Like any savvy business owner, you want to get the highest return on your investments. Marketing spend is no exception. But if you’re like most MSP owners, marketing isn’t your area of expertise. (That’s ok. Help is on the way.) First, you have to get familiar with a few basic marketing principles. Then, you can dive deeper into best practices for each discipline and identify opportunities to boost your return.

94% of MSPs say sales and marketing are the biggest issues they face when trying to grow.

Do Your Homework

Invest the time into understanding the tools and services available to you. Take advantage of whatever training you can find. You don’t need to become a marketing thought leader, but you should understand the basic theories at work.

The first major obstacle to marketing success is lack of effort. You have to commit yourself to learning.

Behind Every Successful Marketing Campaign is an Aligned Strategy

Your marketing strategy should drive everything from your website design to your social media posts to your customer service call scripts. It’s the who, what, where, when and why behind your every marketing effort – big or small. In the marketing world, it’s described as:

• The right message
• The right audience
• The right place
• The right time

More About the Right Message

The better you understand your audience, the more effectively you can craft a message that engages, inspires and compels the reader to take action.

• Speak to a pain, and offer a solution. What’s keeping your readers up at night, and how can you help?
• Tell readers what you want them to do. Do you want them to click on a link or call a phone number?

Would You Open Your Email?

Before you send out your next email, ask yourself if you would open it.

• Perform A/B tests to identify what performs well
• Target each sales cycle stage with drip campaigns

“Email marketing still promises to deliver the highest ROI of all marketing channels — $42 back for every dollar you spend.” -Forbes

Build Your Network on Social Media

Social media provides a unique opportunity to build your brand awareness, expand your network and engage with your followers.

• Encourage your staff to like your page and share your content
• Tailor your content to the right platform (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Make Your Website High Performing

A website without optimization is like a billboard in the desert. Make sure your website includes the right keywords, utilizes opportunities for conversions (offers, calls to action and lead forms) and displays well on mobile devices.

The second major obstacle to marketing success is lack of money. Aim to invest 3-10% of your revenue goal in sales and marketing.

Generate More Quality Meetings

If you’re not investing in a full-time appointment setter, you’re missing out on a steady stream of meetings with new prospects.

• Leverage prospecting tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Microsoft Office 365 E3
• Provide your caller with timely feedback
• Use good quality data

Take a 360-Degree Approach with Search

The trick here is to put your organic search efforts to work and be patient. Scoring high in Google search rankings requires adherence to a number of best practices and takes time, but the end goal is so worth it. In the meantime, use paid search to gain traction.

The third major obstacle to marketing success is lack of patience. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.

How Marketopia Can Help

If you’re an MSP looking to boost the return on your marketing dollar, look no further than Marketopia. Our marketing and lead generation team specializes in the tech industry and can provide custom content, paid and organic search services, website design, appointment setting, sales enablement tools and more. Contact us today to learn more.

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We’ve all participated in word-of-mouth marketing, also known as WOMM. (How many times has a friend said, “You have to watch that new series on Netflix”?) Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the oldest and most effective forms of marketing. People naturally want to share their good, and bad, experiences. And ultimately, people are more likely to follow recommendations when they come from a friend or family member.

“92 percent of consumers around the world trust recommendations from friends and family over any other type of advertising.” –Nielson

Look Who’s Talking

In general, there are two forms of WOMM. One happens organically, often referred to as traditional WOMM. Like the example above, it takes place through natural conversation. The second form of WOMM is often referred to as modern and is actively initiated through a planned, strategic marketing effort. (Interestingly, the modern form of WOMM can often generate traditional WOMM.) Here, we’ll be exploring modern methods of WOMM and how each can help you manage the conversation.

1. Build trust

One way to optimize WOMM is simple but not necessarily easy: Do your very best. Each and every day, give your customers a reason to recommend you.

• Offer value. Whatever product or service you offer, make it valuable.
• Market yourself as a thought leader. Master the ins and outs of your industry, and share your knowledge.
• Provide exceptional customer service. Commit to understanding and improving the customer experience.

2. Build your brand

Building your brand can also build trust. Did you know people tend to trust brands that look and feel professional? In an instant, consumers are determining your value based on your brand.

• Visual appearance. Do your marketing materials look like the work of your twelve-year-old nephew? A professional logo, color palette and design affect your perceived value.
• Be consistent. Any material with your company name on it should speak your brand, both from a graphic and a content perspective. That includes everything from your website, emails and landing pages to printed collateral and business cards.
• Communicate your brand. If you don’t have them already, get your company values and mission statement in writing. Then translate them into everything you do.

“Whether you are B2B or B2C, between 50 and 91 percent of all purchases are influenced by word-of-mouth in some way.” –Forbes

3. Participate on social media

You don’t need a multi-million-dollar advertising budget to reach millions of people. But you do need a strategy.

• Know your target market. Who is your audience, and where do they tend to congregate online? What content do they respond to? Do they prefer formal or more casual messaging? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, find out.
• Build your community. The more engaged your customers, the more likely they are to talk about you.
• Reach out to influencers. Identify the trendsetters in your industry, and strike up a conversation.
• Don’t forget your staff. People who feel appreciated and part of the team can be your fiercest supporters.

