Out of the 14 different spheres of influence that we track at Forrester, the channel industry trade press ranks near the top. Smart vendors and distributors know that the magic of finding, influencing, recruiting, enabling, and nourishing a top-performing channel boils down to three simple questions about partners:
What do they read?
Where do they go?
Who do they follow?
If you were to ask the millions of global VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, systems integrators, consultants, agencies, dealers, ISVs, and emerging tech companies these questions, you would learn that the 59 channel-facing magazines around the world — and their related communities, events, and social channels — carry an outsized level of influence on vendor selection, business model evolution, and skills development.
Forrester research from this year shows that media articles and publications have remained solidly in the top three content assets that form influence. Vendor demos, presentations, case studies, websites, and analyst reports also carry weight and can supplement the media.
The media remains localized, relevant, and easy to access for partners.
Many of the 150-plus trade shows per year are hosted by media companies, as well as leading social groups (check out our top 143 list) and podcasts (check out our top 100 list). The vast majority of partners get at least some news online (via smartphone, computer, or tablet), and the online space has bifurcated to represent legacy news outlets and new, “born on the web” news sites. In fact, this list of the 59 top channel media outlets has an average age of 19 years — with a dozen of the magazines predating the internet!
Over this time span, the business model of these organizations has radically shifted. When I worked at a Fortune 500 vendor in 2010, I remember reducing our advertising spend in magazines by 90% that year — never to recover. While digital advertising revenue is increasing, the lion’s share of it is spent with Google and Facebook. The transition from print to digital spaces has caused huge disruptions in how these media outlets operate, and I would guess that full-time employment of publishers, editors, and journalists is down by over half over the past decade. The growth of events and sponsorships has fueled the business model, while other parts of the digital media kit have matured to pick up the slack.
In the end, these media outlets provide a critical role in the future of our industry. They give channel professionals relevant and timely information and push partner businesses to innovate and create value for customers. They orchestrate collaboration opportunities, skill building, relationship nurturing, hiring, and provide an important platform for influencers and superconnectors to reach large numbers of people.
The industry media also provides value to individual partner businesses to learn the status of the industry — including buyer, vertical, geographic, sector, and product insights.
Partners can learn about new business opportunities via trends and learn about their competition. In the decade of the ecosystem, it’s also a chance for partners, vendors, and distributors to form strategic alliances with other members of the industry.
There is a direct correlation between great channel-media execution and channel-focused PR agencies that I wrote about here. Many channel professionals have pointed to the diminishing consumer trust in media and have valid questions on whether this extends to industry-specific media, as well. The stories that PR people share with the media need to be timely, robust, accurate, and relevant. Moreover, they also need to be supported by reputable stats, expert opinion, and solid facts to increase the value to the audience and maintain trust.
If you are looking to succeed in this industry, it behooves you to know the different spheres of influence (i.e., study this list and understand the power of industry media outlets). As an important source of influence, you should know the editors and writers personally, as well. When you attend conferences and tradeshows again, keep your eye out for the list of media sponsors and take special notice of who is lurking in the shadows, engaging in hallway banter, and monitoring the industry chatter.
Once you find them, lead with vital information — not jargon or fluff — and understand that they are looking for the hook (the who, what, where, when, why, and how). Ask yourself if it is applicable to their audience and why they would care.
Here are the top 59 global IT channel media outlets — what MSPs, MSSPs, resellers, integrators, and IT consultants read:
Channel Daily News (Canada)
Link: https://channeldailynews.com/
Description: Since 1985, CDN (formerly Computer Dealer News) has been the leading information source for Canadian IT solution providers. Arm yourself with the latest channel news and views from important industry people.
Founded: 1985
Publisher: IT World Canada (IDG)
Location: Canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDNchannel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/channel-daily-news/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDN_Channel
Total Social Followers: 4270
People to know: Alex Coop, Fawn Annan, Brad McBride, Steve Proctor
ChannelE2E
Link: https://www.channele2e.com/
Description: ChannelE2E offers news, information, lists & research for managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs), resellers, VARs, IT consultants, integrators & channel partners. From entrepreneur to exit (E2E).
Founded: 2015
Publisher: After Nines Inc.
Location: United States
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channele2e
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/channele2e/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/channele2e
Total Social Followers: 6060
People to know: Joe Panettieri, Amy Katz
CRN
Link: https://www.crn.com/
Description: We are The Channel Catalyst. Backed by nearly 40 years of technology channel experience, The Channel Company is the leader in media, events, insights and marketing services for technology vendors, solution providers, and IT professionals.
Founded: 1981
Publisher: The Channel Co.
