MSP University Managed Services Blog

Reduce Your Marketing Costs And Increase Results With Non-Traditional Techniques

As a business owner, there are several activities that you need to execute and manage successfully in order to grow your business effectively and profitably. The first includes marketing, advertising and promotion to inform your prospects about your services and build up a strong presence in your target market. The second includes reducing costs and managing expenses as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, it is a challenge to succeed in accomplishing these goals in tandem, as traditional advertising is a costly business expense.

But by adding some non-traditional techniques to your traditional efforts, marketing your business does not always have to be a large financial investment. There are many resources you can use these days to shamelessly self-promote your business.

Here are a few tips to help you get the word out about your business using low-cost or even FREE techniques:

Do Your Own Local PR

Your local community newspaper is normally glad to pick up news stories from the community. There are sections in the paper such as People in the News or Business Notes that actively seeks out local businesses to print up a blurb about, or even do a feature on local businesses for free. You can use that press to garner even more attention. Submit press releases to the news outlets only when you have something really newsworthy to say or a business event or achievement of note to announce.

Sponsor a Community Event

There are many organizations that sponsor events that need benefactors to help support them. You can use these opportunities for free publicity by donating a business service for free or even a small monetary donation from your business. The organization and event publicity will help in your branding and getting your company name out locally.

Hit The Internet

If you have experience in a specific niche, you can share your knowledge online by guest posting on various relevant blogs or submitting original articles to websites like www.ezinearticles.com with a brief author biography and a link back to your website. These submissions are free and can help build confidence in your knowledge of the topic at hand for potential clients and help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website. MSP University uses this technique successfully to achieve both of these goals.

Join An Association

There are many local, regional and national associations that you can join and reap the benefits of extended networking, mailing lists, and even continuing education on business topics. Granted these association memberships do come with fees and membership dues, but they can be an invaluable investment in your business. Once a member, don't be a wallflower. Attend functions and be involved in as much as you can to get your money's worth. Consider your local Chambers of Commerce as an immediate option, and partner with Microsoft's Local Engagement Team to help with free giveaways at these events to help create a 4-way Win-Win opportunity for you, the Chamber, Microsoft and the winner of your raffles.

Social Networking

The popularity of sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are free to join and give you the freedom to express yourself and shine as an expert in your field.

There are many other such opportunities for promoting your business, and with a bit of effort and creative thinking, you can develop your own marketing plan on a budget. Sure, it's nice to have a big glossy billboard advertising your services - but the reality is you likely can't afford it, don't need always need it, and can find more effective ways to get your business' name out there using inexpensive methods and resources.

Click here to learn more effective, low-cost marketing techniques to increase your profitability in The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!

...and Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
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MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

Marketing Your Way Out Of The Recession

It seems we may have passed the worst part of the recession and are now dealing with the uphill battle toward a stable economy.  As each day goes by individuals and businesses alike are finding new reasons to look forward to the future.

 While it seems possible to see the light at the end of the tunnel, many are still staggering from the effects of the recession.  Whether your business has been hard hit or able to sustain itself in the weakened economy, it is important to remember the importance of a well-designed marketing strategy. 

In an attempt to reduce costs, some businesses make the mistake of cutting their marketing budget in the hopes they will be able to weather the economic storm.  Unfortunately, this can prove to be a costly mistake and one that you should strive to avoid.  In fact, studies have shown that the businesses that continue to market during slow economic times are the businesses that most often see growth during those times. 

Here are a few tips to help keep your business out in the forefront when others are cutting their marketing budgets:

• Know your clients.  If there was ever a time to know your clients, that time is now.  You must know who they are, what they need and how they are affected by the economic recession we are all facing.

• Re-evaluate and analyze.  Instead of cutting your marketing budget, you should be focusing on what you are currently doing and whether or not it is working to achieve your business goals.  You may discover there are ways to change your marketing strategy that will help get the results you are looking for at a lower cost.  The key is to determine if your current strategy is delivering the results you need.

• Assess your products and services.  Do your products and services address your prospects' and clients' needs and/or wants?  With everyone cutting unnecessary spending, you may need to revise your product line or services to reach out to consumers who are experiencing the same hardships financially as your business may currently be facing. 

