We’re no strangers to the world of Microsoft partners and their mission to attain digital marketing excellence. Fifty Five and Five has been ranking the digital marketing efforts of Microsoft partners since way back in 2014—initially through the annual Top 50 Report, presented in-person at Microsoft Inspire each year (oh how times have changed). Today, we rank partners through our all-digital Top 50 benchmarking tool which runs in real-time and gives a more accurate (and ongoing) picture of how effective their B2B marketing is.
Why benchmark your marketing activities?
Great question. Strategically planning your marketing has never been more important – and benchmarking plays a vital role here. It’s important not only to know your own strengths and weaknesses, but also those of your competitors. The Top 50 benchmarking tool works by analysing and assessing four key criteria of a Microsoft partner’s digital presence: content, website, technology, and SEO. Based on the scores awarded for each of these four criteria, partners are then positioned in the Top 50.
As we rank up to 250,000 Microsoft partners in our weekly updates, everyone who gets into the Top 50 is doing something special to get there. And these partners deserve to be recognised and celebrated. But rising to the top of our league table is an extra accolade.
AvePoint on industry-leading content: an interview
We sat down with Dux Raymond Sy, Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint, to discuss AvePoint’s approach to B2B marketing and how they rose to number one.
Hey Dux, congrats on the top 1 spot! Can you tell us a little bit about AvePoint's content strategy?
“Thanks James. AvePoint’s content strategy is focused on providing educational resources and sharing relevant knowledge to our audience. We publish blogs daily across four languages, release eBooks every two months and consistently host webinars every two weeks.”
How does AvePoint choose topics for its content?
“All of our content is focused around a theme we choose each quarter. This theme is based on industry trends and customer feedback – for example, for the first two quarters of 2022, we are focused on hybrid work and collaboration security.”
Which social channels do you use to promote content and how do you engage with your audience?
“We leverage Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, serving various audiences. For Twitter, we connect with industry peers, partners and influencers to drive brand awareness. For LinkedIn, it’s used to engage with our customers, partners, fellow AvePoint colleagues and future employees. We share the latest and greatest about our business and also showcase our corporate culture, which drives brand advocacy. For Instagram and TikTok, we leverage it for storytelling and brand engagement.”
And lastly, what are AvePoint's top tips for SEO?
“First, focus on a handful of keywords that you want to rank in. Next, ensure that the content you create supports these keywords. Lastly, make sure that you have external links pointing to your content.”
Thanks, Dux! Let's chat again soon.
Looking to improve your marketing strategy?
At Fifty Five and Five, we help technology companies grow their business, drive brand awareness and achieve their marketing goals. To learn more about B2B marketing best practices for Microsoft partners, get in touch with the team today.