New Data Reveals Unhappy Local Partners Drive 55% Less Revenue

The 2023 State of Local Marketing Uncovers Correlation Between Revenue and Affiliate Satisfaction

CHICAGO, May 18, 2023 – If you ask a channel marketer for their top priorities, keeping their affiliates happy is not likely to be on the list. But the latest research tells us it should be. The numbers speak for themselves – affiliates who are unhappy with their local marketing programs drove 55% less revenue than affiliates who reported higher levels of satisfaction.

The new data, compiled in The Local Partnership Satisfaction Report, highlights that keeping your channel partners happy has a significant impact on revenue.

The study includes data about what local partners care about most and explores how happy (or satisfied) your channel partners are about the local marketing programs they participate in. Although boosting affiliate satisfaction might not be the first place you turn to increase the bottom line – it might be the revenue-boosting strategy you’ve been looking for.

These findings represent a significant opportunity for corporate marketing teams to improve their programs to make affiliates happier and increase revenue in the process.

“Channel marketing is all about building strong partnerships with your affiliates,” said Danielle Bryant, Senior Vice President, Client Success at BrandMuscle. “When affiliates feel that they are getting what they need to succeed, they are more likely to drive results for the business.”

Key insights revealed:

• 56% of local partners are unsatisfied with their channel marketing programs.
• Only 12% of affiliates who don’t see corporate as committed to local marketing are satisfied with their programs.
• 53% of affiliates ranked matching funds as a top program priority.

“Partner satisfaction should be a priority for businesses. Doing so will unlock a wealth of opportunities, maximize the local market’s potential, expand your reach, and help you reap the benefits of collaborative success,” said Bryant.

“The Report The 2023 State of Local Marketing series. This data-backed report that surveyed 3,192 channel partners and analyzes 146,832 data points to bring you the latest local marketing insights. This annual benchmark is the industry standard for local marketing data and explores the behavior of local partners and the impact their actions have on revenue.