“We continue to observe the importance of digital marketing taking hold in the local channel,” states Lori Alba, BrandMuscle’s Vice President of Marketing. “We advise customers to include more personalized digital tactics in their programs to help encourage partner participation and investment in local marketing.”
Telecom dealers report gaps in both budget and execution. Only one-third of dealers are spending more than 1% of their annual revenue on marketing their businesses. A reliance on older marketing approaches, favoring traditional tactics over social media and other digital channels, means that dealers are missing important opportunities.
“While we are seeing lower spending by channel partners, dealers appreciate and are engaged in the marketing programs” states Jason Tabeling, EVP of Product Strategy at BrandMuscle. “There is a great opportunity to improve that engagement through the adoption of more integrated and simplified marketing offerings."
Key Findings from The State of Local Marketing in Telecommunications and Technology Report
Only 18% of dealers are highly confident that their business listings are up-to-date, accurate and complete
Telecom dealers are more likely to feel that their corporate program is helping them grow their business than local partners in other industries
Content quality and relevance is perceived as weaker by telecom dealers than by local partners in other industries, leading to more generic ad messaging
Telecom dealers emphasize traditional marketing tactics more than local partners in other industries and rate TV/Radio and print advertising as top priorities
Few dealers are using social media as part of their current marketing program, despite the fact that they rate it as the most effective marketing tactic
Compared to other industries, dealers are slightly less likely to feel they are receiving meaningful training and support from their corporate partners