A content library can easily become a catch-all for any and all materials you’ve produced over the years if it’s not reviewed and updated regularly. For most of us content creators, it’s much more satisfying to add than it is to delete. 

Auditing the resources available near the end of the year is a great way to tidy up your PRM so it best serves each partner and aligns with upcoming goals and initiatives. Follow these actionable steps for auditing your channel content library. 

How to Perform a Channel Content Library Audit

Before you start evaluating the value of each individual piece of content in your library and whether to keep it or not, get the right organizational framework in place.  

You’ll need somewhere to list out your materials, such as a spreadsheet or inventory document that includes each piece of content within the PRM. In this centralized location, note the following:

• What type of content it is (blog, video, e-book, template, etc.) 
• When it was created
• When it was last updated or modified 
• How frequently it is being accessed, viewed or shared
• If the copy/branding/design is accurate or outdated

Beyond these basic details about the piece of content, think about where it fits into the bigger picture of your content strategy. 

Ask yourself:

1. Is this piece of content tied to a specific goal or strategy? If so, what purpose does it serve? 
2. Who is the intended audience?
3. Is it delivered in the right format to be accessible to the target audience and support their goals?

Break down your channel content by partner journey, as well.  

You’ll want to offer a robust selection of tools for each stage of the partner engagement cycle from onboarding and training to co-marketing and co-selling. As you catalog your existing content, think also about the diversity of partnership types, industries and goals that need to be addressed and where each piece of content fits into that picture. Your audience isn’t monolithic, so your conversations with them shouldn’t be monotonous.

Dive Into the Data

Of course, no audit would be complete without hard data and metrics. In your review of each piece of content, consider partner engagement measurements like:

• Number of clicks 
• Number of homepage pins
• Number of likes
• Number of shares
• Pass rates for quizzes 
• Which specific partners are engaging with your content

Engagement metrics don’t tell the full story but they do indicate which pieces content are garnering the most attention in a given time period. Take this information with a grain of salt, but it can be helpful in knowing what formats or information are gaining traction and resonating with your audience.  

Look also at the big picture: the percentage of your overall content that’s being engaged. Are only a few top blog posts generating activity? Do you have dozens of videos, but only one is viewed frequently? This can indicate a problem with the pieces that aren’t getting attention. They may need to be refreshed or made easier to find in the library. 

Finally, talk to your current partners! Communicate with partners to see if any helpful content is missing, and plan for future content creation accordingly. Learn more about their goals and pain points, so you can address those needs. 

Top Resources to Include in a Content Library

Once you have a solid overview of the channel content that currently exists in your library, you can start deciding what stays as-is, what needs updating and what is no longer serving a purpose.

In general, you should include a variety of resources for each of the following content categories.

Training Materials 

What do your partners need to know to be successful from the start? Include content not just about your products or services in the onboarding phase, but also about your company itself. 

Training materials could include:

• Videos
• Product demos
• Presentations about your company
• One-sheeters summarizing key features of your offerings
• Interactive quizzes to test your partner’s knowledge of the training resources
• Voice-and-tone documents 
• Brand messaging guidelines

Sales Enablement Tools

What information and materials do your partners need to be able to effectively market and sell your offerings? Think beyond just what the partners need to know and make sure you’re offering sufficient content that they can share with a prospect. 

For example, helpful tools include:

• Competitor battlecards
• Email templates
• Blog posts
• E-books
• Whitepapers
• Case studies
• Sales decks
• Demo videos (that are shareable and relevant to your partner’s prospects)

Co-Branding Materials 

One of the benefits of partnerships is the opportunity to co-market. Support those initiatives by offering an easy, polished way to create co-branded materials. Content should be engaging and shareable, but maintain a controlled, consistent brand voice. 

In addition to voice-and-tone documents and brand messaging guidelines, share information on automatically co-branding existing sales and marketing materials, as well as where to find pre-existing co-branded content within the library.

For inspiration, co-branding opportunities could include:

• Podcasts
• Webinars
• Events
• Case Studies
• Press Releases
• Social Media Campaigns 

Organize Your Content Library With These Four Tips

Once you reviewed your existing channel content and evaluated where any gaps might be, dedicate some time to organizing your library. 

1. Track engagement on content and remove or revamp materials that are not deemed as useful during the audit phase. Prevent partners from becoming overwhelmed by too much content by only serving them content relevant to their roles.
2. Look at who can access each piece of content. Within your PRM, set visibility filters to control which pieces are accessible to which audiences so your partners have a targeted, purposefully curated experience.
3. Utilize tags and keywords, create a naming structure for all materials. Include various types of content (i.e. PDFs, videos) and ensure the format for each content type is clearly communicated at a glance.
4. Encourage partners to pin their favorite/most-used materials so they can easily locate and access what they need when they need it.

Creating Stellar Content For Your Partners

A content library is only as strong as the materials it houses. If you’ve identified gaps in your content strategy during your audit or are looking to create new relevant material that helps your partners market and sell, these resources can help. 

• Strengthen Your Partner Program with Content Strategies for 2022 and Beyond – 
  Without proper content, you cannot properly train your partners. Nor could they communicate effectively with sales prospects. To keep your partner program’s content strategy invigorated and forward-thinking for years to come, keep in mind these fundamentals.
• Tips and Tools for Building a Channel Content Library –
  A well-organized, centralized content library empowers your channel partners to confidently represent your brand and offering. Here’s how you can build a channel content library to set your sales partners up for success, along with a few organizational tips to make it user-friendly. 
• How to Get your Partner Portal Ready for Year End –
  Take a look at your existing partner portals and identify areas that could be cleaned up or improved to set your partner relationships up for success in 2023.
• The Top 5 Utilized PRM Features – An Inside Look at Partner Behavior –
  We conducted a deep dive into partner behavior across their ecosystem to deliver data-driven insights that can inform your strategy in the new year.