The biggest trends expected to dominate tech channel marketing today

As we move through 2025, several exciting trends are emerging that, as channel marketers, we simply can’t ignore. These trends are driven by rapid advancements in technology, evolving customer expectations, and the increasingly intricate B2B buyer journey.

Here’s our take on the most significant trends poised to dominate tech channel marketing in 2025.

1. AI-Driven Personalisation

What’s Happening: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking personalised marketing to new heights. AI tools are now capable of analysing customer data to deliver highly tailored content, recommendations, and experiences.
Impact on Tech Channel: Vendors, distributors, and resellers need to harness AI to create personalised campaigns for specific partner ecosystems and end customers, boosting engagement and conversion rates.
Example: Imagine AI-powered chatbots for partner portals, personalised email campaigns, and dynamic content for resellers.
Warning: Please keep in mind that, while AI can provide valuable insights and assistance, it is not perfect and can sometimes make mistakes. I received an email congratulating me on the great podcast I had recorded and referencing my journey into marketing. It was inaccurate, obviously AI generated, and left me feeling ’stalked’ rather than giving me the impression of a well-researched and tailored approach.

2. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Evolution

What’s Happening: ABM is evolving, with a sharper focus on targeting high-value accounts through multi-channel campaigns.
Impact on Tech Channel: Tech companies will align marketing and sales efforts across vendors, distributors, and resellers, ensuring a cohesive approach to targeting key accounts.
Example: Imagine coordinated and highly personalised campaigns between vendors and resellers to target enterprise customers with bespoke messaging.
Warning: Outlining clear lines of communication and data ownership is vital to ensure high-value accounts receive a consistent message and consistent engagement.

3. Rise of Partner Ecosystem Marketing

What’s Happening: The tech channel continues to evolve into a more integrated ecosystem, with vendors, distributors, and resellers forming deeper, data-driven partnerships.
Impact on the Tech Channel: Marketing efforts are now focused on empowering partners with advanced co-branded campaigns, automated resource sharing, and AI-driven joint demand generation programs. This is shifting the emphasis towards real-time collaboration, streamlined processes, and data-backed performance tracking.
Example: Co-funded campaigns utilising AI-powered platforms, where resellers execute campaigns with shared, dynamic content and real-time performance analytics, ensuring better alignment and measurable ROI across all parties.
Warning: It’s super easy for partner campaigns to start strong and then lose momentum. Carefully managing partners as part of a supportive ecosystem aligned to agreed metrics can help drive results.

4. Data-Driven Decision Making

What’s Happening: Data analytics and business intelligence tools are now at the heart of marketing strategies.
Impact on Tech Channel: Tech companies will rely on data to measure campaign effectiveness, optimise partner performance, and uncover new opportunities.
Example: Real-time dashboards for tracking MDF utilisation, lead conversion rates, and ROI on channel campaigns.
Warning: The data you get out is only as good as the data you put in. It’s very important to set realistic data targets from the get-go. Data quality is so important. Think about the data sources and the benchmarks you will measure against.

5. Increased Focus on Customer Experience (CX)

What’s Happening: Customers now expect seamless, omnichannel experiences throughout their buying journey.
Impact on Tech Channel: Marketing efforts will prioritise creating frictionless experiences for both partners and end customers, from awareness to post-sale support.
Example: Unified portals for partners to access marketing materials, track leads, and manage co-branded campaigns.
Warning: Don’t overcomplicate. Do keep it simple. Over time, track and review the number of touchpoints and the engagement at each stage.

6. Video and Interactive Content Dominance

What’s Happening: Video content, interactive demos, and immersive experiences are becoming the go-to formats for engaging audiences.
Impact on Tech Channel: Vendors and resellers will invest in video content, webinars, and virtual events to educate partners and customers.
Example: Animated explainer videos for new product launches or interactive training modules for resellers.
Warning: Gamification and virtual experiences are great—but do they align with the wider campaign plan? What behaviours will they drive? If you can’t answer these simple questions, don’t invest in them. You want them to move the needle, not become a playful distraction.

8. Channel Enablement Through Digital Tools

What’s Happening: Digital platforms and tools are empowering channel partners with the resources they need to succeed.
Impact on Tech Channel: Vendors will continue to provide resellers with self-service marketing platforms, automated campaign tools, and on-demand training.
Example: Partner portals with pre-built campaign kits, social media templates, and analytics dashboards.
Warning: Yes, we know, nothing new there, but see point 3 above—carefully managed partner relationships will help maximise the effectiveness of these assets and drive better ROI

9. Voice Search and Conversational Marketing

What’s Happening: Voice search and conversational AI are transforming how customers interact with brands.
Impact on Tech Channel: Tech companies may optimise their content for voice search and use chatbots to engage partners and customers in real-time.
Example: Voice-activated tools for partners to access product information or AI-driven chatbots for lead qualification.
Warning: A few years ago, voice was predicted to be THE big thing. Voice search has been growing steadily, but its adoption has been more gradual than some early predictions suggested. While it hasn’t completely revolutionised search behaviour yet, it is becoming increasingly relevant, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

11. Metaverse and Virtual Reality (VR) Marketing

What’s Happening: The metaverse and VR are opening up new avenues for immersive brand experiences.
Impact on Tech Channel: Tech companies will explore virtual events, product demos, and training sessions in the metaverse.
Example: Virtual POCs where resellers can interact with vendors and explore new products in a 3D environment.
Warning: See point 6 above!

12. Shift to Outcome-Based Selling

What’s Happening: Customers are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than products.
Impact on Tech Channel: Marketing campaigns will continue to emphasise the business outcomes and ROI of tech solutions, rather than just features.
Example: Case studies and testimonials highlighting how a solution helped a customer achieve specific results.
Warning: If you are not doing this already, you probably should! We especially see this with tech start-ups owned and run by the tech team.

13. Automation and Orchestration

What’s Happening: Marketing automation tools are becoming more advanced, enabling seamless campaign orchestration across multiple channels.
Impact on Tech Channel: Vendors and resellers will use automation to streamline lead nurturing, partner communications, and campaign execution.
Example: Automated email workflows for MDF campaign follow-ups or lead scoring systems for resellers.
Warning: Test, test, and test again!

14. Focus on Partner Education and Training

What’s Happening: As technology evolves, resellers need ongoing education to stay competitive.
Impact on Tech Channel: Vendors will invest in training programs, certifications, and enablement resources to empower their partners.
Example: Gamified training platforms or micro-learning modules for resellers.
Warning: Less of a warning and more of an observation— where partners are carefully supported and engaged through marketing strategies and campaigns aligned to business objectives and goals, this is where the real ROI can be witnessed.

Summary:

By 2025, the tech channel will be shaped by AI-driven personalisation, partner ecosystem collaboration, data-driven strategies, and immersive technologies like VR and the metaverse. Marketers will need to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences, sustainability,while leveraging automation and digital tools to empower their partners. Staying ahead of these trends will be critical for tech companies looking to thrive in an increasingly competitive and complex market.

Talk to Bite! Our Partner Velocity Programmes are designed to maximise engagement and ROI through channel partnerships.

Vanessa Cardwell is the Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director at Bite IT Marketing, where she leads innovative marketing strategies and champions the integration of AI in content management.