We all know what an amazing tool the Internet is for marketing an MSP, but are you using that tool correctly?
It’s more than just slapping up a website and connecting it to a Facebook page. It involves a step-by-step process for converting strangers on the Internet to leads, to customers, and finally to promoters of your business.
Sound good? It is, but it does involve a bit more work than just hoping your website will appeal to everyone.
Step 1: Connect with People
First things first, you’ve got to actually draw people in. MSPs have been using SEO for ages to bump up their ranks on Google, but that’s really only going to help if someone is already searching for “IT services Toronto.” How do you pull in potential customers who aren’t directly looking for you?
The answer is INFORMATION.
You’ve got a wealth of knowledge about how IT affects not only businesses, but also people in their daily lives. People can use that knowledge! Spread it around.
- Use your blog and social media platforms to offer useful information that strangers can actually take advantage of.
- Talk about new trends in IT, potential threats like new malware or phishing strategies, or tips and tricks for using common apps better.
- Don’t let your networks on Facebook or LinkedIn go to waste – send these articles to people who might need them, and ask them to pass them along.
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The more you share your content, the more strangers you’re going to reach and potentially draw back to your website.
Step 2: Intrigue Your Visitors
Okay, so by now you’ve hopefully drawn some new people into your site. Awesome! Now you’ve got to make them interested in your other services.
That means your site itself has to include content that will turn someone just poking around on your site into a lead:
- Calls to action that appeal to the pain points of your potential clients – ask them if they’re happy with their existing IT service, point out the potential problems of mismanaged IT, and show off why your managed service is better than the alternatives.
- Contact forms that visitors can fill out to get helpful downloads, like a survey on whether they’re prepared for a disaster.
- Landing pages that target your vertical markets, so they can read about how your services particularly benefit their manufacturing firm or their business in Oakland.
The more you intrigue them, the more likely they are to either fill out your contact form or pick up the phone and call.
Step 3: Seal the Deal
This is where it’s not so much on your web presence itself and more on your communications with a prospect. Everything up to this point has been to convince them to contact you; now you’ve got to make it worth it.
- Make sure you have a reliable process for contacting leads and offering them the information that will help close the deal. Use your CRM to keep track of your connection, so you send emails and make phone calls at the right times.
- Capitalize on the kind of information you’ve already delivered. If you’ve got content about security issues on your site, make sure you ask them about their security. If you’re big into the cloud, ask them what they know about the cloud and start telling them what benefits they can get from YOUR cloud services. It’s all on you.
Step 4: Keep the Conversation Going
A lot of MSPs make their website and social presence all about prospective customers, and that’s a mistake. You should be including content that will appeal to and help your existing clients as well.
- Encourage your clients to subscribe to your blog and social media pages.
- Publish useful content that they can appreciate, like a guide to the latest and best iPhone apps for a business in their industry.
You want to take your client and turn them into someone who promotes your business for you. If you continue to wow them, they will sing your praises and do half the work for you.
Only 1 in 100 IT firms think marketing first, but 100 out of 100 want more leads. Ulistic is here to help managed services providers think strategically about their marketing to get more leads while still focusing on running their business. Our team engages with your team every day, providing expert marketing materials and advice to create a foundation for stratospheric success. Learn more at Ulistic.com.