• When it comes right down to it, your marketing strategy and budget should not be considered an “expense” that can be cut when times are tough.  In fact, the money you put into marketing is the only connection you have with your prospects and clients.  And money invested in a well thought out marketing plan is money invested in the future growth of your business.

Click here to learn more marketing and sales techniques to increase your profitability during difficult economic times in The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
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Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

Recorded Webinar Posted: How To Increase Profits By Providing Free Service to Clients

Topic: How to Increase Profits by Providing Free Service to Existing Clients 
 
This is one of the best State of the Industry Webinars we have had, with over 2/3 of the attendees staying on and asking questions for 20 minutes after our scheduled end time!
 
In case you missed it live, we've posted MSP University's latest State of the Industry Webinar and it and its companion slide deck are available for viewing now on MSP University's website. Browse to www.mspu.us and select "Courses" in the top navigation bar. The Webcast can be found under "This Month's FREE Training".
 
(If you do not already have a Free Basic MSP University Membership, you will be asked to create one to view this webinar and access the included PowerPoint slide deck. If you already have an MSP University Membership, you'll simply need to log in to access the download)

This recorded Webinar focuses on helping your clients during these tough economic times in ways that increase their satisfaction, position you as a "go-giver" and true business partner, differentiate your business from your competitors, and uncover additional revenue opportunities that you can help your clients budget for, to increase their operational uptime and profitability.
 
The techniques and methodology discussed during this Webinar are a tremendous way for you to strengthen your existing client relationships by helping your clients through difficult economic times.

This is truly a win-win all the way around for you and your existing clients - and will open the door to more opportunity!

Our special guest for this unique presentation is Chad Gniffke, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Kaseya, who shares how Kaseya partners are leveraging this philosophy with their existing clients.

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

Can a Blog Increase Your Sales?

Many companies with an established website are missing out on additional traffic and a potential increase in sales because they don't understand the power of a blog.

There are several compelling reasons to use a blog as part of your marketing and branding strategy:

• Blogs are often discovered faster in search engines because they are constantly updated.  Search engines reward sites with consistently updated content with better search engine positioning.
• A good blog is similar to creating a small community of your own. Interactions between the readers and the author through comments can be invaluable to the company's marketing needs.
• Blogs tend to build traffic much easier and faster than a standard website will, because readers have a reason to come back (fresh content, new information, interaction).
• Blogs enable a company to write about a variety of issues that are not just product or service oriented, leading to more traffic from search engines using different, yet important keywords your prospects are using when searching the internet.
• Blogs enable you to share your expertise by including articles and other useful information beyond sales, that a potential customer may be seeking information about online.  You are setting yourself up as the expert.
• Blogs can be linked to the main pages of your website to bring additional traffic to sales information, which is significantly less expensive than trying to drive traffic to your site through other means.
• The interactivity of blogs allow you to grow relationships with your readers.  People only buy from businesses and individuals they trust, and trust will only come with through a relationship.
• Blogs are created with the ability to set up RSS feeds (really simple syndication), allowing people to sign up and get instantly updated whenever you make changes or additions to your blog.
• You can repurpose your blogs to be used in social networking and newsletter marketing – helping you leverage your time and expand your reach.

While setting up and maintaining a blog may take a larger amount of effort than your main company website, it is a valuable strategy for your business.  If you don't have someone within your own company able to write your blog articles,  there are freelance writers that will gladly keep your blog full of fresh posts and provide relevant SEO content on your behalf. MSP University recommends Trifecta Strategies to our members for these valuable services.

Here's what you need to know when starting a new blog for  your website:

Identify the topics or subject matter your customers and potential customers are interested in. Do not be too broad with topics as you want to relay your expertise in your industry.

1. Add fresh, well-written posts to your site on a consistent basis.  Ideally, you'll post one new article per day, or at least two or three articles on a weekly basis.

2. Add your blog address to your email signature and promote it as often as you can in other ways, such as direct links from your website and your email marketing campaigns.

