MQLs: How partner marketers can define success
The Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is, without a doubt, a critical KPI for most marketing teams. It’s the bridge between marketing’s awareness efforts and the sales team’s pursuit of qualified opportunities. Yet defining an MQL can be tricky, with tons of opinions and options to consider. Add partner marketing considerations and the definition can get complicated. We’ll help you sort it out.
When working with our clients on a day-to-day basis, we come across many different definitions of what an MQL is. It seems that more often than not, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this particular metric, with some organizations facing multiple definitions depending upon the team. It can be a bit maddening and hard to navigate, especially as marketing technology becomes more advanced and specialization more available.
In this blog, we delve into the various ways organizations define MQLs, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, particularly for partner marketing teams.
The spectrum of MQL definitions
We all know MQLs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Organizations establish what criteria qualifies as an MQL based on their specific goals, target audience, and sales cycle. Here are a few common approaches, along with their pitfalls:
Basic engagement: This method focuses on simple website interactions—downloads, subscriptions, or form submissions. While easy to measure, it might not capture true purchase intent.
Content consumption: This method considers the depth of content engagement, like white paper downloads or webinar registrations measured by quantity or, more often, specific metrics like time spent. This approach indicates deeper interest but may not translate directly to sales-readiness.
Fit with Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): MQLs here align with the company’s ideal customer—industry, size, and decision-makers. This ensures alignment but might exclude potentially valuable leads outside the strict ICP definition.
Behavioral targeting: Here, website activities like specific page visits or time spent on product pages signals interest. This method offers valuable insights but may overlook prospects researching broadly or needing more information before committing.
Lead scoring: This method assigns points based on various activities, creating a lead score threshold for MQL status. It offers a more nuanced approach but requires ongoing analysis and adjustment.
This list represents just a few of the ways that teams can define what an MQL is to their organization, as well as what it isn’t. Regardless of the methodology, it’s important to land on a definition for marketing operations purposes for all branded marketing activities as well as for any vendor-based programs and, of course, for partner marketing efforts. Because accurate ROI and effective next steps depend on it.
MQL considerations for partner marketing
If you guessed that partner marketing can add another layer of complexity, you guessed correctly. When it comes to going to market with one or more of your partners, you might find that your MQL definition may not perfectly align with your partners’, and lead nurturing may involve additional steps on one side that it doesn’t on the other. Here’s how each approach we shared above impacts partner marketing:
Basic engagement: While easy to track within your own channels, it offers limited insight into partner-generated leads. The solution? Consider collaborating with partners to define mutually beneficial engagement metrics.
Content consumption: This can be a strong indicator of partner effectiveness. Track content downloads co-created with partners or those accessed through partner referrals. This method offers a great opportunity to compare lead strength across your partner ecosystem as well and helps with creating more content and campaigns down the road.
Fit with Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Aligning ICPs with partners ensures a strong value proposition for their audience. However, it’s important to consider allowing some flexibility for partners with niche expertise that attracts a slightly different customer profile. It’s not uncommon for parameters to be adjusted as new data is collected from partner sales and marketing teams.
Behavioral targeting: Monitor partner-specific website traffic and page visits to understand the types of leads they generate. This helps tailor co-marketing campaigns and messaging, and helps you gauge product interest.
Lead scoring: Develop a scoring system that accounts for partner-specific interactions, like partner webinar registrations or quote requests generated through co-marketing efforts.
Your marketing operations team may not be too keen to hear that you have to redefine metrics just for partner-based activities. However, in the long run, applying unique parameters to leads obtained in partner campaigns will help you measure much more than your campaign effectiveness. In fact, it might help you more accurately measure and optimize your Partner Lifetime Value—which you can learn more about in one of our recent blogs.
So what’s the winning formula for partner marketers?
Just like there’s not a one-size-fits all approach to defining an MQL for a particular marketing team, the same goes for partner marketers. One thing is clear, however: the ideal MQL definition for partner marketing strikes a balance between capturing qualified leads and allowing partner flexibility. Here are some tips for success.