Location: United States
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChannelCompany
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-channel-company/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheChannelCo
Total Social Followers: 22299
People to know: Jennifer Follett, Robert Faletra, Adelaide J. Reilly
E-ChannelNews (Canada)
Link: https://e-channelnews.com
Description: E-ChannelNews.com focuses on news and information that is of interest to the IT channel in Canada. We scour the web for announcements, events, promotions and advice of interest to Resellers, VARs, Distributors and IT Vendors.
Founded: 2002
Publisher: TechnoPlanet Productions Inc
Location: Canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/echannelnews
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8113366/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eChannelNews
Total Social Followers: 1286
People to know: Julian Lee, Marie-Claude Rouleau, Gerlinda Ridge
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #40/59
IoT Playbook
Link: https://www.iotplaybook.com/
Description: The Integrator and Solution Provider’s Guide to Profiting from the Internet of Things
Founded: 2018
Publisher: EH Publishing
Location: United States
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iotplaybook
Total Social Followers: 197
People to know: Richard Freeman, Michael Siggins, Joel Zaidspiner
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #54/59
MSP Insights
Link: https://www.mspinsights.com/
Description: MSPinsights.com exists to guide MSP’s (managed service providers’) growth in the complex and rapidly-evolving managed services industry. The content we produce is derived from successful MSPs.
Founded: 2011
Publisher: VertMarkets, Inc.
Location: United States
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vertmarkets/
Total Social Followers: 2079
People to know: John Oncea, Joe Mureo, Ed Heidt
PartnerOn Journal
Link: https://partneronjournal.com/
Description: PartnerOn Journal is where channel partners come together to share lessons learned, and to celebrate wins. Featuring motivational stories and timely information, for partners about partners.
Founded: 2017
Publisher: ContentMX
Location: United States
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/partneron/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/channelmarkj
Total Social Followers: 432
People to know: Jeff Mesnik, Amber Shimkus
Reseller Magazine
Link: https://reseller.com.mx/
Description: With more than 15 years of experience, we are the most relevant information medium in our country in the technology industry in Mexico, as our work has taken us beyond informing the distribution channel.
Founded: 2006
Publisher: Estrategias Comerciales Optimizadas
Location: Mexico
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resellermagazine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resellermagazine/
Total Social Followers: 21302
People to know: Antonio Zapata Arambula
Software Business Growth
Link: https://www.softwarebusinessgrowth.com/
Description: SoftwareBusinessGrowth.com seeks to inform and advise the software community on the best opportunities for business success, where developing killer code simply isn’t enough.
Founded: 2011
Publisher: VertMarkets, Inc.
Location: United States
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vertmarkets/
Total Social Followers: 2079
People to know: John Oncea, Joe Mureo, Ed Heidt
VARInsights
Link: https://www.varinsights.com/
Description: VARinsights.com feeds fresh business-enabling content to VARs (value added resellers) in the IT channel on a daily basis through multimedia delivery of newsletters, webinars, events, and exclusive content.
Founded: 2011
Publisher: VertMarkets, Inc.
Location: United States
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vertmarkets/
Total Social Followers: 2079
People to know: John Oncea, Joe Mureo, Ed Heidt
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #27/59
XaaSJournal
Link: https://www.xaasjournal.com/
Description: XaaS Journal (“Everything as a Service” Journal) was created to help IT solution providers find and tap into new sources of recurring revenue.
Founded: 2018
Publisher: McM Media
Location: United States
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XaaSJournal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/XaaSJournal
Total Social Followers: 138
People to know: Mike Monocello, Jay McCall, Bernadette Wilson
channelinfo.net (UK)
Link: http://www.channelinfo.net/
Description: Channel Info is the leading source of business news and information for the office dealer and reseller market. Our multi-platform approach delivers relevant, engaging and focussed content via our main printed magazine.
Founded: 1999
Publisher: Office Solutions Media LTD
Location: UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelinfomagazine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/channelinfo
Total Social Followers: 2576
People to know: Caron Bentley, Jon Morton
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #55/59
ChannelNews (France)
Link: https://www.channelnews.fr/
Description: We offer professionals in the IT and telecoms markets information focused exclusively on business issues, business practices of all players in the French channel
Founded: 2008
Publisher: ChannelNews
Location: France
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canaltech/about/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/channelnewsFR
Total Social Followers: 4320
People to know: Johann Armand, Jean-François Le Nilias , Dirk Basyn
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #53/59
ChannelObserver (Germany)
Link: https://channelobserver.de/
Description: ChannelObserver is the online magazine for the ICT industry. We address regional and national IT system houses, retailers, etailers, distributors and manufacturers.
