You have 200 partners in your ecosystem. None of them actively market their integration with your platform.
You're missing the multiplier effect that makes platform ecosystems compound.
The Partner Marketing Gap
What most platforms expect: Partners will naturally market integrations because it's in their interest.
What actually happens: Partners are busy building products, serving customers, and running their own marketing. Your integration is a feature, not their focus.
Shopify's 2018 insight: Of 3,000 app partners, only ~300 actively marketed their Shopify integration.
The missed opportunity: 2,700 partners with potential reach, silent about Shopify.
The solution: Build co-marketing programs that make it easy, valuable, and rewarded for partners to market with you.
Result: Within 2 years, 1,500+ partners actively co-marketing. Drove 30% of new merchant signups.
The principle: Don't wait for partners to market. Enable and incentivize them.
Salesforce's Partner Marketing Framework
Salesforce doesn't leave partner marketing to chance. They built a system.
The structure:
Tier 1: Self-serve co-marketing tools
- Approved messaging and positioning
- Logo and badge usage guidelines
- Co-branded templates (slides, one-pagers, web copy)
- Social media content bank
- Email templates
- Case study frameworks
Tier 2: Marketing Development Funds (MDF)
- $5K-50K per partner per quarter
- For specific marketing activities
- 50/50 cost sharing (Salesforce matches spend)
- Approval process for campaigns
- Performance tracking required
Tier 3: Strategic co-marketing
- Joint campaigns with top partners
- Co-branded events and webinars
- Shared lead generation programs
- Joint case studies and PR
- Executive involvement
Tier 4: Ecosystem amplification
- Feature partners in Salesforce content
- AppExchange placement and promotion
- Success stories on Salesforce channels
- Speaking opportunities at events
- Trailblazer community engagement
The allocation:
- 60% of partners use Tier 1 tools
- 15% qualify for MDF (Tier 2)
- 5% strategic partnerships (Tier 3)
- Top 1% get ecosystem amplification (Tier 4)
Investment: ~$50M annually in partner co-marketing.
Return: Partners drive $10B+ in influenced revenue.
ROI: 200x (direct measurement + ecosystem value).
HubSpot's Co-Marketing Playbook
HubSpot learned which co-marketing activities actually drive results.
High ROI co-marketing:
1. Webinars (best performing):
- Co-hosted webinar series
- HubSpot brings audience + brand
- Partner brings expertise + use case
- Leads shared 50/50
- Average: 500-1,000 registrants
- Cost: $2K-5K per event
- ROI: 10-20x
2. Co-branded content:
- Joint e-books, guides, templates
- Partner expertise + HubSpot distribution
- Gated content, lead generation
- Long-tail SEO value
- Cost: $5K-15K per piece
- ROI: 5-10x
3. Case studies:
- Customer success stories
- Featuring both platforms
- Used by both companies
- PR and blog amplification
- Cost: $2K-5K per story
- ROI: Harder to measure, but essential
4. Integration launch campaigns:
- New integration announcement
- Blog posts, social, email
- Press release for major partners
- AppExchange feature
- Cost: $3K-10K
- ROI: 5-15x
Low ROI co-marketing (avoid):
1. Co-branded booths at generic conferences:
- High cost ($20K-50K)
- Unfocused audience
- Unclear attribution
- ROI: <2x
2. Generic co-marketing without clear campaign:
- Logo swaps on websites
- Vague "partner announcement"
- No clear call to action
- ROI: Negligible
3. One-off email blasts:
- Partner sends to their list once
- Low engagement (unfamiliar to audience)
- No follow-up strategy
- ROI: <1x
The strategy: Focus MDF on proven high-ROI activities.
Stripe's Integration Launch Program
When partner builds Stripe integration, launch becomes co-marketing moment.
The program:
Pre-launch (4-6 weeks before):
- Partner and Stripe marketing sync
- Define launch goals and metrics
- Align messaging and positioning
- Create launch assets (blog, social, emails)
- Identify target customer segments
Launch week:
- Stripe blog post featuring integration
- Partner blog post (cross-linked)
- Social media push from both companies
- Email to relevant customer segments
- Press release for major integrations
- Product Hunt or similar platform launch
Post-launch (30 days):
- Performance review
- Follow-up content (tutorials, webinars)
- Customer success stories emerging
- Iteration for ongoing promotion
Example: Stripe + Shopify integration launch (2020)
- Coordinated announcement
- Joint blog posts and videos
- Social media blitz
- Email to millions of users
- Press coverage in major outlets
- Result: 100K+ new integrations in first 90 days
The insight: Integration launches are marketing opportunities. Coordinate for maximum impact.
