How To Effectively Market Managed IT Services
Managed IT is an area with a promising future of exponential growth and relevance. Managed Service Providers (MSP’s) should approach the marketing of their services with the same level of forecasting.
You need a marketing strategy that will secure long-term business partners as opposed to one-off sales. Here’s how you can make a start.
5 Tips For Marketing Your Managed IT Services
Do your research
Do you understand your market, competitors, and customers? More importantly, are you and your tools and services on their radar and why should customers choose you? You need to establish your brand as an MSP and find your market.
For an overview of market growth, trends and drivers projected up until 2027, have a look at this summary of a targeted study.
Ask questions before you try to provide an answer that may not meet the specific needs of your prospective clients. Ascertain business’s IT needs and pain-points, current spend, security, and downtimes. Determine how reliant a business may be on IT because you can leverage this once you know what they have in place.
Not all prospective customers will fully understand the IT aspects of their business, nor how these can be optimized. Simplify your pitch to these customers and focus on the benefits of their investment.
Find your value
To demonstrate value, you must convince your target market that they can confidently focus on other aspects of their business and leave their IT needs in your hands.
To maximize value, you must convince your target market that your tools and services can extend into the overall optimization of the business itself.
Rather than trying to do it all, focus on your existing expertise and technological capabilities. You need to have an ‘it’ factor that will distinguish you from your competitors.
You can also add value when you set pricing. Consider offering a free initial consultation or network assessment.
You want to dress up your tools and services in their finest but beware of promising the impossible. You want to honestly emphasize your MSP’s best capabilities that set you apart from your competitors.
Set your pricing
You can put off a potential buyer by setting your pricing too high or too low. Too high and you will lose customers to competitors who can offer the same value at a better price; too low and you create a perception of low quality.
Pricing options can range from partial to full management, pricing per user, or pricing per device. You can tailor pricing structures according to a business’s needs to determine maximum value on the client’s terms.
Break/fix pricing is set at hourly rates, at a premium. You leverage the customer's desperation to fix a problem. Per device and per user structures take you more into the realm of ‘managed’ services as you charge a monthly fee to provide a level of ongoing, 24/7 coverage and protection.
Justify the retainer versus break/fix cost structure by demonstrating the long-term benefits of your products and services.
A good strategy is to categorize or create tiers to your offerings, emphasizing different benefits at each level. You can also structure pricing alongside them to ensure that value is aligned.
Determine what the fair market rate is, emphasize your value, and then be sure to deliver on your promises.
Optimize your website
There are several key starting points for your website to bear in mind. Here are a few important ones.
Prioritize the visibility of your phone number or contact details in your website’s header so that your clients can easily reach you in an emergency.
Include a call-to-action feature above the page fold to help you collect customer information as you market. Keep it brief, simple and make it easy to follow.
Provide an eye-catching heading that highlights the benefits of you as an MSP.
Include links to separate pages for each core service officering.
Include a link to a page highlighting the main industries you have worked with. You can highlight case studies or examples here.
Optimize your website for mobile and other devices.
Include a live chat feature where prospective customers can get real-time answers to their immediate questions.
Provide social media links in your website’s footer.
Have an “About us” page mentioning founding dates, years in operation, and what sets you apart. Include headshots and short bios of key executives to highlight your expertise and humanize your business.
Include a referrals page and, if you can, include incentives to encourage referrals.
Include a thought leadership blog with content that positions your MSP as an expert.
Highlight social proof by mentioning companies you have helped and any certifications and recent testimonials.
Upsell existing customers
There are several strategies you can consider when it comes to upselling.
Take constant inventory of your customers’ networks to target any end-of-life products or equipment that needs upgrading.
When you consider your tiers or categories, offer complimentary tools or services to make the next tier more appealing. It’s a good idea to time your upsell pitches according to industry-related calendar events or dates.
You should also regularly remind existing customers of your full spectrum of services. Make sure your sales team can briefly guide customers through a concise breakdown of them.
Last Thoughts
Remember, there is no ‘one-size fits all’ when it comes to marketing an MSP. Your marketing strategy will require ongoing tailoring as you learn what works best for your business.