Techniques used when marketing for MSPs rely on the same basic principles of other forms of B2B marketing, but as an MSP, you should be aware of the unique challenges that come with drawing up interest for a fully managed IT service. Promoting your MSP in conventional marketing methods is easier said than done. Marketing undertaken by MSPs like yourself needs to be carefully considered and executed.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n When it comes to marketing for managed service providers, we\u2019ve seen the most success using a blend of traditional and internet marketing strategies. You can also use buyer personas to shape your marketing strategies; your prospects may find you through local searches like managed service providers near me or even direct phone and email queries.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Since I originally wrote this article in 2018, it\u2019s fair to say a lot has changed in the world of MSP marketing, however, on the most basic level many things have also stayed the same. While the rest of this article, certainly holds true, here are a few things to think about (along with some resources) as you build your 2024 and 2025 MSP marketing strategy:<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n Video Marketing for MSPs<\/strong>: Video marketing remains crucial for MSPs in 2024, mirroring the broader trend of video content’s growing dominance in digital marketing. The emphasis, however, is on cost-effectiveness. Unlike earlier years where high production costs were often seen as a necessity, there’s now a recognition that successful video marketing doesn’t require exorbitant spending. MSPs are leveraging more affordable video creation tools and platforms to produce engaging content that resonates with their audience, focusing on delivering value and relevance over high-end production quality.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Podcasting in MSP Marketing<\/strong>: Podcasting has become a significant channel in the MSP marketing toolkit. The key strategy here is to use podcasts as a means of engaging directly with potential clients. Instead of merely trying to attract prospects to listen to their podcasts, MSPs are inviting these prospects to participate in the podcast itself, often in the form of interviews. This approach not only provides valuable content for the MSP’s audience but also builds stronger relationships with potential clients, positioning the MSP as a thought leader and trusted advisor in their field.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Break\/Fix Services Resurgence<\/strong>: Interestingly, offering break\/fix services has re-emerged as an effective MSP marketing strategy. This marks a shift from the previous focus solely on managed services. The “Help First” attitude is central to this strategy. By providing immediate, no-strings-attached assistance to potential clients facing IT issues, MSPs can demonstrate their expertise and value. This approach not only helps in building trust and credibility but also opens up opportunities for converting these prospects into long-term managed service clients, thereby increasing both sales and Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR).<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Emphasis on Customer Experience (CX) in Marketing<\/strong>: MSPs are increasingly recognizing the importance of customer experience in their marketing strategies. This involves tailoring the customer journey to be more engaging, intuitive, and user-friendly. From the initial contact through to service delivery and support, MSPs are optimizing every touchpoint to enhance customer satisfaction. This approach not only helps in retaining existing clients but also serves as a powerful marketing tool, as satisfied clients are more likely to recommend the MSP to others.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Utilization of AI and Automation in Marketing Efforts<\/strong>: Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies are being increasingly employed by MSPs to enhance their marketing efforts. This includes the use of AI-driven analytics for better understanding customer needs, automating routine marketing tasks to increase efficiency, and personalizing marketing messages at scale. By leveraging these technologies, MSPs can create more effective, targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience and yield better ROI.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Sustainability and Social Responsibility in Brand Messaging<\/strong>: As global awareness of environmental and social issues increases, MSPs are incorporating messages of sustainability and social responsibility into their marketing. This strategy involves showcasing the MSP’s commitment to ethical practices, community involvement, and environmental stewardship. By aligning their brand with these values, MSPs can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and appeal to a growing segment of consumers who prioritize doing business with socially responsible companies.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n It is an exciting time for the global Managed Service Provider or MSP industry. According to Statista<\/a>, the managed services market was valued at around $186 billion in size in 2019, with forecasts suggesting that this number could grow to $356.24 billion by 2025.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n As the CEO of an MSP marketing company<\/a>, I can tell you firsthand that there is plenty of opportunities out there for MSPs. However, you do need to be fully prepared with the right MSP marketing strategies and resources to take full advantage of this growth opportunity.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Let’s see how.<\/p>\r\n While the two topics are closely related, marketing for managed services providers is about a whole lot more than just selling services. In fact, if you’re properly marketing your managed services provider, you really shouldn’t be selling anything at all<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n That’s because MSP marketing is all about building trust.<\/p>\r\n When you’re marketing your managed services offering, by definition, you’re talking to people who are not ready to be sold to yet. The audience of people who are “marketing qualified” may or may not have ever heard of you, and most definitely do not need to find out about the intricate and technical details of what your services can do<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n What they need to find out as much about as possible, and what your MSP marketing should be built to do, involves outlining what those services can do\u00a0for them.<\/em><\/p>\r\n In other words, marketing for MSPs should be focused on communicating the raw value that you provide, so that your prospect gets to the point that they ARE ready to start hearing those details, and you can move onto the next step in your customer acquisition process – sales.