Four Pillars MSPs Must Consider With Their Marketing

I normally focus my writing and my public speaking about the overall importance of online marketing and how online activities tie into your complete MSP marketing strategy.  Your online marketing is essential (but not the only thing) in today’s world where Google searches are a normal day-to-day activity for almost everyone.  However, it is not the only area of your marketing where you need to focus your efforts.

During a recent visit over coffee with my friend Michelle Pearson, we got chatting about how important it is to include several different pillars in your overall business marketing plan and execution.  Michelle is an expert in the human-side of marketing and relationships.  During our hour-long chat, we shared many stories on marketing success and failures plus we joked about those folks who tell MSPs and business owners that they need to abandon all other aspects of marketing and just zero-in on the online piece .  Really, it is no joke, don’t dump and focus on just one thing.

Marketing may seem complex on the outside but when you figure out how everything works, it is quite simple.

Your MSP marketing must include a well thought strategy that has many easy to execute tactics depending on the situation and who you are targeting.  An effective MSP marketing strategy must include these four critical pillars:

1. Print Media – I will lump a lot into this category, but print media is still extremely important.  Print Media will include things such as post cards, sales letters, brochures, signage…basically anything that you can print a message, logo or your “invitation statement” will fall under this category.  People still like to get stamped mail, some like to get a flyer and others simply need a business card.  Print is still very important.
2. Broadcast Media – Press releases, case studies, win wires, media, online radio, YouTube, TV and anything else that helps you broadcast your message to the public still must occur.  I recently was in LA and heard a commercial on one of the Christian stations from a member of HTG.  Broadcast media still works when you understand what or where your market actually is.
3. Social Media – All the rage these days and perhaps only really popular because it is new.  My take is “social media is now part of our overall communication fabric”. You can choose to believe or ignore the Socialnomics videos that attempt to share with you what is happening in Social Media and online marketing.  The truth is, everyone has a computer.  At least in business, computers are a normal staple now.  Social Media is important.  I also include your website, blogs, email marketing and anything that takes the direct communication with the market and puts it in digital form.  That digitization tied with human interaction is the real definition of social media to me.  We all need to understand how this media fits into your business and then figure out how we can use social media to enhance print, broadcast and even human media.
4. Human Media – The most important part of your marketing strategy.  ”Human media” is about you getting up out of your seat, visiting with people or maybe just making a phone call versus sending an email.  Meeting people at Starbucks, see clients face-to-face and attend your local Chamber of Commerce lunches is human media (looking eyeball to eyeball with people).  Human media must continue to occur in your business, I can’t imagine life without human interaction.  Your human media strategy brings portions of your print, broadcast and social media into the mix and is really the glue of your business marketing, tech support, sales, accounting, HR and anything else in your business.

Your message must span across multiple pillars.  You cannot do one thing on its own and expect success.  You still need flyers to hand out, you may direct people to your website for more information and you want to get that Google searcher who may have an immediate pain point.  The best of breed MSPs understand the overall importance of effective marketing and have practices in place to discuss and carry out all four categories daily.

Where is your market? This is something you need to figure out and do it now.  No use investing a bunch of our hard-earned money on postcards and then picking a market where you are not skilled in or where there is no real business opportunity.  Just doesn’t make sense, but many businesses do the spray and pray approach everyday with their marketing.

Knowing where you excel and applying the right formula and media will net you success with your marketing.  Do you want to discuss marketing with me, give me a phone call at 403.604.9464.  I would love to learn more about your business and chat about your MSP marketing strategy.