3. Create blog posts that incite discussion about the information you want to get out of your customers, such as improving on a service, product, or other aspect of your business.

4. Create an opportunity for your best clients and colleagues to write guest posts on your blog. Not only does it offer customers more perspectives on things, it also affords you the opportunity for free promotions from those guest authors.

5. Do preliminary keyword research using Google's free keyword tool (or others) to find out what phrases people are typing into search engines to find information related to your business.  Use the keywords in your blog titles and posts to help optimize your site for search engines.

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
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Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

13 Ways To Build Your Email Marketing List

It can be argued that every business needs some sort of email marketing list, but for a technology-based business, it's practically a requirement!  An effective mailing list is more than just finding hundreds of email addresses to add to your database, though.  Your mailing list must be made of individuals and businesses who are interested in your products and services.  Building a mailing list is similar to growing a relationship – if you start out wrong, you'll ruin your chances of having a rewarding relationship. If you prove yourself trustworthy, you and your mailing list could enjoy many quality years together!

Your first, and probably most important consideration of building an email marketing list is that the people who are on the list want to be there.  If you've added people without their permission, you are “spamming” them. This causes the recipients to lose trust in your products and services before they even know what you have to offer. Allow people to “opt-in”, which is just a fancy way of saying they can confirm their desire to be on your list.  The easiest way to manage a list of confirmed, opt-in prospects is to use one of the various programs that handle all aspects of list management for you:

www.constantcontact.com
www.mailchimp.com   
www.aweber.com
www.getsubscribers.com
www.listbuilderpro.com
www.yourluckylist.com

Most of these types of services not only save your contacts for you in a database, but also offer templates and easy-to-use forms to email the contacts on your list.  You can add your logos and customize the look and feel of every newsletter or email you send out.

Here are 13 ways to build your email marketing list:

1. Create a page on your website that allows people to add their email address to your mailing list through an opt-in form (programs like Constanct Contact give you a quick and easy form to copy and paste the code onto your web page).

2. Include a link to the opt-in form on every page of your website.

3. Include a link to the opt-in form in every email you send out.

4. Give away a white paper or other valuable information. Use a landing page to capture email addresses entered by individuals wanting the document, and use pay-per-click advertising to send potential prospects to your landing page.

5. Ask for email addresses from any prospect you meet or during check-out if you have a retail storefront for technology.

6. Include a link to your opt-in form on all published materials (brochures, business cards, etc).

7. Write an article and give it to another business with a newsletter going out to people in the same target market as your own; include a link to your opt-in form in your author biography.

8. Write an article on a topic of interest to your prospective clients and distribute to article directories.  Include a link to your opt-in form in the author biography.

9. Ask current subscribers of your list to forward your emails to friends and colleagues who would benefit from the information.

10. Show the benefits of joining your mailing list – be sure to link to an older email/newsletter you've sent out, or to your newsletter archive on your website to let potential subscribers see what they'll get when they join your list.

11. Attend conferences, trade shows and seminars in your target vertical market and exchange business cards, asking each person if it's ok to add them to your mailing list.

12. Establish a loyalty program – offer special discounts on items ONLY to people on your mailing list.

13. Become active on social networking sites and include a link to your opt-in form in your profile.

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
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Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

What Clients Look For In A Managed Hosting Provider

If you want to increase the number of clients you provide managed hosting services to, you'll need to be aware of the information they look for when making a decision as to who will become their provider.  Because hosting comes in many different shapes and sizes, the average small to medium-sized enterprise may find it difficult to select the right managed hosting provider. 

Here are the parameters many look at when evaluating and deciding:

1. The past performance and experience of the company:  You can offer your potential clients statistics and figures all day long, but most business owners are aware that these numbers can hide more than what they actually tell.  A knowledgeable client will be verifying your past performance and how much experience you have in managed hosting.  They may talk to your existing customers to find out what they think of your performance and delivery efficiency.

2. The quality of your technology infrastructure:  Most potential clients are going to look for a managed hosting provider who can provide them with some sort of competitive edge through technology solutions.   They'll want to validate that you offer advanced technology hosting solutions at competitive prices, and tools that are useful to supporting their businesses.

