What makes the best SaaS partner programs
When you look at the best SaaS programs out there, it’s safe to say that a couple of themes stand out. Nearly all of the companies below are able to offer co-marketing support to all of their customers, and this also helps them to manage their partner relationships too. Two-thirds of them pay for referrals. And a handful provide sales training. So without any further ado, here are the best 30 partner programs that are being offered by SaaS companies.
1. Podia
Podia makes it incredibly easy for people to build their own online business. The platform gives creators everything they need to start creating and hosting their own online courses, and you don’t have to worry about promoting referral links either. The whole thing is super simple, and if there is one thing that we can learn from this, it’s that if you make it easy for people to join your program, they’ll be much more likely to refer customers in return.
2. Hubspot
Hubspot has a broad product to say the least. They offer assistance for inbound marketing, CRM providers and even integration partners as well. They have a strong referral commission for the first year, but you do have to pay $50 a month if you want to sign up. The key takeaway here is that if you split your partner program into their individual purposes, it makes it easier for everyone to manage.
3. Shopify
Shopify is easily one of the biggest platforms around. They offer a huge range of perks, and partners also have access to a dedicated dashboard. With referral commission, app development and even sales support, it’s a clear winner. Having a clear and comprehensive overview of your product takes effort, but it will help your partners to integrate it more efficiently. Shopify really capitalise on this.
4. Mailchimp
Mailchimp have their own partner program, and this is somewhat limited when you look at the product they have to offer. The referral commissions are low, but if you are able to offer a public directory for your partners then this can help customers to find whatever they are looking for.
5. Atlassian
Atlassian make a huge range of collaborative tools for business teams of any size. They are also able to offer a tiered-solution program. This includes partner access, certification, training and even bonuses. They can give you a dedicated channel manager and you can graduate to a higher tier by meeting various goals. The takeaway here is that if you base tiers on performance, you can reward your partners with ease.
6. Paypal
Paypal provide payment solutions to businesses of any size. They are also able to provide you with co-marketing opportunities. Comprehensive partner programs can be incredibly confusing for new partners, but making it easy for them to contact you really puts their mind at ease.
7. Marketo
Marketo is one of the big players when it comes to marketing automation. They are able to provide you with expert training and they can also give you some support with your co-marketing as well. Higher tier partners also get joint collateral and sandbox access. At the end of the day, building a community of customers and partners helps to inspire a ton of new and creative ideas.
8. Slack
Slack has a well-run integrated program. They have 1000 SaaS products and the partner list they have includes some very big names, such as Google. Their program cannot be joined by anyone, and you have to submit an application in order to be considered. The key takeaway here is that partner applications really help your customers to rely on your products because Slack do that perfectly.
9. Acquia
Acquia is a leading website content management tool. They give their customers the chance to deploy, manage and even scale their experience. When you join, you can gain access to a public directory of 1000 partners. The underlying message? Case studies and testimonials from existing partners can encourage other people to join.
10. Pantheon
Pantheon gives marketers the chance to manage, maintain and build websites without the fuss of hiring a full-time operational team. They provide a directory of trusted agencies and they will also help you out with social media. Services that are packed with value are easily more marketable.
11. Xero
Xero provides a simple and easy-to-understand accounting software. They are able to offer a huge range of popular features and this can include inventory management, payroll and so much more. They are also one of the most user-friendly programs out there. Partners can become “champions” by unlocking designation in lead sharing, co-development and even customer support. If you make it easy for partners to understand your program then they will be more inclined to sign up.
12. Leanplum
Leanplum makes it very easy for companies to boost their user engagement. They also give you access to dedicated marketing support, technology guidance and even marketing events. This just goes to show that co-marketing efforts can help to drive results for your partners and you with ease.
13. Seventh Sense
Seventh Sense agencies boost the email engagement and open rate. When you sign up with them, you will receive training and you will also be able to list your business in their public directory. Partner communities like this are very low-risk and they also boost the chances of people finding your product.
14. Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a CRM. They excel when it comes to connecting with other software tools, and it is free to join. You also get 33% of referral commission. In the first year, you will be offered an expert program and to capitalise on this, you will need to pass a certification program. This will give you a 20% referral commission. If you are able to split your program, then this will make it easier than ever for other people to join.
