No doubt that the rise of using SaaS tools has brought new fields in order to generate new revenue streams. Agency partner programs are just one of them.
Partner programs do not only open doors for new opportunities but also open new strategies that can be built between vendors and agencies. It is not a new era though but we will definitely see more of these partner programs in the upcoming years for sure.
What is an agency partner program?
An agency partner program consists of a set of strategies. As SaaS companies want to enhance their business growth and at the same time lower the cost of customer acquisition, they partner with agencies. In return, agencies expand the number of their quality clients and generate more revenue. As you can see, it is a win-win solution for both vendors and agencies.
Most of the agency partner programs stand up to 3 different points;
- Winning more clients,
- Earning new revenue streams,
- Growing business in the long-term.
To make the most of these kinds of partner programs, SaaS companies need to acquire customers in a budget-friendly way. As they also want to keep them longer, they need agencies for reaching out to qualified clients. At this stage, agencies serve as a bridge between their clients and SaaS companies. In the end, agencies enjoy plenty of benefits that the software offers them.
Why are partner programs successful?
Obviously, the market is flooded with SaaS partner programs. Finding the right one is always challenging and also time-consuming. Vendors and agencies tend to choose more than one partner depending on their needs.
From the agency’s side, they start by asking why they need to partner with SaaS tools. Recent research has shown that while agencies choose a partner program, small and large-scale agencies consider good communication, excellent training & support, and high-quality referrals. Additionally, medium-scale agencies are more likely to see what the partnership brings to them by way of referrals and product stability.
From the SaaS companies’ side, they are getting help from the agencies in finding new avenues for growth. They also can expand their reach, acquire successful, long-term customers and scale their businesses rapidly by partnering with agencies. Some SaaS companies’ partner programs can be based on revenue-sharing. It means that the partner agency provides leads or referrals to the SaaS vendor and if they convert, the agency receives a commission per lead.
As you know, finding the right partner is a tough process. Especially when there is a massive increase in the number of agency partner programs lately. That’s why we have created this blog post to help you along the way.
Mostly the SaaS tools offer partner programs in social media marketing, web design, content marketing, eCommerce, email marketing, and many more. So, the agencies that provide these services are more likely to apply to this kind of program. Not only the partnership is based on earning new revenue streams but also based on winning more clients, generating qualified leads, enjoying discounted prices, expanding their experiences, increasing traffic, collaborating with other partner agencies, and growing their business.
We have listed the best partner programs by SaaS tools for agencies with their offerings and benefits below;
- HubSpot Solutions Partner Program
- Sprout Social Agency Partner Program
- Mailchimp & Co
- Shopify Partner Program
- Hootsuite Solution Partners
- Wix Partner Program
- Databox Partner Program
- Vidyard Partner Program
- Klaviyo Partner Program
- Unbounce Partner Program
If you are ready, let’s take a closer look at each of them!
HubSpot offers several solutions that serve different purposes. One of the solutions it offers is named The Solutions Partner Program. It is created only for customer-centric agencies and service providers. The program offers services in marketing, sales, web design, and CRM.
Benefits
The program makes agencies satisfied in broad aspects. As HubSpot has a wide system, it also provides sales and marketing-related services in a whole package. Moreover, most HubSpot partners offer lead generation, inbound marketing, and sales services. These all help agencies increase their traffic, generate qualified leads, grow revenue, and improve customer retention. Besides these, you will get access to the tools that HubSpot offers. Lastly, the partners of the program are always supported along the process.
Sprout Social always shines if there is something related to social media marketing. One of the leading social media tools Sprout Social provides services in editing, publishing, and reporting related social media metrics within the same platform. Sprout Social Agency Partner Program offers an array of solutions to win more business, expand your offerings and increase business growth.
Benefits
The program is based on “the more you refer, the more revenue share you earn”. As it only focuses on agency growth, they offer custom resources, exclusive content, and excellent customer support. Once you become their partner, they will start promoting your agency within the platform as well. Furthermore, Sprout Social Agency Partner Program has an extensive community that contains fellow agencies.
Mailchimp & Co also takes its place in this best agency partner programs list. With Mailchimp & Co, agencies can get exclusive access to new features, tips, tools, training, and much more. It also offers an open space to promote its agencies through the platform. Unlike others, Mailchimp & Co offers 3 different partnership options: Free, Partner, and Pro Partner.
Benefits
Although the benefits vary with each partner program, the key ones remain constant. These include growing your agency, expanding your expertise with Mailchimp Academy, simplifying client management and getting perks. If we touch on more specific benefits that Partner and Pro Partner options offer, they would be attracting more clients, getting access for special events, ranking higher, and premium support when you need it.