Collaboration is key. We recommend developing a joint understanding of ICPs, lead scoring systems, and desired MQL criteria with your partners so that as you work together, you can reach a definition that works well for everyone. Ideally this is a prerequisite for partner co-marketing investments.
Engagement over qualification. Initially, prioritize partner-generated leads demonstrating basic website engagement or content consumption. This will help you and your partner learn more about your prospects and build a solid foundation for your joint MQL definition.
Nurture, nurture, nurture. Partner email campaigns, webinars, or co-created content can nurture leads further before passing them to sales, and lead nurture is arguably the most important marketing activity to ensure revenue success.
Track partner-specific metrics. Monitor leads generated through partner channels and adjust strategies based on performance. We recommend weekly connection points at minimum.
Having explored core MQL definition approaches, let’s put a finer point on partner-specific considerations. In partner marketing, it’s important to tailor your team or organization’s MQL strategy for optimal partner alignment and lead quality. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Partner tiering and specialization: Not all partners are created equal. Some specialize in generating leads at the top of the funnel, while others excel at nurturing later-stage leads. Consider establishing tiered MQL definitions based on partner capabilities. For instance, a top-tier partner might generate leads that meet a higher lead scoring threshold compared with a newer partner still building their audience.
Lead source attribution: Accurately attributing leads to specific partners is crucial. Utilize marketing automation tools that track lead origin through UTM parameters or partner-specific landing pages. This allows you to measure partner effectiveness and tailor future co-marketing efforts.
Service-Level Agreements (SLAs): Clearly define MQL criteria within your SLAs with partners. This ensures both parties are on the same page regarding lead quality expectations and fosters open communication about lead nurturing strategies. The timing of any action is a critical piece of data when working with leads.
Data sharing and communication: Establish a regular data-sharing cadence with partners. Share lead performance metrics, MQL conversion rates, and overall campaign effectiveness. This transparency allows for joint optimization and continuous improvement of partner marketing initiatives. You know what they say, sharing is caring.
A note about flexibility
While a standardized MQL definition offers structure, maintaining some flexibility is essential for successful partner marketing for a few reasons. For one, partners often develop creative lead generation strategies that your team may not be implementing. Be open to exploring new approaches and adjusting MQL criteria if they demonstrate effectiveness in capturing valuable leads. It’s also important to note that market conditions can shift, influencing buyer behavior. Stay adaptable and adjust your MQL definition alongside your partner as needed.
Conclusion: It takes two (or more) to tango
Defining an MQL for partner marketing can be a delicate dance, requiring a balance between lead quality, partner autonomy, and collaboration. By understanding the various MQL approaches, incorporating partner-specific considerations, and maintaining flexibility, you can develop a strategy that fosters successful partnerships and drives high-quality leads that convert, which in turn helps you meet your goals and keeps your organization happy.
Next steps
Now that you’ve explored different MQL definitions and the considerations needed for partner marketing campaigns, here are some next steps you can take to get your team aligned and on track:
Conduct a partner marketing audit: Evaluate your current MQL definition and its effectiveness in generating leads through partner channels, and compare it with how your partners calculate MQLs.
Develop a joint MQL strategy with your key partners: Discuss your ideal customer profiles and establish mutually beneficial MQL criteria.
Follow up with partners on how your results are evolving based upon your aligned MQL criteria.
Establish regular and effective partner communication: This can manifest in a variety of ways, like a partner portal, which can help facilitate data sharing, ongoing communication, and lead performance tracking with your partners. Streamlined communications can help you and your partners go to market faster and more efficiently than ever.
By actively managing your MQL strategy and fostering strong partner relationships, you can help ensure your partner marketing initiatives consistently deliver qualified leads that fuel your sales pipeline. How do we know? Because we help organizations do it every day. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you and your partners facilitate these conversations, generate MQLs, and nurture them to conversion.