In the last year, we’ve seen increased reliance on cloud technologies, which has translated to a growing number of businesses seeking help from MSPs (yay!). The downside? This demand has caused an uptick in the number of businesses labeling themselves as MSPs – which means more marketing noise for you to cut through in order to differentiate your brand (boo).
We’re sharing the secret that will help you set yourself apart from your noisier (and perhaps less experienced) competitors: killer content marketing.
When executed correctly, content marketing for MSPs can help you rise above the competition and cut through the noise of all the other MSPs trying to grab attention from your target audience. Here’s what you need to know.
How Content Marketing Can Be Effective for MSPs
Not all content is created equal or carries the same impact. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating content that offers real value to your customers and prospects (and some “homework” you can work on to get started):
Create Useful, Original Content
Creating quality, original content is a far better strategy than aggregating content from other sites and turning your marketing efforts into a content farm. There’s a time and a place for re-sharing articles from reputable sites to demonstrate that you have your finger on the pulse of the industry – but quantity, in this case, isn’t helpful to your target audience.
Your homework: Determine your customers’ and prospects’ pain points and develop a strategy for creating content that will directly help them address those points.
Prioritize Content Creation as a Business Imperative
Content marketing can’t be viewed as an aside that you’ll take care of when you have a minute to handle it – content creation should be a top business priority.
Your homework: Block off time dedicated to strategizing, creating, and putting out content on a consistent schedule that will keep you top of mind with your target audience.
Types of Content You Need to Consider – and Why They Work
Content marketing for MSPs starts with consideration of the types of content that will best keep your customers and prospects engaged with your brand. Here are some forms of content you can include in your arsenal – and why they’re effective:
Blog Posts
If you don’t already have a blog on your website, it’s time to start one. And if you do, it’s time to ensure any blogs you publish help optimize your website for search. Blogs can be leveraged in more than one way:
- As social fodder (clickable and shareable to organically get the word out on your MSP)
- As part of an email nurture campaign, where you can deliver value and insight to your customers and prospects
- To build credibility through thought leadership
Blogs are generally ungated – which means they’re readily available and help establish your expertise and authority on a subject.
Why They’re Effective: Blogs are versatile and can be leveraged to reach target buyers in different phases of your marketing and sales funnel. They can be published as timely, “hot news” pieces on the latest topics relevant to your audience, or as evergreen content that offers value to your customers no matter what’s happening immediately in the industry.
Videos
54%1 of your customers prefer videos over all other forms of content. Videos don’t have to be a monumental undertaking (you’re not trying to release a six-part series on the benefits of unified communications) – they just have to get a specific point across about how a product, solution, or service you offer solves your targets’ pain points. A 30-second clip can have a big impact if executed with punchy messaging and eye-catching visuals.
Why They’re Effective: Remember the days when you’d see a commercial on TV and realize, “wow, I’m missing out on XYZ and didn’t even know it!”? Strategically using video on both your website and social media puts you in front of customers who may not have been aware you can provide them with something they need.
Infographics/Checklists
Short, numbers-based, and to-the-point infographics distill information your target audience is looking for into an easily digestible (and shareable) format. Checklists operate in a similar way – your customers or prospects may feel unsure about whether they need a specific solution, and a checklist breaks down the decision making process into manageable pieces.
Why They’re Effective: Infographics and checklists are the instant gratification of content. Your potential clients are adept at doing their own research, and they’re not always looking for an extensive piece of content to answer a question. Infographics offer visually appealing and quick answers, and checklists provide a means to come to a conclusion without reading something longer like a white paper.
Checklists are often shared as gated content, which require the user to complete a form first in order to acquire the download.
Webinars
These days, most of your prospective clients are accustomed to attending virtual meetings and webinars. Create sessions that address their pain points – and make the recordings available to be watched and re-watched after.
Why They’re Effective: Webinars provide a real-time way for your audience to get the information they’re looking for – while also lending you a ton of credibility, thanks to your expert presenters. Sending recordings to potential viewers later is effective as well – videos are a preferred content format, and a recording can be paused for notetaking and shared with colleagues.
Ebooks
Ebooks allow you to demonstrate thought leadership in areas that address your customers’ pain. You can go into detail on a specific subject and publish it in a digital form that can be downloaded and easily shared.
Why They’re Effective: Ebooks are a great way to turn dense, long-form content like white papers and long blogs into content that’s more visually appealing. If your ebook is formatted a certain way (in some cases these can be written as “slides” instead of pages), your audience can even repurpose it in their own presentations – extending the reach of your marketing further.
Newsletters
Email marketing is far from dead. A thoughtfully planned email newsletter that focuses on relevant, current topics can help you pique the interest of your target audience. Include clickable links and a call to action so that the newsletter encourages the reader to interact with your MSP in some way.
Why They’re Effective: Regularly scheduled newsletters keep you in front of your audience – and give you an opportunity to showcase everything from fresh blogs to upcoming webinars and news about your MSP. Linking to content that drives traffic to your website could ultimately generate more qualified leads.
Ready to Get Started With Better Content?
Now that you know the why and how of content marketing for MSPs, it’s time to get going with yours! If you’ve never focused on content, though, doing this on your own may be an intimidating endeavor.
At Mojenta, our pros have helped MSPs transform their marketing for well over a decade. We’re here to help you get your content marketing efforts up and running – reach out to us and start creating effective content today!
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