<\/p>\r\n Even in an increasingly digital world, word-of-mouth still offers a great way to get new leads, which is what most MSPs prefer. Referrals from real-life clients help new leads trust your MSP IT services<\/a> naturally. However, word-of-mouth alone is often not enough to grow your business beyond a limit.<\/p>\r\n As an MSP service provider, if you want to actively grow your business in a planned and predictable manner, you need to be marketing in some form or another. That’s where a functional and technology-based MSP marketing plan comes in.<\/p>\r\n Also, with the sheer amount of competition in most geographic regions, it helps to take advantage of social media and other online channels to boost your brand presence. With the majority of MSPs using Facebook and LinkedIn\u00a0<\/a>daily to promote their business, you don’t want to be left behind.<\/p>\r\n To stand out in the market and attract valuable clients, a robust marketing strategy is essential. You can start to develop yours by following these steps:<\/p>\r\n Define Your Target Audience:<\/strong> Understanding your ideal customer is the cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy. Identify the industries, company sizes, and pain points that align with your MSP’s expertise and services.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Craft Your Value Proposition<\/strong>: Clearly communicate the unique value your MSP offers to potential clients. Whether it’s cost-effective solutions, round-the-clock support, or cutting-edge technology, your value proposition should resonate with your target audience.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Build a Strong Online Presence<\/strong>: Establishing a professional website and active presence on social media platforms is crucial for showcasing your MSP’s capabilities. Regularly update your website with informative content, case studies, and client testimonials to demonstrate your expertise.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Content Marketing<\/strong>: Develop a content marketing strategy focused on providing valuable insights and solutions to your target audience’s challenges. Create blog posts, whitepapers, eBooks, and videos that address common IT issues and showcase your MSP’s expertise.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Search Engine Optimization (SEO)<\/strong>: Optimize your website and content for search engines to improve your visibility online. Perform keyword research to pinpoint pertinent terms and phrases sought by your intended audience, then integrate them into your content.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Paid Advertising<\/strong>: Consider investing in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on platforms like Google Ads to increase your MSP’s visibility and generate leads. Target specific keywords and demographics to reach potential clients actively seeking IT services.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Email Marketing<\/strong>: Nurture leads and maintain client relationships through targeted email campaigns. Send out newsletters, updates on industry trends, and special promotions to keep your audience engaged and informed.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Networking and Partnerships<\/strong>: Attend industry events, join professional associations, and forge partnerships with complementary businesses to expand your MSP’s reach and credibility. Networking with peers and potential clients can lead to valuable referrals and collaborations.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Track and Analyze Results<\/strong>: Monitor the performance of your marketing efforts using analytics tools to identify what strategies are driving the most leads and conversions. Continuously refine your approach based on data to optimize your ROI.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Customer Experience and Retention:<\/strong> Providing exceptional customer service is key to retaining clients and fostering long-term relationships. Prioritize client satisfaction, actively solicit feedback, and address any issues promptly to build trust and loyalty.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n Now, as it is clear why you need to invest in MSP marketing, let’s check out some of the common terminologies and phrases associated with it.<\/p>\r\n Here are some examples of common CTAs for MSPs.<\/p>\r\n Landing Page: <\/b>A landing page is a webpage specifically created for a marketing campaign, be it a short term or long term campaign.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n B2B<\/strong>: B2B in MSP marketing refers to “business-to-business” interactions, where a Managed Service Provider (MSP) offers its services to other businesses rather than individual consumers. In this context, MSP marketing strategies are tailored to appeal to the needs, challenges, and decision-making processes of businesses that may require managed IT services.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Target Audience<\/strong>: Focusing on businesses of various sizes, from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations that need managed IT services.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Conversion<\/strong>: For Managed Service Providers, this means the process of guiding a business from the initial point of contact or awareness through various stages of engagement until they sign up for IT services.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Evergreen<\/strong>: Refers to content or strategies that remain relevant and valuable over time, regardless of current trends or news. Evergreen content is not time-sensitive; it continues to attract traffic, generate leads, and help with conversions long after it’s first published. This is opposed to time-bound content that might relate to specific events, product launches, or seasonal topics.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Lead Nurturing<\/strong>: Lead nurturing in MSP marketing is the process of developing relationships with potential clients at every stage of the sales funnel and throughout the buyer’s journey. It involves carefully planned engagement with leads\u2014businesses that have shown some interest in your managed IT services\u2014with the goal of converting them into customers when they are ready to make a purchasing decision.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Marketing Funnel<\/strong>: It is a model that illustrates the journey potential customers take from first becoming aware of your MSP business to ultimately making a purchase decision. In MSP marketing, the funnel is particularly important because the buying cycle is often longer and more complex than in B2C scenarios, involving multiple touchpoints and decision-makers.