3. Your reliability and uptime:  These days, clients are fully aware that uptime is one of the most important aspects of their business productivity.  Are you offering 99.9% guaranteed uptime?  What is not included in that guarantee, and are they things that will turn away your clients or make them feel you aren't offering a reliable service?

4. Your cost:  All clients will compare the cost of your managed hosting solutions to those of your competitors.  While it's never a good idea to compete on price alone, you want to make sure you offer a variety of managed hosting packages that will meet a number of businesses needs.

5. Will you be there when they need you?  An important factor for all potential clients is to know whether or not you have 24/7 support available when they need it, and not just during set business hours.  Clients will consider the level of support available when selecting their managed hosting provider.

Considering the factors that a client evaluates when selecting a managed hosting provider can help you understand their requirements and how to better support their businesses. 

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

How To Survive The Recession and Thrive as a Managed Services Provider

What does the current economic downturn mean to us as IT service providers? Businesses traditionally are much more careful in their spending during times of economic uncertainty, and I T projects are normally among the first batch off initiatives to be placed on hold, as clients and prospects tighten their belts to weather the storm. It's important for us to identify this reality and shape our deliverables, message and value proposition accordingly so that we can take advantage of these opportunities.
 
Did that last sentence confuse you? If it did, let me explain my position. If we, as IT service providers, shape our message, deliverables and pricing in such a way that we are seen as a cost‐saving solution to clients and prospects that can mitigate their business risks and increase their efficiencies and productivity; and therefore net profits, we have a really good shot at not only weathering economic downturns ourselves, but actually growing our businesses during these periods. Does this sound crazy? Let’s dive a bit deeper...

As a reactive IT service provider, we are most profitable when our clients are experiencing the most pain. If there is an outage or disaster event, we react to and remediate the problem, then bill our client our emergency response rate. Our clients are never prepared to pay for these reactive emergencies, so the negative impact to their cash flow and operations is very high. This is the reason many clients and prospects have a less than positive opinion of IT maintenance costs and reactive providers in general.

As a proactive managed IT service provider; however, our relationship with clients is the complete opposite, as we are most profitable when our clients are experiencing the least pain. The better we proactively manage and maintain their environments, the higher their efficiencies, productivity and profits. The more we integrate tools and technology, and utilize effective, standardized processes and procedures to remotely monitor and manage our client's environments, the higher our staff's utilization and realization becomes, increasing our net profits. So in this example, our business goals are in perfect alignment with our clients', as we are the most profitable when they are the most profitable.

So how can we shape our deliverables, message and value proposition to take advantage of the current economic recession, and counteract its impact on the spending behavior of business owners who tend to tighten their belts during periods of economic uncertainty, and seek cost‐cutting measures in order to "hunker down" until the storm blows over?

Well, in extreme conditions, these same business owners also look to staff reductions and outsourcing labor‐intensive business functions such as HR, Payroll and IT Services, which is an excellent opportunity for the well‐prepared managed IT service provider to capitalize upon.

With the proper messaging and an effective marketing and sales process, Managed Services Providers will be the most successful at winning business and realizing increased profits in 2009 and beyond than system builders, reactive break‐fix and professional services providers.

Download our white paper - Maximizing Service Delivery Profits During Economic Downturns for more on this timely subject (you'll need to log in with your MSP University credentials, or create a FREE Basic MSP University Membership account to download this and dozens of other valuable business transformation webinars, white papers, best practices guides, forms, tools and collateral).

Erick Simpson
MSP University
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Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

Disconnecting - It's Time To Quiet The Noise And Re-Focus

I had the opportunity to take some time off this week and heed the advice of my business partner Gary and "disconnect". This has always been difficult for me, as I have always had a difficult time unplugging from the various utility belt devices, laptops and PCs available to me at home or when traveling.

This time around, I was determined to get at least a couple of days in completely unplugged - but I took it a bit further. Prior to completely disconnecting, I decided to evaluate all of the ways I get distracted electronically each day - RSS Feeds, Email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., and decided to disengage from most of them.

