What are the key themes for channel media now? Sustainability and DE&I are certainly on the agenda – CRN has an entire section of its website devoted to sustainability, called Tech Impact and is also running a Tech Impact Awards programme. Elsewhere, PCR is currently asking for contributions to its DE&I roundtable discussion.
But channel players need to take a careful approach to these subjects. You need to have something solid in place before you actively promote your activities and get involved in the debate.
Managed services, security and the cloud all continue to be areas of focus, but it’s getting harder to find a new angle on these subjects. The skills gap – or ‘great resignation’ as it’s being called, is also a big theme right now.
Underlying all of this is the general theme of a potential slowdown in economic activity, but that’s not something channel media will focus on too much. It’s not really in their interests to talk the market down.
What then should you focus on if you want to get the attention of channel media? Well, whatever you think is interesting to your reseller partners right now should also be of interest to the media. Look at the messages you are communicating to them and think about how they could be turned into some kind of meaningful and relevant story.
Another way of drawing out stories is to listen to partners and what they are animated or concerned about right now. If you notice a particular trend, the media might be very interested in hearing about it. But before you communicate that information, make sure you have a position on the subject. If resellers don’t know what to do about addressing their carbon emissions or how to act on De&I, for example, or if they are struggling with the skills shortage, what are you and / or your industry partners doing to help them address those challenges?
When there is a lack of hard-edged news, the views, opinions and ideas of people in the channel can become stories for channel media. You just need to think about what matters right now and take a position.