Shopify's App Partner Co-Marketing
Shopify provides tiered co-marketing based on app quality and performance.
The tiers:
All partners (baseline):
- App Store listing (free traffic)
- Partner blog guest post opportunities
- Social media mention eligibility
- Partner newsletter inclusion
- Self-serve marketing resources
Built for Shopify partners (quality signal):
- Special badge in App Store
- Featured placement eligibility
- Priority in search results
- Dedicated launch support
- Case study opportunities
Shopify Plus partners (top tier):
- Featured in Shopify Plus content
- Speaking opportunities at events
- Executive briefings
- Joint enterprise campaigns
- Strategic account introductions
The qualification: Not just revenue, but app quality, merchant satisfaction, and strategic fit.
Result: Partners in higher tiers see 3-5x more installs and 2x higher LTV.
Marketing Development Funds (MDF) Best Practices
MDF programs are common but often ineffective. What works:
Clear eligibility criteria:
- Minimum partner tier
- Revenue or customer thresholds
- Quality/performance standards
- Strategic alignment
Approved activities:
- Webinars and virtual events
- Content creation (e-books, guides)
- Case study development
- Paid advertising (with approval)
- Event sponsorships
- Email marketing campaigns
Prohibited activities:
- General operating expenses
- Partner-only branding (no co-branding)
- Activities not measurable
- Low-quality or off-brand content
AWS Partner Network MDF structure:
- Quarterly allocation based on tier
- 50/50 cost share
- Submit proposal for approval
- Provide proof of execution
- Report on results
- Unused funds don't roll over
Typical MDF budgets:
- Gold partners: $10K-25K/quarter
- Platinum partners: $25K-100K/quarter
- Premier partners: $100K-500K/quarter
The requirement: Prove ROI or MDF allocation decreases next quarter.
Co-Branded Content That Converts
Generic co-marketing content doesn't work. Specific does.
Bad co-branded content:
- "Partner X integrates with Platform Y"
- Lists features without context
- No clear use case or benefit
- Generic stock photos
- No customer proof
Good co-branded content:
Title: "How [Customer Name] cut invoice processing time by 60% with [Partner] + [Platform]"
Structure:
- The challenge (relatable problem)
- Why they chose this solution (selection criteria)
- How they implemented it (specifics)
- Results achieved (measurable outcomes)
- How readers can replicate (clear CTA)
HubSpot + Databox example:
- Title: "How to build a marketing dashboard in 10 minutes"
- Format: Video tutorial + written guide
- Shows: HubSpot data → Databox visualization
- Includes: Templates and best practices
- CTA: "Try Databox for HubSpot free"
Results: 50K views, 5K trial starts, 500 paid conversions.
The difference: Taught something valuable, didn't just announce integration.
Joint Webinar Programs
Webinars are highest-ROI co-marketing activity if done right.
MongoDB + Vercel partnership webinar series:
Format:
- Monthly webinar, alternating topics
- MongoDB and Vercel co-present
- 30 min content + 15 min Q&A
- Recorded and reused as evergreen content
Topics:
- "Building modern web apps with Next.js and MongoDB"
- "Scaling serverless applications with MongoDB Atlas"
- "From prototype to production in one day"
Promotion:
- Both companies promote to their lists
- Social media push from both
- Paid ads (cost shared)
- Partners and community channels
Results per webinar:
- 800-1,500 registrants
- 300-500 live attendees
- 2,000-4,000 replay views
- 100-200 qualified leads (each company)
- 10-20 new customers
Investment: ~$5K per webinar (shared)
Return: $50K-100K influenced revenue per webinar
The playbook: Consistent series builds audience and momentum.
Partner-to-Partner Co-Marketing
Not just platform + partner. Enable partner-to-partner co-marketing.
Shopify's ecosystem plays:
Example: Klaviyo + Smile.io (both Shopify apps)
The integration:
- Klaviyo (email marketing)
- Smile.io (loyalty program)
- Together: Loyalty email campaigns
Co-marketing:
- Joint webinar
- Co-branded content
- Shared case studies
- Reciprocal promotion
Shopify's role:
- Facilitated introduction
- Provided co-marketing guidance
- Featured integration in ecosystem content
- Amplified through Shopify channels
Result: Both partners see increased adoption, Shopify ecosystem value increases.