15. Amplitude
Amplitude is an analytics company. They help SaaS providers to understand the behaviour of their users and they also provide a certification test. Partners are then provided with sales support for their pitches, and chances to join other marketing events. Certification requirements can certainly help you to work with the best of the best.
16. Databox
Databox is great because it gives you the chance to track your company performance. It also helps you to connect your data sources. This can include Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Analytics and even AdWords as well. Agencies can easily partner up with Databox to try and report/collect metrics for free. If you are able to offer a free program tier for your partners, then this can open the door for even more revenue.
17. Sprout
If you have done anything to do with social media management then there is a high chance that you have come across Sprout in the past. They are one of the leading platforms out there and they are able to provide you with support services as well. Their pricing is customised so that they are an affordable option for some of the smaller agencies and they also offer 20% on their referrals. Scaling your product can sometimes make you a more affordable option for smaller agencies.
18. Unbounce
Unbounce makes it very easy for their users to optimise, build and launch their own drag and drop pages. Their benefits also offer partnerships the chance to add adjacent tools, so that they can become better at meeting the needs of their customers.
19. Zendesk
Zendesk makes it easy for companies to turn any interactions they have into long-lasting relationships. They tick a lot of boxes, and they are also able to offer their partners online sales training. If you advance to a higher tier, then you will be given instructor-led training and even marketing funds. Clear documentation of your program will help partners to understand how they can benefit.
20. Uberflip
Uberflip gives companies the chance to build their own compelling content. Their program might be small, but it is powerful. They have a public directory of certified experts and they are also able to offer free tickets to their Conex Conference. The key takeaway here is that they are able to offer a sandbox account, which is crucial to a lot of business owners.
21. Wistia
If you need video hosting then Wistia are the way to go. They can provide you with some of the best tools on the market and they can also work with you to make sure that you are getting a great deal of ROI as well. Wistia’s partner program is tiered and they also give their partners the chance to speak at events. There is no cost to join, but you won’t be getting anything for referrals either.
22. Vidyard
Vidyard helps to turn viewers into customers. Each partner is paired with a channel success manager and a partner success manager. Enterprise-level partnerships do require more hands-on support, and that is exactly what Vidyard provide.
23. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is one of the best when it comes to data-driven email marketing. Their program is strong, to say the least and they can also give you a commission on every referral.
24. WP Engine
WP Engine is a WordPress host. They specialise in Word Press and this enables them to provide a much more focused solution. You can access a partner portal, lead sharing and even public directories. A partner portal will give your partners and your customers the self-help tools they need, and this can really help to give them the training they need when they need it the most.
25. Zuora
Zuora is a subscription management platform. If you want to launch and manage your own subscription payments then they make it easier than ever. When you sign up, you will get a list of their public partners and you will also get invitations to attend high-profile events. Higher-tier benefits such as sales training can easily be offered to some of your lower-tier partners if you are willing to pay an additional fee.
26. Ruler Analytics
Ruler analytics helps any marketing agency to collect data. They have monthly incentives and they also offer client reporting. The additional revenue they offer comes from recruiting other partners, which is something that a lot of SaaS platforms can’t really do. Offering a revenue share for partner recruitment is a great way for you to help your company stand out.
27. Auth0
Auth0 makes it very easy for SaaS partners to authenticate their users across both website and mobile applications. They can use the platform in their own SaaS tools and they can also add new apps to the ones that they have now. They can also provide very generous resale and referral commissions too. The key takeaway here is that if you are able to offer high referral commission then this will help you out when you first launch.
28. Copper
The best thing about Copper is that it integrates CRM into your Gmail. You will gain access to exclusive discounts when you sign up with them and you are also able to tap into their feedback as well.
29. Optimizely
Optimizely is an A/B software and it gives companies the chance to take all of the guesswork out of their product development. They can provide you with developer support and they can also provide you with a custom sandbox that will really help you with experimentation. If you are able to offer a certification program, then this can boost the trust that partners have in your company.
30. SnapApp
SnapApp is a very popular tool and it includes quizzes, surveys, calculators and more. This will help you to capture new leads and it will also help you to get a bigger picture of what you are doing. They don’t give their new clients any product revenue, but their educational platform will give you everything you need to grow your opportunities. If you arm your partners with content like this then you can help them to sell to your customers.