That's right - I canceled most of my RSS Feeds, dropped out of many of my subscription email notification services, stopped following folks on Twitter and cleaned up my email profile. As a result, I must have reduced my incoming emails by about 70 per day (no kidding) and reduced overall distractions tremendously. I've also adopted a strict once-a-week schedule for managing my Facebook and LinkedIn friend requests and profiles, only reply to urgent text messages and have begun experimenting with ping.fm to automate the updating of my Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts simultaneously, reducing duplication of effort.

I'm really looking forward to returning to the office next week with a lot less distractions and more time to focus on what my role is in helping our organization achieve its business goals - how about you?

Erick Simpson
MSP University
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Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

Karl Palachuk on Project Management and Zero Downtime Migrations

Our good friend Karl Palachuk is putting on a Seminar in Portland, OR on Tuesday, June 9th:

Sign up now for this special event - brought to you by the Portland Technology Wizards IT Pro Group.

Agenda Notes:

• Project Management in a Managed Service Business
  We all work projects. But do we all work them profitably and efficiently? Whether you're 100% managed service or just getting started, come and learn the most important elements of keeping project labor on the "billable" side of the ledger.
• Zero Downtime Migration Strategies
  Join one of the authors of The Network Migration Workbook for an introduction to SBS Migration that will make your business more profitable and your clients a lot happier. Is ZDTM really possible and practical in your business? Attend and find out.

Live Seminar - One Day Only
Beaverton, OR
6:30 - 9:00 PM
June 9th
 
ONLY $49!

Click here to register!

About Karl:
Karl W. Palachuk is the founder and CEO of KPEnterprises, a technology consulting firm focused on the SMB market in Sacramento, CA. He has experience running support services for companies from one person to some of the largest companies in the world. As a leader in the development of network documentation and managed services, Karl is a very popular speaker in the SMB Consulting Space. KPEnterprises was founded in 1995, but Karl has been working with computers and "the internet" since 1982.

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.

How to Increase Profits by Providing Free Service to Existing Clients

Join us for MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar
 
Please join us Thursday, June 25th @ 9am PST as I host MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar.

 

Topic: How to Increase Profits by Providing Free Service to Existing Clients  
 
Does this sound crazy to you? Believe me, it isn't! You can't expect heat from a fire without putting in some logs first.
 
This Webinar will focus on helping your clients during these tough economic times in ways that increase their satisfaction, position you as a "go-giver" and true business partner, differentiate your business from your competitors, and uncover additional revenue opportunities that you can help your clients budget for, to increase their operational uptime and profitability.
 
The techniques and methodology discussed during this Webinar are a tremendous way for you to strengthen your existing client relationships by helping your clients through difficult economic times.

 

Click here to register!

 

This is truly a win-win all the way around for you and your existing clients - and will open the door to more opportunity!

 

Our special guest for this unique presentation will be Chad Gniffke, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Kaseya, who will share how Kaseya partners are leveraging this philosophy with their existing clients.
 
About MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series
 
MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series is meant to inform.  The more you know about your industry, the products and services available to you and your clients, and how to market and sell those products and services, the greater your opportunities to increase your value to your clients, as well as your business success. 

About Erick Simpson

Vice President and CIO of Intelligent Enterprise, a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner, and MSP University, Erick is a recognized industry expert and IT and Managed Services author, speaker and trainer, and contributor to numerous industry publications and events. Author of "The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know...", the definitive book on Managed Services, and the follow-ups in MSP University's Managed Services Series "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!" and "The Best I.T. Service Delivery BOOK EVER!", Erick has also co-authored the HTG publication "Peer Power - Powerful Ideas for Partners from Peers".
 
About Chad Gniffke

Chad Gniffke is the Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Kaseya.  With over 10 years in the  IT consulting space, Chad has helped design, build, manage, and service over 150 different IT infrastructures world-wide.  Chad has a bachelors in business from California State University Fullerton with an emphasis in Information Systems.

 

Click here to register!

 

Find out how to attend our next 3-Day Managed Services Boot Camp absolutely FREE!

 

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.