And finally, don’t miss an opportunity to capitalize on a positive review. Proudly reserve a spot on your website for glowing customer testimonials.

How Marketopia Can Help

If you’re looking for innovative ways to generate leads, you’ve come to the right place. Our content creation team can collaborate with you to ensure your social posts are optimized and on point. From our content, design and digital teams to our appointment setters and sales team, you’ll have a whole agency behind your company when you work with Marketopia. Contact us today to learn more.

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8 Keys to Successful Networking Events

Today’s decision-makers are bombarded with emails and text ads from local MSPs and global vendors everywhere they turn. Tech companies looking to grow their business can’t rely on digital marketing alone. So how do you generate quality leads in a crowded marketplace? One of the most cost-effective ways to garner new leads is with Lunch and Learns, or networking events.

1. Cast a wide net.

• Market your event to your clients. Your biggest fans will most likely be an easy sell. (They may even volunteer to give you a nice testimonial at the event.) Networking with clients is a smart retention move. You can reinforce the value of your relationship and position yourself for a cross-sell/up-sell opportunity at the same time.
• It’s the prospects, out there on the fence, who you need to work to attract. More on that later.
• Target all levels of leadership. You never know where you might find your next lead.

“Within the first seven seconds of meeting, people will have a solid impression of who you are — and some research suggests a tenth of a second is all it takes to start determining traits like trustworthiness.”  –Forbes.com

2. Go big, or go home.

When it comes to planning your next event, think “big picture.” Every last detail (the venue, the food, the email invite) sends a message. The choices you make communicate to your customers and your prospects what you think of your business and what you think of them. Everything, from your initial introduction to your marketing collateral, should be professional and on brand. Lastly, send your guests home with high-value swag. A Yeti mug, with your company logo, will stand the test of time and earn a coveted space on someone’s desk.

The choices you make communicate to your customers and your prospects what you think of your business and what you think of them.

3. Choose an inclusive, high-value venue.

The right venue can entice the most challenging of leads. As mentioned earlier, your fan base will most likely accept your invitation with little hesitation. You’ll need to work harder to lure in the others. Imagine a local professional in the market for IT support services. He may not agree to sit down with you for an hour to listen to your sales pitch. But, he might be tempted to join your event at a Major League baseball game or a posh steakhouse. (Note: If you’re feeling a little sticker shock, consider this: Networking is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business.) And, if you’re looking to cut costs, think about working with a vendor to support your event.

If you’re looking to cut costs, think about working with a vendor to support your event.

4. Hosting virtual events

There will be times when being physically together isn’t possible. Bad weather and simple geography can leave you with no other option but a virtual event. Online events present their own set of challenges, but when done well, they can be successful.

• Make it easy. Be sure to use a user-friendly, well-known business communication platform like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Stay away from products not universally known. You want to make the entire experience easy and stress-free. As with any marketing effort, limit every potential obstacle you can.
• Class it up. Just because you can’t meet at a high-end restaurant doesn’t mean you can’t send participants an electronic gift card. Once people enter your event, email them an Uber Eats or DoorDash gift card so your guests can order food. Everyone can enjoy a nice lunch delivered to their office around the same time.
• Don’t multi-task. Don’t make the mistake of trying to host a hybrid onsite and online event. Choose one or the other, so you can devote your undivided attention to your guests.

Networking is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business.

5. How, and when, to effectively measure ROI

Calculating the ROI is fairly straightforward – revenue compared to cost. In this instance, the primary goal of your event is to generate leads. That’s our measurable objective.

Take the total cost of your event and divide by the number of leads generated. That gives you your total cost per lead. Compare that number to your ROI on other marketing efforts. (Networking events prove to be cost effective tools to generate leads in comparison to other marketing efforts.) That’s welcome news when the average lead in the IT space could cost you over $1k. And finally, networking is a long-term investment. Give your event time to work. Wait 90 days before you measure your progress.

Networking is a long-term investment. Give your event time to work. Wait 90 days before you measure your progress.

6. Set the right agenda.

• Do give a high-level overview of all the products and services you offer. Even if your event is centered around VoIP, don’t neglect to mention you offer cloud services. You never know who is listening and what they may need now or sometime in the near future.
• Don’t make this about a sales pitch. Yes. Your event should have a sales component, but your primary objective here isn’t to sell. The time to sell will come later. If you’re sharing the event with a vendor, prep them before time on your preferred tone and message.
• Do allow for breathing room. Realize people will converse and conversations will evolve. Be sure to incorporate free time in the first few minutes for people to arrive and make introductions.
• Don’t get too technical. Remember, among your guests may be an engineer. But don’t forget the business people who aren’t tech-savvy. Speak to business value so your message resonates with everyone in the room.

The average lead in the IT space averages about $1k.