The insight: Platform benefits when partners collaborate and co-market.
Social Media Co-Marketing
How to coordinate social amplification:
Tweet template library (provided to partners):
Template 1: Launch announcement
Excited to announce [Partner] now integrates with [Platform]!
This means [key benefit]. Learn more: [link]
[partnertag] [platformtag] #integration
Template 2: Customer success
[Customer Name] achieved [result] using [Partner] + [Platform].
See how they did it: [link]
[partnertag] [platformtag]
Template 3: Tutorial/How-to
New guide: How to [accomplish task] with [Partner] and [Platform]
[Free download/watch video]: [link]
Stripe's social co-marketing guidelines:
- Provide templates (but encourage customization)
- Tag both companies
- Use approved hashtags
- Include visuals (provided by platform)
- Link to co-branded landing page
Coordinated timing:
- Major launches: Synchronized posting
- Ongoing content: Staggered for reach
- Events: Real-time amplification
The measurement: Impressions, engagement, click-through, conversions.
Customer Introduction Programs
The most valuable co-marketing: Introduce partners to your customers.
Salesforce's partner introduction framework:
Level 1: Marketplace recommendations
- Algorithm suggests relevant partners
- Based on customer profile and needs
- In-app recommendations
- Email suggestions
Level 2: Sales referrals
- Salesforce account execs recommend partners
- Commission or credit for successful referrals
- Partner trained to work with referrals
- Success tracked and measured
Level 3: Strategic intros
- Named accounts
- Executive-level introductions
- Co-selling with Salesforce reps
- Joint account planning
The requirements for partner:
- Proven quality and reliability
- Salesforce certified
- References from existing customers
- Aligned with Salesforce success metrics
AWS's customer introduction program:
- AWS Marketplace listings
- Sales rep recommendations
- Solution architecture referrals
- Success story showcases
Result: Partner-sourced customers have 2x higher LTV than self-serve.
Measuring Co-Marketing ROI
What to track:
Engagement metrics:
- Webinar registrations and attendance
- Content downloads
- Social media reach and engagement
- Email open and click rates
Lead metrics:
- MQLs generated by activity
- SQLs from co-marketing
- Pipeline influenced
- Deal registration
Revenue metrics:
- Co-marketing influenced revenue
- Customer acquisition cost (co-marketing)
- Partner-sourced vs. direct revenue
- Expansion from partner relationships
Partner metrics:
- Partner participation rate
- Partner-generated content
- Partner satisfaction with co-marketing
- Repeat co-marketing activities
HubSpot's co-marketing dashboard (reviewed quarterly):
- Total MDF deployed: $2.5M
- Webinars hosted: 48
- Leads generated: 12,000
- Pipeline influenced: $45M
- Revenue closed: $8M
- ROI: 3.2x
The insight: Co-marketing is measurable. Measure it or stop doing it.
Building a Co-Marketing Program from Scratch
Year 1: Foundation
- Create co-marketing assets (templates, guidelines)
- Launch pilot with 5-10 partners
- Test different formats (webinars, content, events)
- Measure results, learn what works
- Document playbooks
Year 2: Scale
- Roll out self-serve tools to all partners
- Launch MDF program for qualified partners
- Establish quarterly co-marketing calendar
- Build partner marketing community
- Hire partner marketing team
Year 3: Optimize
- Data-driven prioritization
- Automated partner onboarding
- Tiered programs by partner value
- Ecosystem cross-promotion
- Strategic account co-selling
Typical investment:
- Year 1: $250K (staff + pilot programs)
- Year 2: $1-2M (team + MDF + programs)
- Year 3: $3-5M (scaled programs)
Typical return:
- Year 1: 2-3x (learning year)
- Year 2: 5-10x (scaling)
- Year 3: 10-20x (optimized)
The Partner Co-Marketing Mindset Shift
Old mindset: "We built a great platform. Partners should market it."
New mindset: "Our partners are our growth channel. We need to enable and activate them."
The behaviors that change:
- From reactive to proactive partner marketing
- From generic to targeted co-marketing
- From one-off to systematic programs
- From hoping partners market to ensuring they do
Shopify's philosophy: Every app partner is a marketing channel. Treat them like one.
Result: Ecosystem that compounds. Partners bring customers. Customers drive partner growth. Cycle repeats.
That's co-marketing done right.
Not wishful thinking. Systematic enablement and activation.
Your ecosystem won't market itself.
But with the right programs, it can become your most valuable growth channel.