ChannelTrends - Tune in the Media and Make $1 Million*

Now that I have your undivided attention, let me confess that most solution providers won’t get rich simply by reading IT channel-related magazines and online posts. But by paying attention to a few publications and online news sources on a regular basis, they can track industry trends and better understand the events that can impact their business. IT channel-related media should be considered a free business intelligence resource, offering best practice articles and highlighting the technology developments that could have a significant impact on their business.


It’s not easy to balance the daily demands of running a technology business (and keeping the focus on client needs) while developing the organizations’ long-term plans. One pitfall of a growing company is the number of issues that distract an owner’s attention, taking time away from research and preparation for future development. When sales and services are booming, it gets harder to keep track of the world outside the organization, including the latest industry news that could have a major impact on planning.


When the business grows, most solution providers streamline their operations with automation. They may add a PSA and RMM solutions to reduce the time and effort required to manage their services practice, or implement “dashboards” that let them track issues and access client information from a single portal. With the help of partnering IT channel vendors, it’s getting easier for solution providers to automate their business.


If automation of services is so beneficial, why not follow a similar process for the media? In much the same manner as PSAs, social media and customizable news feeds let solution providers cut through the clutter of the vast editorial resources…to get the information most relevant to their business. For instance, Google Alerts will send an email notification anytime an article is posted in a specific category, or mentioning a particular term. Twitter serves a similar purpose, allowing a user to track keywords or search the site for information relating to their business. Whether looking for news on the HP partner program or articles relating to return-on-investment, each will give a current update and send alerts when similar articles appear in the future.


A Managed Editorial Service

CompTIA offers a similar intelligence-gathering service, focusing on the media and industry information that matters most to IT business owners. Readers can sign up quickly and easily to receive newsletters covering a number of channel-related topics, including news, careers, public policy, and philanthropy. For example, the daily CompTIA SmartBrief customized e-newsletter, offers articles and information that will interest IT industry professionals. The association does the “heavy lifting,” identifying and selecting the news pieces and blogs relevant to its members, and includes quotes and statistics that can be used in presentations and daily conversation. SmartBrief is just one option in the CompTIA newsletter portfolio.

Options Aplenty!

The IT channel media landscape has changed a lot over the past five years, with many publications shifting to a heavier online presence and new players emerged. Despite the predictions, print versions haven’t died out. VARBusiness phased out a couple years ago, but ChannelPro and Channel Partners quickly stepped in to offer new industry coverage and perspectives.

The channel (and IT in general) has a number of online media sources today. Combined with a plethora of industry expert and sponsored blogs, the educational and news options for solution providers continue to flourish. The challenge comes when determining which ones to follow, and how many.


There’s no easy answer to that question, especially with the list of IT channel-oriented media sites and publications changing each month. One option is to follow the social media pages of the publishers, who use them to promote their latest articles or news. LinkedIn groups let you compile the posts and send them through an email on a daily or weekly basis. Facebook and Twitter are two other options, though not every blogger has a page or feed.


Which media source or writer should you follow? That’s a decision each solution provider will have to make on their own, but I compiled a list of the most frequently mentioned media below:

Traditional Channel Media