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Brand Identity<\/strong>: Brand identity in MSP marketing encompasses the visual, verbal, and emotional attributes that define your Managed Service Provider business and differentiate it from competitors. It’s not just about the logo or color scheme; it’s the comprehensive set of elements that come together to create a consistent image and experience for your clients and prospects.<\/p>\r\n Key components of brand identity for an MSP include:<\/p>\r\n Logo and Design Elements<\/strong>: Your logo, color palette, typography, and other design elements should be distinctive and reflect the professional nature of your services. These elements should be used consistently across all marketing materials and digital platforms.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Brand Voice and Messaging<\/strong>: The way your MSP communicates, including the tone, language, and key messages, should align with your brand personality, whether it’s professional, friendly, innovative, or customer-centric.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Core Values and Mission Statement<\/strong>: Clearly defined core values and a mission statement help convey what your MSP stands for and what clients can expect when they choose to work with you.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Brand Story<\/strong>: Create a compelling narrative about the origins, evolution, and vision of your MSP. A strong brand story can resonate with clients and create an emotional connection.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Service Proposition<\/strong>: Define what makes your MSP unique in terms of the services you offer, the customer experience you provide, and the benefits clients receive. This should be prominently featured in your marketing efforts.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Marketing Materials<\/strong>: Ensure that your brochures, business cards, email signatures, and other marketing materials reflect your brand identity and convey a consistent image.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Online Presence<\/strong>: Your website, social media profiles, and any digital content should all reflect your brand identity to provide a cohesive user experience that reinforces your brand’s values and offerings.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Customer Experience<\/strong>: Every interaction clients have with your MSP, from the sales process to support and service delivery, should reflect your brand identity and promise.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Employee Advocacy<\/strong>: Encourage your team to embody the brand identity in their interactions with clients and within the industry, as they are representatives of your brand.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Consistency<\/strong>: Maintain consistency in all aspects of your brand identity across various channels and touchpoints. This helps build recognition and trust with your target audience.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Value Proposition<\/strong>: A value proposition in MSP marketing is a clear statement that explains how your Managed Service Provider (MSP) meets the needs of your clients, the specific benefits you offer, and how you differentiate from the competition. It’s essentially the core reason a potential client should choose your services over another provider. A strong value proposition is succinct, compelling, and speaks directly to the client’s challenges and goals.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Organic Traffic<\/strong>: Organic traffic refers to visitors who come to your website from unpaid search engine results. It is one of the most valuable forms of traffic for MSPs because it indicates that potential clients are finding your website by searching for relevant keywords or phrases related to managed IT services. Unlike paid traffic, which comes from advertising, organic traffic is generated through effective search engine optimization (SEO) and providing high-quality content that search engines deem valuable for users.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Authority Building<\/strong>: Establishing your MSP as a thought leader through publishing insightful articles and participating in industry discussions can lead to higher search rankings and, consequently, increased organic traffic.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Local SEO<\/strong>: For MSPs serving specific geographical areas, local SEO is crucial. This includes optimizing for local keywords, creating a Google My Business listing, and encouraging customer reviews to improve visibility in local search results.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n An MSP marketing plan is essentially a detailed blueprint guiding a Managed Service Provider (MSP) in its efforts to draw in, captivate, and transform prospects into dedicated clients. It specifies the precise measures, instruments, and resources an MSP will employ to market its offerings and fulfill its ambitions for business expansion. Your MSP marketing plan\u2019s goals should include specific targets for tracking interest, what works, what doesn\u2019t, and other factors.<\/p>\r\n This type of marketing plan is fundamentally structured around two key components: strategy<\/strong> and tactics<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n Your MSP marketing strategy lays out exactly who you are targeting with your marketing, and the message you want to send to them. When you define your strategy you’ll want to answer questions like:<\/p>\r\n To do this, you’ll need to know your own business inside and out, but more than that, you’ll need to know your customer<\/em> even better.<\/p>\r\n The tactics, which we’ll overview in the next section, are the actual marketing techniques that you can employ to accomplish the goals set out in your strategy.<\/p>\r\n Implementing a cohesive marketing strategy is essential for ensuring that all aspects of your MSP’s marketing efforts work together seamlessly to achieve your business goals.<\/p>\r\n Develop a Comprehensive Marketing Plan<\/strong>: Start by creating a detailed marketing plan that outlines your goals, target audience, messaging, channels, and tactics. Having a clear roadmap will help ensure that your marketing efforts are aligned and cohesive.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Establish Consistent Brandin<\/strong>g: Maintain consistent branding across all marketing channels and materials, including your website, social media profiles, email communications, and printed materials. Consistent branding helps reinforce your MSP’s identity and build brand recognition.