You've heard me say it. You've heard Karen Walker say it: the transition to digital marketing is a business imperative for businesses across the board. And distributors are no exception.

In my blog This Will Help You Sleep at Night, I outlined some of the key benefits and digital marketing offerings available throughout the ENGAGE Marketing Suite. Between connecting you to training, experts and best practices and giving you the campaigns to put them into action, you have the resources at your disposal to win more customers by putting digital first.

But are you taking advantage of them?

Distribution partner VSGi is a prime example of using the digital marketing services provided by Cisco to grow their business, particularly in the commercial sector. Now is the time to take an inventory of what you're doing.

Do you want to capture more customers or drive existing ones to a landing page with offers? You can create email journeys from Partner Marketing Central (PMC), and customize based on your needs. Email directly reaches your customer base, and could be forwarded to others for expanded customer potential. Be personal, be concise and share how your solution will help them, and when they respond -act quickly!

Did you know that more than 67% of customers' purchasing decisions are done online through their own research? Your website is a reflection of your brand. Keep your content fresh and up-to-date by syndicating our product showcases to your website. This will increase trust with your customers and keep you top of mind! 

Were you aware that staying in contact with your customers keeps you relevant in their minds? Supplement your social media efforts with Cisco generated content and extend your reach into your network.

Did you know you don't need to waste time on perspective leads that may not deliver? To increase revenue potential and minimize waste try telequalification scoring. Access this capability in PMC, and see how reaching out and touching someone might be ideal for your organization.

Do you want to keep your customers engaged? Delivering relevant content is one of the best ways to keep your customers thinking of your company. Access the array of collateral we offer and use it to educate and entertain them. Integrate this content into your digital marketing tactics and see how we could help you go further by doing less.

In addition, the VSGi team also took advantage of purchased tactics, such as list purchase, monthly pipeline generator and custom ads in order to round out their digital approach.

What excites me the most about this VSGi example is the success that they have seen through using the tactics as a holistic and strategic marketing approach -not just a one-off tactical effort.

Looking for more digital marketing inspiration? Check out how the ShoreGroup team used these tactics to better identify qualified prospects and close deals faster in order to exceed expectations and realize double digit growth.

What can digital marketing do for your team? Share your stories with us, and we might feature them here! Stay tuned for the next two blogs in our 3 Days of Disti series, featuring Ingram Micro and Comstor!