By BluLogix Team

Managing Channels in Your Subscription Businesses

For subscription businesses, Channel Management can be a challenge. You must manage and optimize different sales channels through which you sell your products or services. These channels can include online marketplaces, e-commerce platforms, direct sales, agent sales, resellers and more. Channel management is important because different channels may have different audiences, costs, and commission structures. By effectively managing these channels, a business can maximize its revenue and growth.

Diversify your revenue streams by adding a partner ecosystem

Here are a few key elements of the channel management platform within your core monetization platform:

  1. Channel selection: Identity which channels are most appropriate for the business’s products or services and target market. This may involve testing different channels to determine which ones generate the most revenue or provide the best return on investment.
  2. Channel optimization: Optimize each channel by testing different pricing strategies, promotions, and marketing tactics. This can include A/B testing, experiments and optimization.
  3. Channel integration: Integrate the different channels with the core monetization platform to ensure that the platform can handle transactions and customer data from all channels, and can provide accurate financial reporting and analytics, including commissioning.
  4. Channel tracking: Use tracking and analytics tools to monitor the performance of different channels, identify trends and make data-driven decisions.
  5. Channel management: Manage the different channels by assigning different roles and responsibilities, setting targets and objectives, and taking actions based on performance data.
  6. By effectively managing and optimizing its sales channels, a business can increase its revenue and growth, and improve its overall performance.

How can I understand revenue and performance data for each channel?

There are several ways to use your core monetization platform to understand revenue and performance data, depending on the platform and its specific features. Some common methods include:

  1. Dashboard: The platform may have a dashboard that displays revenue and performance data for each channel in real-time, along with other important metrics such as user engagement and conversion rates.
  2. Reports: The platform may provide detailed reports that you can access and download, which contain revenue and performance data for each channel over a specific time period, such as daily, weekly, or monthly.
  3. APIs: Some platforms may offer APIs that allow you to access the data programmatically, and then you can use that data to build your own custom reports or to feed into other tools or systems.
  4. Analytics: Platforms usually have an analytics feature that allows you to track, analyze and optimize your channel performance, by looking into user engagement, revenue, conversion rate, retention rate and more.
  5. Additionally, most platforms will allow you to filter and segment the data in various ways, such as by country, device, and user segments to gain more insights.

How do I get started with a channel partner network?

A channel partner network can be an effective way to sell subscriptions and increase your revenue. Here are some steps you can take to use your channel partner network to sell subscriptions:

  1. Identify Potential Partners: Research potential partners who have a similar target market and offer complementary products or services. Look for partners who have a strong reputation in their industry and can help you reach new customers.
  2. Develop a Partner Program: Develop a partner program that outlines the benefits of partnering with your business. This program should include details on commissions, support, training, and marketing materials.
  3. Train Your Partners: Provide your partners with the training and resources they need to sell your subscription service effectively. This can include product demos, sales training, and access to marketing materials.
  4. Offer Incentives: Offer incentives to your partners to encourage them to sell your subscription service. This can include bonuses, commissions, and exclusive access to new products or services.
  5. Create Co-Branded Marketing Materials: Create co-branded marketing materials that your partners can use to promote your subscription service. This can include social media posts, email templates, and website banners.
  6. Provide Support: Offer your partners ongoing support to help them sell your subscription service. This can include access to a dedicated account manager, technical support, and training on new products or services.
  7. Monitor Your Metrics: Monitor your sales metrics to track the success of your channel partner network. Use this data to identify which partners are performing well and which ones need additional support or resources.

By developing a strong channel partner network and providing your partners with the training and support they need, you can increase your subscription sales and grow your business.

How can my subscription billing platform help manage my channels?

Your subscription billing platform can help you manage your channels in several ways. Here are some ways your subscription billing platform can assist you with managing your channels:

  1. Centralized Management: Your subscription billing platform can provide a centralized location to manage your channels, making it easier to keep track of your partners and their performance.
  2. Partner Management: Your subscription billing platform can provide tools to manage your partners, such as partner portals, partner dashboards, and communication tools. These features can help you keep your partners informed about your subscription products, provide training and resources, and monitor their performance.
  3. Channel Sales Reporting: Your subscription billing platform can provide you with channel sales reports to track your channel performance. These reports can show you which channels are generating the most revenue and which channels need more support to increase their sales.
  4. Revenue Recognition: Your subscription billing platform can provide revenue recognition for your channels, making it easier to calculate and allocate revenue based on your channel partner agreements.
  5. Billing and Invoicing: Your subscription billing platform can automate billing and invoicing for your channels, making it easier to manage payments and commissions for your partners. This can help you streamline your payment processes and reduce errors.
  6. Integrations: Your subscription billing platform can integrate with other systems that you use to manage your channels, such as CRM systems, marketing automation tools, and partner management tools. These integrations can help you streamline your channel management processes and make it easier to manage your channels.

By using the features of your subscription billing platform to manage your channels, you can optimize your channel sales and grow your business.

Is it possible to integrate my monetization platform across systems to manage channel partners?

Yes, it is common for monetization platforms to offer integrations with other tools and systems. These integrations can help you to maximize the capabilities of your monetization platform and streamline your workflows. Some examples of possible integrations include:

  1. Payment gateways: Monetization platforms often integrate with various payment gateways, such as Stripe or PayPal, which allows users to make payments easily and securely.
  2. CRM tools: Integrations with customer relationship management (CRM) tools, such as Salesforce or Zendesk, allows you to track customer interactions and sales in a single platform.
  3. Analytics and tracking: You can also integrate your monetization platform with analytics and tracking tools, such as Google Analytics, to gain deeper insights into user behavior and revenue performance.
  4. Advertising platforms: Monetization platforms often integrate with advertising platforms such as Google AdSense, Facebook Audience Network, or Twitter Ads, to facilitate the integration of ads in your app or website.
  5. Email Marketing: You can also integrate with email marketing tools such as MailChimp or GetResponse to send personalized campaigns to specific user groups.
  6. Social Media platforms: Depending on the platform, you may be able to integrate with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to promote your products or services.

These are just a few examples of the many integrations that are possible with monetization platforms. The specific integrations available will depend on the platform you are using. Many modern monetization platform tend to offer a wide range of integrations, or even SDKs for easy integration in your app or website.

Diversify your revenue streams by adding a partner ecosystem

How can my subscription billing platform help me manage my channel partner network?

A subscription billing platform can be a valuable tool for managing your channel partner network. Here are some ways your subscription billing platform can help you manage your channel partner network:

  1. Automated Commission Management: Your subscription billing platform can automate commission management, making it easier to calculate and pay commissions to your partners. This can save time and reduce errors in your commission payments.
  2. Customizable Partner Payouts: Your subscription billing platform can allow you to customize partner payouts based on their performance, incentives, or other factors. This can help you motivate your partners to sell more subscriptions and improve their overall performance.
  3. Partner Performance Tracking: Your subscription billing platform can track the performance of your partners and provide you with detailed reports on their sales, commissions, and other metrics. This can help you identify your top-performing partners and optimize your partner program accordingly.
  4. Integration with Partner Management Tools: Your subscription billing platform can integrate with partner management tools, such as partner portals, CRM systems, or marketing automation tools. This can help you streamline your partner management processes and provide your partners with access to the information and resources they need to sell your subscriptions effectively.
  5. Real-Time Analytics: Your subscription billing platform can provide you with real-time analytics on your subscription sales, partner performance, and other key metrics. This can help you make data-driven decisions and optimize your partner program for maximum revenue.

 

By leveraging the capabilities of your subscription billing platform, you can effectively manage your channel partner network, increase your subscription sales, and grow your business.