2 Marketing avenues every MSP should leverage

MSP Advantage Program

In our experience, lead generation is the #1 challenge for MSPs. Most of them invest a considerable amount in lead-gen by purchasing readymade lists, but, more often than not, are stuck with low-quality leads–leads that are uninterested in what these MSPs have to offer. In our blog this week, we explore 2 marketing avenues that can help MSPs attract quality leads. They are-

Blogs

Blogs are a great way to attract quality leads. Start a business blog if you don’t have one already and start writing about topics your customers would care about. For example–if you hear of a new kind of malware or a new ransomware attack. You could also provide information about free updates and patches released by popular vendors such as Microsoft or Adobe. Another example would be blog posts offering tips on how the readers can protect themselves from cybercrime. Content pieces like these arouse the interest of the reader as they are relevant to them and at the same time establish you as a thought leader in your line of business. They are also a very subtle way to promote your brand. 

Social media

Social media is another great marketing avenue that many MSPs fail to leverage. Social media is a fun and light marketing medium that offers tremendous exposure. You can start by creating a LinkedIn, twitter or facebook account and establishing your brand there. You can share your blog posts, day zero alerts, even pictures of your office picnic or your last IT conference there. When it comes to social media, keeping it short and visual is the key.

What differentiates these 2 marketing avenues from paid lists and ads is the fact that you are engaging in inbound marketing, drawing prospects to you, rather than reaching out to them. Unlike paid marketing, where you are overtly trying to sell, via blogging and social media marketing, you are offering them something of value–useful content which piques their interest in your brand. However, you need to keep 2 rules of inbound marketing in mind for this strategy to be successful.

  • No overt selling: If your blog or social media post sounds like an extension of your marketing campaign, you will just drive prospects away. The key is to offer them knowledge so you establish yourself as a thought leader–someone they would want to come to when they are ready to make a purchase decision.
  • Be consistent: A blog or a social post once a month won’t cut it. Remember that inbound marketing is all about attracting prospects to your brand, and for that to happen you have to give them something worth getting attracted to and you need to do it often. This strategy is all about making your brand visible, subtly to your prospects.  A random tweet or Facebook status update won’t help the cause. 

Ready for some powerful inbound MSP marketing? Check out the Mindmatrix’s MSP Advantage Program. Mindmatrix provides a complete marketing and sales enablement solution for Managed IT Services Providers and other Hi-Tech channel partners including VARs, integrators, consultants, and ISVs helping them sell more. Through its MSP-IT Advantage Program, Mindmatrix works with hundreds of MSPs, integrators, and VARs to make their marketing easy and effective. The MSP Advantage Program lets MSPs focus on what they do best: Managing Services by offering them all the tools, strategies, content, and marketing and sales support they need to pursue and close leads effectively.