In this episode of The Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Abby Ross, Head of Channel Marketing at Hydrolix, a streaming data lake company powering observability, security, and machine learning solutions. With a background spanning television news reporting and public relations, Abby brings a unique perspective to B2B tech marketing. She shares her experience building successful channel marketing programs with major partners like Akamai and AWS, while breaking down the common pitfalls companies face when scaling their partner marketing efforts.

Topics Discussed:

• Building effective relationships between marketing, sales, and product teams
• Developing clear, jargon-free messaging that resonates with technical buyers
• Creating successful channel marketing programs with enterprise partners
• Measuring and optimizing partner marketing campaigns
• Balancing digital and face-to-face marketing strategies
• Scaling product education and enablement across partner organizations

Lessons for B2B Tech Marketers:

1. Master Your Product's Technical Domain: Marketing leaders must deeply understand their product's technical capabilities and use cases. Every marketer should be able to demo the product and speak confidently about its architecture, enabling more authentic conversations with technical buyers and sales teams.
2. Break Down Internal Silos Through Active Engagement: Rather than operating in isolation, marketing teams should regularly join sales calls, participate in technical discussions, and maintain open communication channels with product teams. This collaborative approach ensures marketing initiatives align with real customer needs and sales priorities.
3. Build Partner Programs Around Enablement: Successful channel marketing requires comprehensive partner enablement. Focus on equipping partner sales teams with clear messaging, technical training, and ongoing support to help them identify and close opportunities effectively.
4. Measure Partner Marketing Impact Through Multiple Lenses: Track both quantitative metrics (leads, pipeline) and qualitative indicators (partner engagement, sales team feedback) to optimize channel marketing programs. Use these insights to refine targeting, messaging, and campaign strategies.
5. Create High-Value, Technical Content: Develop thought leadership content that addresses specific technical challenges and knowledge gaps. Use this content to fuel digital campaigns, enable sales teams, and drive meaningful conversations with prospects across channels.
6. Prioritize Face-to-Face Relationship Building: While digital marketing is crucial, in-person events and meetings remain vital for building lasting partner relationships. Create opportunities for genuine connection beyond transactional business discussions.

//

Sponsors:

Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership.

www.FrontLines.io

The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. 

www.GlobalTalent.co