With the Shopify Agency Program, agencies can offer custom eCommerce solutions to their clients. It gives new partners a space that can promote, start selling and manage their businesses efficiently. Shopify partners earn recurring revenue for each new Shopify store built or when stores are migrated from other eCommerce platforms to Shopify.
Benefits
Shopify Partner Program provides a comprehensive guide that covers learning portal, documentation, community service, partner academy, and easily accessible partner support. Once you sign up for their program, you will have access to exclusive deals, free tools, and other partner perks that help grow your business. You will also be able to communicate with other partners to build up a strong relationship for future collaboration opportunities.
Hootsuite Solution Partners is designed for agencies to help streamline their operations and generate new revenue streams through Hootsuite social media management dashboard. As Hootsuite is one of the most powerful social media management tools in the market, it offers myriad social media materials such as best social media practices, resources, case studies, and other related documentation.
Benefits
Like other partner programs, Hootsuite offers ever-expanding perks for its partners. In addition to the numerous social media materials, the program comes with a suite of content marketing and social network tools as well. Hootsuite Solution Partners’ key benefit for agencies would be demonstrating their social leadership and building their social media credibility.
Another alternative for web design & development agencies to apply is Wix Partner Program which is designed for freelancers and digital agencies who want to create exclusive websites by using Wix or Editor X.
Since Wix itself provides interactive, inspiring, educating website creation experiences, the program provides the same benefits to its partner agencies. Their motto relies on “create more websites, earn more points”. Once you start earning points, your partnership package will automatically be updated to the next one.
Benefits
The partner program offers a comprehensive dashboard that allows you to track projects and tasks in order to maximize productivity. In the partner dashboard, you can also manage feedback you get from your partner agencies. As the program provides numerous resources like ebooks, articles, case studies etc., you can easily optimize your agency by getting help from these handy resources. It also offers a wide population of member agencies that you can connect and even work together with.
The Databox Partner Program supports agencies in adopting a data-driven approach. The main concern of the program is becoming a central hub for agencies’ client reporting. That’s why they are offering a free agency account with up to 10 reports so that agencies can see how the program helps them grow. Through it, partner agencies can start getting traffic and leads from other agencies.
Benefits
The most notable benefit is that the partner agencies contribute different report templates which can be used by other agencies. It will provide the lead flow between agencies. Like other programs, if you face a problem during the client reporting process, you will get immediate support as well. As Databox has massive integration abilities, you will be able to explore new selling opportunities.
Although Vidyard often compares with its competitor Wistia, users prefer Vidyard as it is more affordable. Their partner program is mainly focused on exploring new revenue opportunities by getting help from video marketing. While each Vidyard partner can create their own video marketing strategies, they also provide a dedicated manager to enrich these strategies together.
Benefits
Revenue sharing, onboarding, and training, co-marketing opportunities, partner discounts on Vidyard products and services, partner portal, a dedicated partner manager are some of the key benefits that Vidyard offers for its agency partners. Vidyard mostly sparks when it comes to creating sales-related video content to communicate with prospects and close deals.
Another brilliant program that fuels growth for digital agencies is Klaviyo’s Partner Program. You can reach thousands of marketing firms, systems integrators, email strategists, eCommerce experts, designers, developers, and more through the partnership. Not only do agencies consolidate their client’s data to power up eCommerce marketing strategies but they also easily consolidate the ROI they generate through their analytics system.
Benefits
There are three main benefits the most of the agency programs rely on: win more clients, earn new revenue and grow your business. All partners can promote their services within the platform, get benefits from discounted prices, collaborate with each other, and get informed about the latest services or products. They also get private support when they need it. With the academy, you can validate your expertise or even you can enroll on courses to expand your expertise.
Lastly, Unbounce takes its place in this comprehensive list. The program works on recurring revenue for every referral logic. You can share your industry expertise by referring Unbounce to your clients or fellow marketers. In this way, while you can get 20% of the recurring revenue, at the same time your referral will get an exclusive 20% off their first three months.
Benefits
Unbounce as itself is a landing page builder that simplifies the creation process with its drag and drop builder. So, it helps agencies to create, edit and test their tailor-made landing pages. At the partner portal, other partner agencies offer custom landing pages to support each other in all marketing activities. The Unbounce Partner Program also provides a toolkit for its partners for free or discounted prices. Like other programs, Unbounce offers its partners templates, promotion assets, and training materials alongside exclusive partner support.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, each agency partner program focuses on providing you with the key partner benefits that we have mentioned above more than once. Although the industries vary, the benefits that the programs offer are mostly the same: winning more clients, earning new revenue streams, getting exclusive perks, and growing business in the long run.
The key criteria while choosing the best partner program for your agency would be finding a partner that brings skills and experience, adds value, and provides prime resources to your business. You can easily reach out to the best digital marketing tools to see if they provide partner programs for agencies.
