LiveVox’s New Channel Program Offers Robust Partner Marketing Support Package

LiveVox, a cloud-based provider of customer service and digital engagement tools, has launched a new channel program. The program, ACTivate, provides LiveVox’s new and existing partners, including master agents, technology solution brokerages, solution providers, and managed service providers with tools to market and sell the company’s blended omnichannel capabilities to new customers.

“We’ve seen incredible momentum in the channel over the last year – this is the right time to launch ACTivate and demonstrate LiveVox’s commitment to our growing ecosystem of valued partners,” said Dan DeLozier, Head of Global Channel, LiveVox, in a press release.

Benefits of ACTivate include:

• Partner field marketing team to build and manage partner marketing plans, strategies, and events;
• Comprehensive partner demand generation suite focused on driving leads and appointments for partners;
• Full marketing automation platform with customizable email and social marketing campaigns;
• Marketing development funds; and
• Competitive residuals and sales performance incentive funds.

To support the program, LiveVox has launched a new portal. Built on the ZiftOne platform, the portal allows partners to manage their leads, opportunities and accounts. It also empowers them with self-paced training and certifications, and automated multi-touch marketing support across email campaigns, landing pages, social content, printed collateral, event management, and video creation.

To learn more about the program, CMR reached out to channel marketing expert, MeiLee Langley, who joined LiveVox as Senior Director/Head Worldwide Channel Marketing in October.

CMR — Offering partners robust marketing support is typically not high on the list of things to do when building out a brand-new channel program. But hiring you is a clear indication that LiveVox is taking channel marketing seriously.

MeiLee Langley — When we were building the program, I leveraged my experience in building three successful partner programs and listening to feedback from partners. I have learned that an area where most need support, expertise, and tools is demand generation. Many of our partners are sales-first organizations where there are either limited marketing resources or none at all, and the sales reps are expected to do their own marketing.

Thus, I am always intent on leading with demand generation when creating the framework of a new partner program. I don’t consider us a vendor. I consider us a vendor partner, so it is our job to help our agents and resellers fill gaps and grow their business by empowering them with a comprehensive set of demand generation campaigns, tools, and funding. Moreover, these resources need to be easy to customize, deploy, and manage, and be paired with LiveVox field marketing experts that ensure they’re being utilized effectively.

CMR — The press release notes that ACTivate offers a comprehensive partner demand generation suite focused on driving leads and appointments for partners. Are you striving to boost the number of partner-initiated leads and deals, rather than have LiveVox be responsible for generating demand?

MeiLee Langley — Our goal is to create mutually beneficial relationships with our partners where we both bring leads and deals to the table. Unlike many vendors that expect the partner to be the only lead source, here at LiveVox we want it to be a two-way street for our top partners. Within our comprehensive demand gen suite, we have appointment setting and lead generation tools that our top partners can utilize to drive demand.

CMR — ACTivate offers a Partner Field Marketing team to build and manage partner marketing plans, strategies, and events. Do all partners have access to that team? Is their support funded through MDF? 

MeiLee Langley — Our top two tiers of partners, preferred and elite, have access to our partner field marketing team to build and manage marketing plans that utilize a combination of our demand generation tools as well as their own ideas and proposals. That said, we have a suite of self-serve marketing tools and campaigns within the ACTivate partner portal that are accessible to all LiveVox partners. Regardless of tier, LiveVox’s Channel Marketing team is happy to offer marketing support and expertise to any of our partners. 

CMR — Can you provide more information about Partner Field Marketing team? To whom does it report?

MeiLee Langley — The partner field marketing team’s job is to help our partners create, execute, and manage 6 to 12-month marketing plans and strategies that utilize our demand generation tools and resources across digital and in-person channels. The field marketers will ensure that partners create a plan that aligns to their bandwidth and resources and will support the partners as much or as little as they need. The field marketers reside in our Channel Marketing organization, are regionally divided and report to me.  

CMR — Many channel programs are adopting project-based allocations for MDF. Can you tell us more about how you might allocate MDF?

MeiLee Langley — We will also be allocating our MDF and co-marketing funds based on projects and requests. However, not all of our demand generation tools and campaigns require MDF and will be available to our partners based on their tier. 

CMR — In Dan DeLozier’s response to the CRN Channel Chief questions, he said that the new portal supports automated multi-touch marketing across email campaigns, landing pages, social content, printed collateral, event management and video creation. Does it feature automated through-channel marketing capabilities?

MeiLee Langley — Absolutely! One of the key features of our new ACTivate Partner Portal is a full through-partner marketing automation platform that enables our partners to easily customize, deploy, and measure email, event, and social campaigns with landing pages, co-brandable assets, and videos.

CMR — Can you tell us more about the video creation capabilities?

MeiLee Langley — We offer two forms of video creation! First, through our ACTivate Partner Portal, partners can easily co-brand our best-of-breed product and promotional videos to put their stamp of endorsement on our professionally created content.

Second, for those partners that want to create new content, case studies, testimonials, and more, we have a professional video team that will work with the partner to bring their vision to life. The partner will receive a professionally captured and edited video that they can use in marketing campaigns, on their website, on social, and more.

CMR — As you roll out the program, what are some of the key metrics that you will be monitoring to measure its success?

MeiLee Langley — While partner recruitment and revenue targets are important, we will also focus on partner engagement. We’ll be monitoring the number of partners engaging with the ACTivate Partner Portal as well as digging into which enablement and demand generation tools they’re utilizing. We want to ensure we’re keeping the portal full of content, campaigns, and tools that the partners find easy and enticing to use. Additionally, we’ll be tracking the growth and success of the partners that are most engaged with our program.