VARs struggle as traditional B2B marketing dies out

Microsoft claims partners are struggling to target the right people with traditional email and direct marketing approaches

The channel is failing to recruit enough people to events and reach the right people with promotional material because companies are relying on ancient B2B marketing techniques, according to Microsoft.

The vendor claims that traditional techniques such as email marketing are "no longer working" for itself and its partners and as a result, they are struggling to target sufficient numbers of the right people.

"We are seeing declining cut-through for many of the marketing techniques that we have used to effect over the years," said Microsoft Australia's partner marketing manager Rob Evans on the Official Microsoft Blog. "For example, getting the right number of the right people to attend events gets progressively harder and many partners report that they don't get a return for the often monumental effort that goes into planning and running an event or roadshow.

"Email marketing is also going the way of other forms of direct marketing, with 95 per cent of website visitors leaving without providing an email address and 80 per cent of marketing emails now going unopened. In short, the marketing we have known is no longer working."

He added that in the consumer space it is widely expected that customers will do online research before parting with their cash as well as read reviews and consult friends and others in their network.

"[This] is equally relevant in a B2B context," he added. "As a result, the way that we market to customers is going through considerable change whereby companies are looking to attract potential new customers by providing value to that customer long before actually trying to sell them something."

From now on, Microsoft will be investing in partner marketing techniques which have a more modern approach, Evans said.

"Increasingly, Microsoft will be investing in partner marketing efforts that utilise content marketing across digital channels and provide support to partners keen to better understand how this approach can drive tangible outcomes for their businesses," he added.