work with Salesforce to create internal assets and partner resources that drive new business
Salesforce depends on its massive web of partner relationships to sell, configure, and implement solutions for customers. The Salesforce ecosystem will create over $1 trillion in new business revenues & 4.2 Million Jobs between 2019-2024. And partners—ranging from global Fortune 100 companies to specialized, local firms—will touch a majority of that revenue.
“Partners are the lifeblood of what Salesforce is doing now,” said J.C. Collins, Salesforce’s senior vice president and COO of industries, innovation, and partners. (via CRN)
Expansion of the partner channel is key to Salesforce keeping pace with its growth goals. To drive additional business through the channel, Salesforce needs to educate employees about the value of partners, and also help partners tell their success stories to customers.
That’s where we came in.
We began working with Salesforce eight years ago to run a content production program that highlights the value of consulting partners internally and supports partners’ marketing efforts. Our work has been an integral part of helping Salesforce achieve its business goals by promoting the growth of the partner ecosystem.
Our contribution
Partner Value Program
Educating internal stakeholders about how the partner program works, why it's critical to the company's success, and best practices for engaging with partners
Part of what makes this work so hard—and so important—is that team members at Salesforce don't automatically understand the role partners play or the incredible value that they deliver. Luckily, there are plenty of success stories to share. In 2019 alone, partners submitted more than 2,700 project summaries showcasing how they'd positively impacted a Salesforce customer's digital transformation. Article Group helps prioritize those submissions received by the Salesforce partner marketing team and then uses them to craft stories that evangelize successful teaming. The stories are published internally within Salesforce to engage and inform account, marketing, and sales teams.
Enabling partner growth
Driving partner business to support the company’s growth
The majority of Salesforce partners have small marketing teams with limited resources to promote their Salesforce practice. And even global partners with larger teams may not have the Salesforce marketing expertise to communicate successes effectively. Article Group works directly with Salesforce partners to create white papers, infographics, and other content that enables them to build awareness for their Salesforce practices and generate leads. This marketing and thought leadership content promotes a partner’s specific expertise and is distributed via the partners’ sales organizations.
Partner Marketing Center
Creating a signature resource to support partners
Salesforce’s Partner Marketing Center (PMC) is a global marketing hub designed to provide partners with ready-made content, customizable campaigns, and integrated marketing solutions. While developing content and making UI improvements to the PMC, Article Group saw an opportunity to make the PMC a key differentiator in the Salesforce partner experience. There weren’t any recent insights-at-scale available on how partner marketers were using the PMC, so Article Group executed the necessary research and created a roadmap for significant improvements, to drive adoption and satisfaction. Execution of this plan is currently underway, with improvements that will both enhance the partner experience and the ability of the Salesforce partner marketing team to serve partners.
Today, Article Group continues to work with Salesforce, revamping its PMC to make it durable and useful for the diverse group of partners who drive the majority of Salesforce’s revenue.