Founded: 2012
Publisher: Reuter Business Publishing
Location: Germany
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChannelObserver-120512384765280/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/channelobserver
Total Social Followers: 2346
People to know: Markus Reuter
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #57/59
ChannelPartner.de (Germany)
Link: https://www.channelpartner.de/
Description: ChannelPartner bietet seit 1994 Branchennachrichten und Analysen für ISVs, Managed Service Provider, Distributoren, Systemhäuser sowie für Online- und Fachhändler.
Founded: 1994
Publisher: IDG
Location: Germany
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChannelPartner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/channelpartner/
Total Social Followers: 4346
People to know: Peter Marwan, Ronald Wiltscheck
CRN (Russia)
Link: https://www.crn.ru/
Description: The writers of CRN Russia are experts of standing reputation in the world of market relations and information technology. CRN Russia stresses the problems and prospects in the development of the global and Russian IT markets.
Publisher: SK Press
Location: Russia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crnre
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crn_ru
Total Social Followers: 4367
People to know: Elina Zolotova, Olga Marchenko, Svetlana Belova
IT Reseller
Link: https://www.itrportal.com/
Description: Established in 1997, IT Reseller is the industry-leading web-site for the IT channel;dedicated to providing relevant and up-to-date news on a wide variety of hardware and software solutions across various vertical technology sectors.
Founded: 1997
Publisher: B2B Publishing Ltd
Location: Europe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itresellermag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/itrmagazine
Total Social Followers: 3320
People to know: Ed Holden
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #56/59
ITEuropa (EMEA)
Link: http://www.iteuropa.com/
Description: IT Europa is the leading provider of strategic business intelligence, news and analysis on the European IT marketplace and the primary channels that serve it.
Publisher: IT Europa Media
Location: Europe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-europa/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iteuropa
Total Social Followers: 5349
People to know: John Garratt, Alan Norman, John Chapman, Ellie Chadwick
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #42/59
ITReseller (Poland)
Link: https://itreseller.com.pl/
Description: A modern information service of the IT Reseller magazine (a title that has been published continuously since 2002), offering a new quality in the industry of new technologies.
Founded: 2002
Publisher: Smart Media
Location: Poland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ITReseller/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/itreseller/
Total Social Followers: 10349
People to know: Mieczyslaw T. Starkowski, Mariusz Laurisz, Krzysztof Bogacki
Swiss ITReseller
Link: https://www.itreseller.ch/
Description: Swiss IT Reseller has been the leading trade journal for the Swiss IT industry since 1998. The print edition appears monthly with a circulation of 3,000 copies and is personally addressed to channel partners of all types.
Founded: 1998
Publisher: Swiss IT Media
Location: Switzerland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swissitreseller
Twitter: https://twitter.com/swissitreseller
Total Social Followers: 2748
People to know: Marcel Wüthrich, Ursula Bettio, Dr. René Dubach
TelecomsTech
Link: https://telecomstechnews.com/
Description: News, blogs, advice and insight covering practical and strategic issues around the telecoms industry, including, mobile, infrastructure, cabling, networks, IT, cloud computing, outsourcing, VoiP and much more.
Publisher: TechForge
Location: UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TelecomsTech/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/23013/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TTech_News
Total Social Followers: 764165
People to know: James Bourne, Ian Johnson, Chris Comer, Vicky Matthews
ARN (Australia)
Link: https://www.arnnet.com.au
Description: ARN is the voice of the Australian IT channel. For over 26 years, ARN has kept Australia’s technology companies up to date with the latest breaking news and in-depth analysis on the IT industry and the local channel landscape.
Founded: 1991
Publisher: IDG
Location: Australia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARNnet
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arn—australian-reseller-news/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARNnet/
Total Social Followers: 11621
People to know: Leon Spencer, Barbara Simon, Cherry Yumul, Jessica Von Sperl
Reseller News (NZ)
Link: https://www.reseller.co.nz/
Description: Reseller News is the voice of the New Zealand IT channel. As the country’s leading media source, Reseller News has informed and empowered the channel for more than 20 years, through exceptional news coverage and insightful local content.
Founded: 1997
Publisher: IDG
Location: NZ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NZResellerNews
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reseller-news/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResellerNewsNZ
Total Social Followers: 4210
People to know: James Henderson, Barbara Simon, Leon Spencer, Jessica Von Sperl
Site Traffic Ranking (Alexa) – #16/59
Know of a great channel or partnership media outlet that I missed? Let me know, and I’ll add it to the list.
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