7 channels for effective MSP Marketing – a free guide with the marketing mantra for success
There are several surveys to show that Marketing, for a majority of MSPs and IT Service Providers, is an ignored area. Since most of their investments are absorbed in hiring skilled resources and researching new technologies, marketing remains something that they do not like to delve in and consider it to be an overhead. In the past, referrals and word of mouth were the only way that MSPs were doing marketing but expectations have changed. It’s time for them to get serious about marketing. Since marketing is that of least priority, MSPs miss a critical opportunity to expand and grow. The confidence in marketing and marketing personnel is quite low. MSPs tend to have a single (or no) marketing resource who is expected to drive the function single-handedly and magically open a flood of leads month after month.
MSPs need to understand the reality that marketing is a multi-faceted role that requires specialists in each area. Social Media, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, PR and Event Marketing to name a few. If it is difficult to hire a specialist in each area, the one solution that will work for MSPs is to hire a specialized Digital Marketing Agency that has in-depth understanding of how Marketing works for MSPs. Why is it critical for a Digital Marketing Agency to have worked with MSPs to deliver success? One can’t have MSPs to have the same marketing strategy as other domains. Different tactics must be applied to make marketing
successful. Let’s explore what are the 7 channels, which as per Digital Success Agency’s’ experience, work like the magical marketing mantra for MSPs. 1. Event Marketing There are big benefits of participating in industry relevant events. There is a great chance for the MSP to get brand recognition and being able to get some media attention. The more attention you give to promoting your brand at the event, the more the brand will stand out from the crowd. It’s a great opportunity for a one-to-one interaction with your potential clients. Most importantly, event marketing is the best way to network with industry influencers, leaders and media. 2. Content Marketing with Content Upgrades The MSPs don’t have to necessarily promote original content. They can market white papers, blogs, eBooks and other collateral from their partners. MSPs can make customizable content to be part of their content marketing strategy, and syndicate informational content. In all the marketing collateral shared, content upgrades should be used as lead magnets. Content upgrades are used as an attraction for bonus content that people can get if they leave their email ids. Rather than spreading them across the website, content upgrades are integrated within content that people are already consuming. 3. Geo Fencing Tradeshows Depending on the location of the event, the MSPs can establish a digital perimeter around a business relevant event or tradeshow. Smart devices that enter the geo fenced area are tagged, and the devices that are tagged can be served advertisements in real-time. The landing page, after somebody clicks on the ad, can be directed to the targeted prospects for a successful geo fencing tradeshow campaign. 4. Up-to-date Website With the influx of many new websites, MSPs just can’t afford to keep their websites outdated. Not only in terms of content, the design of the website must be updated regularly. For examples, a website that is not responsive has no meaning in today’s time when most of the consumers access websites only on their smartphones. 5. Local SEO To target local prospects, the local search engine strategy can help to optimize the website with locally relevant keywords. The chances of reaching potential customers can hugely increase with the right kind of the Local SEO strategy (but which is highly targeted and timely). The Local SEO strategy should cover both mobile and desktop search results.
6. MDF / BDF from Partner Channel Programs Large channel partners usually have a substantial Market Development Funds (MDF) and Business Development Funds for vendors. It is an excellent support for marketing efforts to grow partners and resellers in the indirect channel industry. Well-executed MDF and BDF programs can help to drive the marketing ROI and high performance. 7. CRM Targeting using LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter CRM targeting is a new marketing approach that allows a brand to share targeted messages with a set of online consumers. In case MSPs have social media accounts, these are a gold mine of consumer data. CRM targeting can leverage this goldmine with a few simple steps. The first step to leverage this goldmine is to identify the top clients, identify people who have similar profiles (as the clients) on social media channels, and generate the consumer data that can be used for personalized ads.
Conclusion There are experts who will tell you that most of the marketing techniques will not work for MSPs as they are not committed to continued marketing efforts. Unfortunately, it is true to some extent. MSPs need a different perspective to many any marketing effort successful. Each marketing goal needs to be tied to a different result. For example, every effort may not yield leads. Some marketing initiatives must be invested to understand the business, build a value proposition, and build the brand of the MSPs. Today’s marketing mantra is letting marketing target people rather than other businesses. It is the foundation of a solid marketing strategy for any MSP. To read it online, please click here: http://www.digitalsuccess.us/blog/7-channels-effective-mspmarketing-free-guide-marketing-mantra-success.html