 7. Don’t forget about marketing.

• Announce your event and generate excitement through company newsletters, social media, email and telemarketing campaigns.
• Send a thank you follow-up email.
• Call each participant following your event. Thank guests for attending, and ask if they would like more information about your product and service offerings.

8. Keep your eyes on the prize.

• Don’t be short-sighted. Remember, networking isn’t a sprint. It’s a long-term investment.
• Do make it a habit. Commit yourself to a regular cadence of events, say one per month. Regular events can not only keep your business top of mind, but they can also establish you as an industry thought leader.
• Don’t lose sight of your objective. Your goal with this event is to produce a lead. Leave the details and the hard sell for later.

Interested in how to generate quality leads? Marketopia can help.

If you have a tech company to grow, Marketopia has the marketing and lead gen tools to make it happen. We’re in the business of more leads, more sales and more profit for everyone in the IT channel. So, whether you’re looking for support for your TSP marketing, channel marketing or lead generation for IT industry customers and partners, Marketopia is here to help.

• Tools to run your own event
• Professional collateral
• IT industry specific
• Sales and marketing focused

Interested in how to generate quality leads? Contact us today, and let’s get started

Sources

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It’s no secret that conferences are the bread and butter of making connections, forming partnerships and expanding your organization’s market share. Without the ability to have these face-to-face interactions, many professionals feel like there is no opportunity to gain new business and expand their organization’s brand. However, it’s not the end of the world. The partners are still out there – but you must change the tactics you use to reach them.

Here are five areas to consider for recruiting net new partners when in-person events are not an option.

Chat with us today and discover how it’s done.

Virtual Events

Nearly all internal meetings take place virtually nowadays; why not hold an entire conference the same way? These events are much easier to put on from a logistics, planning and marketing standpoint. You can have greater attendance by people and speakers from around the world since travel is not a factor.

Unfortunately, the market for virtual events has become oversaturated. But don’t allow this to be a deterrent. You need to be creative and offer a different kind of experience with information that people want to consume so you can attract the partners you want. The key is to create a fun and engaging atmosphere. People are already living in dull video calls. Break up this monotony by introducing captivating keynote speakers, software, videos and gamification into your presentation to keep them hooked. It helps if the topics of these items are timely.

It’s also essential that you encourage your audience to watch the event live and not recorded. It cannot be overstated how much more effective lead generation is when an audience is watching live. Plus, attendees can interact in Q&A sessions, making them more likely to stay tuned in and deeply engaged for the entire event.

When it’s all said and done, you now have a library of content that you can break up and repackage as value-added marketing collateral in the form of videos, blogs and other media. These will help you attract new partnerships long after the virtual event ends.

Stronger Together: Partnerships

You don’t have to hold these virtual events on your own. One tactic that’s winning for many businesses right now is sharing the stage with other business personalities at these virtual events. This “better together” approach empowers both of you to grow each other’s database of leads. The key here is to have a large attendee list. It helps add greater value because you both can attract more viable leads that you may not have reached before on your own with your combined wealth of knowledge.

Partnering with vendors helps you explain product knowledge and sell the ease of use for your solution offerings. They help you with lead generation and marketing tools so you can close more deals in the virtual space.

Social Power

For sales reps who are used to being road warriors at different events, the battle is not over – it’s taking place elsewhere. Social media is a sales rep’s best tool for reaching people when face-to-face interactions are limited. Reps must take their personal brand from the show floor and use it to prospect on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit and others to pursue new leads.

They will become an active member of these communities by engaging in discussions, commenting on other peoples’ posts and participating in their events, perhaps even as a guest speaker.

Social media is also an excellent tool for holding small to medium virtual events. For example, you can host a LinkedIn Live event with value-added information in your presentation. These gatherings can be even more effective because they’re more intimate and provide more opportunities for one-on-one discussions with those in attendance.

Revisit & Reinvigorate Relationships

Don’t forget about the clients you already have. Customer relationship management is the most crucial factor here. To start, make a targeted list of partners with whom you want to increase business. Once established, start devoting more time and resources towards sparking new deals with them.

They already know your value, it’s a perfect opportunity to offer them more. Send them resources and useful information about what they need to survive in difficult times and feature solutions you can provide at a discounted rate.

You can also reach out to organizations in your contacts that never quite became a client. Revisit your data, check attendance to past events and your own virtual events and see who was there but did not convert. Have your sales rep engage with them and see if there’s a solution you can offer that will be your in.

Marketing Always Matters

At the end of the day, the tactics all businesses use to attract the prospects they want remains constant. Keep up with the marketing efforts that have always informed the world of your value. Important areas to keep up on include:

• General advertising
• Telemarketing
• Email campaigns
• Public relations
• Optimizing content for SEO

The audience you want to reach is still out there, you just need to get creative in all these areas to increase your success rate.

How Marketopia Can Help

Between hosting and joining virtual events with vendor partners, offering comprehensive training sessions, engaging social and reaching out to close a deal, the entire team at Marketopia knows how to get it done. Don’t wait for the normal to return; we can help you take advantage of the opportunities in front of you right now so you can build even greater success. Contact us today to get started.

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