I’m often asked, in a roundabout way, “How do I market my MSP service?”
This is the exact question I answer most of my presentations and webinars.
When I begin a presentation on marketing MSP services to an audience of MSPs selling outsourced IT support, I like to start by asking:
“What should your MSP marketing efforts accomplish?”
Almost without fail the answers shouted out include “To get my MSP’s name out there!” or “Building my MSP brand!”
Only after a bit of prodding and encouragement will they finally get around to answers that make more sense, such as “To generate leads from qualified prospects who want to buy managed IT services!” or “Sell profitable MSP contracts!”
With such ambiguity about how to market your MSP and what marketing is supposed to do, is it any wonder so many IT services firms fail at it?
When you ask, “Why did your marketing campaign fail?” the answer is, “I didn’t get a single MSP lead” or “I didn’t generate a single new MSP client.”
So, if THAT is the criteria for how you are measuring the success of your marketing plan for MSP services, shouldn’t you DEFINE marketing’s purpose a little more clearly to align with expectations? Therefore…
To market your MSP service, you need to set up an MSP marketing plan that will ATTRACT presold, prequalified prospects that are interested in talking to you about your managed IT services and support.
NOT “get your name out there,” or “build your brand.”
Those are by-products of the type of MSP marketing that truly works.
Here are 3 Things Every MSP Marketing Campaign Should Be Designed To Do To Effectively Market Your MSP Services:
This is the marketing process we have used successfully with 10,000+ MSPs and IT services companies for the last 2 decades is what I call E.D.R. marketing – educational direct response. E.D.R. marketing for MSP services has 3 core parts:
Define Who You Want As Your Niche
We ONLY target prospects who would be good, viable MSP services clients.
This is done through careful list and audience selection, so you ONLY target those prospects who have the highest probability of buying MSP services.
This could be done by industry or vertical such as MSPs that specialize in HIPAA compliance for medical offices.
It could be a geographic niche like small businesses within 5 miles of your Manhattan office.
It could be niched by size. Do you want to work with solopreneurs or target companies with 25-50 seats.
It’s probably a combination of the above AND you don’t have to choose just a single niche.
Find The HOT Leads!
We ALWAYS have a lead generation offer that will attract prospects specifically looking to buy MSP services.
This is where the “educational” piece comes in. That offer can be a free report titled “21 Critical Questions You Should Ask Any IT Services Firm Before Signing An MSP Contract.”
Or “What To Look For When Buying MSP Services.”
A prospect who is genuinely looking to buy MSP services will want this information because it facilitates the natural information-gathering process all prospects go through when looking for a new MSP to outsource their IT support to.
Don’t WASTE money on branding, name recognition or “getting your name out there.”
You need to have marketing pieces designed specifically targeting hot MSP leads who are looking for outsourced IT services.
Eliminate Your Competition
Not literally, but figuratively.
We ensure the offer (free report, video, webinar, eBook, etc.) is written to sell MSP services (what managed services are, why they need them, why they should outsource to an MSP.) And position YOU as the only MSP they should consider buying from.
Keep in mind your marketing materials MUST get the incumbent MSP fired to get you hired.
Keep in mind that selling MSP services is incredibly difficult because most companies already have an MSP they outsource to, and no prospect is going to fire their current MSP to hire someone who is potentially better. Therefore, you need to put a lot of effort into educating clients as to why they need to buy their MSP services from you over all the other MSPs vying for their attention.
This is also what makes our MSP marketing approach truly unique; unlike other marketing consultants, we help our MSP clients to build a compelling argument as to why a prospect for your MSP service needs to leave the incumbent IT company and choose your MSP service instead.
Sometimes that means you need to improve your MSP service. Often our clients revamp their managed services contracts and solution stack after working with us, giving them a far better chance of beating the incumbent MSPs out there.
Hopefully, this helped answer the question, “How Do I Market My MSP Service?”
For more information on marketing and selling MSP services, check out these related articles:
6 Ways To Get New MSP Leads, Appointments And Sales WithOUT Spending A Dime On Marketing!
