In MSP marketing, getting your foot in the door is one of the biggest challenges we face. One approach is launching regular campaigns to generate interest in your offerings. CharTec adds a new campaign every month, and we go about it in a precise way. It’s not easy, but we work hard to create fresh content every week. It works for us, so it makes sense to stick with it!

The main philosophy behind our campaigns is layering. For web content, we’ll start with introductory content to make everyone familiar with our topic. Tip: Never assume your audience has the same level of technical understanding that you have. Remember that you’re attempting to connect with people at various levels of knowledge and skills. Make sure your message is clear.

The first blog posts are content to build our campaign. Then we’ll go deeper into the story and get more technical. We explain the topic about MSP marketing before diving into it. CharTec often uses a formula for a month-long campaign that entails spending the first week on the definition. The second week focuses on a deeper explanation. Then the third week focuses on applying it. The fourth week will either be a final blog or a deep-dive resource to wrap things up. Each post has a different title and image to let everyone know when the new ones are out.

Here are a few tips you can use when creating your Marketing content:

Invite Action

Every aspect of content related to the campaign needs to have a mini-invitation to respond. For example, there might be an offering or event that asks people to input their information. This technique is one of the most successful approaches to getting a foot in the door for MSP marketing because the individual involved has made it clear that they are interested. They are the ones initiating the request to learn more about the offer. Anytime someone fills out a form, they become a hot lead.

Be Quick

Only 1 to 3 percent of people who see an ad or material will fill out the contact form. And when they do, those are absolutely the best leads you can get. Urgency is a factor in MSP Marketing. If you respond to them within the first two or three hours, your chances of closing them are 400 percent higher! If you can respond to them in 15 minutes, that’s even better. Make sure your contact forms are not somewhere that doesn’t get checked regularly. Someone should be monitoring them at all times. The goal is to get back to them while they are interested in your offering. A quick follow-up is everything.

Once the lead gets generated, the process moves from Marketing to Sales. Now it’s time to close on whatever content the prospect has shown interest.

Be Patient

Of course, typically, leads are not easy to get. More often than not, you will need to be very proactive. Follow-up and find ways to connect with them via phone, LinkedIn, or wherever you can reach them. ‘Like’ their social media posts. Email them. Attend their events. Hopefully, they will eventually respond. And remember, we’re not stalking them. We’re just reminding them that we are here when they need us.

This approach is a very long and tedious process, so you might be wondering if there are any shortcuts. While you may be able to invest in a Google AdWords campaign and back it up with a high-quality website to get a few leads quickly, this is not a realistic approach for most MSPs. Instead, you’ll need to get comfortable with the slow and steady follow-ups.

And be consistent! Generating leads in the Managed Service Industry is quite a challenge, more so than just about every other industry. On average, it takes seven touches with a prospect before they respond. That means you don’t stop at the 5th or 6th touch. The goal for our Sales staff is to give new leads ten touches in their first thirty days.

Engage

It is critical to be present. Follow up on emails and ‘like’ their posts. But don’t waste your days sitting in front of the computer.

Get out in the community and be involved with local organizations. People are more receptive when they are talking with you face-to-face. Go to meetings and events, and talk to as many people as possible while you’re there. Avoid clustering and talking to the same people all evening. Cast a wide net, or else you won’t get anything to follow up. Smile, shake a lot of hands and pass out your cards.

Consistency is essential. It is not enough to attend a few events when you’re starting or scaling up. You have to be out in the community regularly if you want to keep moving things forward. As an MSP Salesperson, you are the ones that Marketing hands the ball to after a lead appears. It’s your job to turn that lead into a sale.

If you need help with your MSP Marketing or Sales Training, you’re in luck! Our next Academy is just around the corner, December 8th & 9th! We’ll be streaming it in CORE, and we will offer training sessions on MSP Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Finance. Everything you need to kick your MSP into high gear!

Click HERE to register.