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Integrate Your Marketing Channels<\/strong>: Coordinate your marketing efforts across multiple channels, including online and offline channels. For example, integrate your website, social media, email marketing, and offline events to create a unified and cohesive experience for your audience.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Create Relevant and Valuable Content<\/strong>: Develop content that is relevant to your target audience’s needs and interests. Whether it’s blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, or videos, ensure that your content provides value and addresses your audience’s pain points.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Utilize Marketing Automation<\/strong>: Implement marketing automation tools to streamline your marketing processes and ensure consistency across all channels. Automation can help you schedule and distribute content, track interactions with prospects, and nurture leads more effectively.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Segment Your Audience<\/strong>: Divide your audience into segments based on demographics, behaviors, or interests, and tailor your marketing messages accordingly. Personalizing your marketing efforts based on audience segments helps increase relevance and engagement.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Monitor and Measure Results<\/strong>: Continuously monitor the performance of your marketing campaigns and measure key metrics to evaluate their effectiveness. Use analytics tools to track website traffic, engagement, lead generation, and conversion rates, and adjust your strategy based on data-driven insights.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Align Sales and Marketing Efforts<\/strong>: Foster collaboration between your sales and marketing teams to ensure that they are working towards common goals and objectives. Aligning sales and marketing efforts helps streamline the lead generation and conversion process and improves overall efficiency.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Stay Agile and Flexible<\/strong>: The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, so be prepared to adapt your strategy as needed. Stay informed about industry trends, changes in consumer behavior, and emerging technologies, and be willing to adjust your approach accordingly.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n Continuously Improve<\/strong>: Regularly evaluate your marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement. Solicit feedback from your team, clients, and prospects, and use this feedback to refine your strategy and tactics over time.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n By following these steps and implementing a cohesive marketing strategy, you can effectively promote your MSP’s services, attract new clients, and drive business growth. Remember to stay focused on your target audience’s needs and preferences and strive for consistency and alignment across all marketing channels and efforts.<\/p>\r\n If you’re active in the IT channel, you’ve surely heard about many of the wide range of different techniques that are making waves across the industry today. Whether you’re talking about “old school” digital tactics like PPC or SEO or the “new wave” of lead generation<\/a> techniques like content marketing, and LinkedIn all of them are more than worth exploring for their own unique and fascinating reasons.<\/p>\r\n Also commonly referred to as PPC, pay-per-click is a time-honored digital marketing technique that allows an MSP like yourself to pay a publisher (usually through Google or Bing’s network) every time one of your ads is clicked. For a business as tech-based as yours, PPC is a great technique to target leads at the middle of the sales funnel – namely, those in the “consideration” stage who are doing their buying research at that very time.<\/p>\r\n As an MSP, no one can guarantee that paid search ads are going to work for your specific business – you’ll have to figure that out on your own<\/a> – but it can’t be denied that PPC in general is a very cost effective way to make a quality first impression.\u00a0One study estimates that for everyone $1 someone spends on PPC advertising in AdWords<\/a>, they can expect to generate about $2 in income as a result.<\/p>\r\n SEO is all about getting your MSP’s website to rank as highly as possible in search results for keywords that are relevant to your industry.\u00a0When you consider that a massive 93% of all online interactions<\/a>\u00a0still begin with a search engine like Google, it’s easy to see why this is such a good idea.<\/p>\r\n<\/del><\/p>\r\nWhat is MSP Marketing?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Explainer](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/What-is-MSP-Marketing.jpg\")
If you\u2019re just starting out as an MSP, or you\u2019ve been at it for a while already, the idea of marketing your services to find new customers has no doubt crossed your mind.<\/p>\r\nWhat’s New in the MSP Marketing World in 2024?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Whats-New-in-the-MSP-Marketing-World-in-2024.jpg\")
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The State of MSP Marketing in 2024
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/The-State-of-MSP-Marketing.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nWhat is the Difference between MSP Sales and MSP Marketing?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/What-is-the-Difference-between-MSP-Sales-and-MSP-Marketing.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\nWhy Do You Need MSP Marketing?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Person](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Why-Do-You-Need-MSP-Marketing.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\nHow to Develop a Robust MSPs Marketing Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Develop-a-Robust-MSPs-Marketing-Strategy.jpg\")
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MSP Marketing Phrases & Terminologies You Should Know<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Important-MSP-Marketing-Phrases-You-Should-Know.jpg\")
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What is Included in an MSP Marketing Plan?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/What-is-Included-in-an-MSP-Marketing-Plan.jpg\")
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How To Correctly Implement Cohesive MSP Marketing<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-To-Correctly-Implement-Cohesive-MSP-Marketing.jpg\")
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What Marketing Tactics are Available to MSPs?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
![\"Professionals](\"https:\/\/www.techpromarketing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/What-Marketing-Tactics-are-Available-to-MSPs.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n1. Pay-Per-Click (PPC)<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
