Hiring an expensive videographer is not the solution to your MSP’s video marketing problem

Not too long ago, an MSP owner came to me asking for some advice. He was thinking of investing in a professionally shot company overview video and wanted to know if it was a good use of his marketing budget. Naturally, I’ve seen a lot of these situations over the years, and I was very candid in my answer:

No, I didn’t think he should do it.

That’s not to say that I didn’t think he should invest in video at all. According to one recent study, over half of all consumers say they want to see more video content from the brands and businesses that they support. Over the next few years, there will be more video than any other type of content on the Internet. This is definitely a trend to capitalize on, but what he was describing to me wasn’t the way to do it.

Think for a moment about what most of these promotional company overview videos actually look like. They have fancy-looking shots of equipment and various pieces of hardware. They may have footage of employees hard at work in the office. They may interview the business owner and find out their “why.” They look terrific and have production value to spare, but that doesn’t solve the core problem.

They’re still focused too much on the MSP itself, as opposed to what the MSP can do for their customers. They’re paying too much attention to services and are less concerned with value, which is what really matters.

I’ve said it before and I’ll undoubtedly say it again – successfully marketing an MSP is less about what you do and is more about what you can do for other people. I didn’t want to see this client waste a lot of money on a glorified product specification document simply because that’s a great way to make someone’s eyes glaze over. Instead of focusing inward, you need to look outward – something that requires you to keep a few key things in mind.

A better approach to marketing for MSPs

All told there are three much more straightforward, far more effective ways to invest in video for your MSP if that’s the route you’re choosing to go.

Use personalized video emails to stand out

Make video emails a part of your regular routine. Services like BombBomb and Loom allow you to place a personalized video message into your email, as opposed to the standard text-based emails we most often use to communicate.

This is a trend that is picking up steam in part because it allows you to lean into the benefits of “lumpy mail,” only digitally. A traditional email is easy to forget about or ignore entirely. The average person’s inbox fills up almost as soon as they wake up in the morning – you need to be able to do something to stand out in a crowd. You need to offer people something that they aren’t getting through other sources. Video emails are a great way to accomplish that, simply because they’re so different from what everyone else is sending. Even including the word “video” in the subject heading of an email significantly increases that chances that someone will open it at all.

Record your own customer success stories

Another technique you can use involves recording your own customer success stories. Right now, you have a huge number of satisfied customers who you’ve been able to bring legitimate value to. Rather than trying to tell their story, let them tell it themselves. Ask them to sit down for a quick interview and go over what their situation was like before, what services you provided, and what results they were able to achieve that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. It’s a far more compelling way to outline what you do to prospects and, more importantly, why it matters.

I’ve recently done this myself at Tech Pro Marketing, and not only has it produced great content for our website, but it’s brought us closer to our customers.

Invest in your own video equipment

Along the same lines, rather than hiring an outside company to come in and make a one-off video, it’s a far better use of your money to invest in a good video setup for yourself. Buy a DSLR camera and a quality lighting package. Take some time to watch videos on YouTube about composition and how to make yourself appear the way you really want to. None of this is to say that you’ll be able to easily replicate the results of a professional videographer with years of experience – but you’ll be able to get a significant part of the way there with a little time and effort invested.

That way, you’re only dealing with one single expense, and you can make unlimited video content well into the future.

Use video to win more customers

The net benefit of all this is that when you focus on this type of video for your business, you’ll be far more likely to end up with the result that you really want: that is, attracting more new customers. Yes, it’s certainly true that a videographer can make you slightly better looking. Yes, the end result may look a bit fancier or more polished. But your customers aren’t hiring you based on a video with high production values. They’re hiring you because of the results that you can bring them.

They’re not expecting you to be a TV commercial actor – they’re expecting you to be a managed services provider. The more you’re able to focus on that, the better results you’ll have – which in and of itself is the end goal.

Of course, all of this demands the question: is video right for your MSP in the first place? In a lot of situations, it is, but in some it might not be. It’s an advanced tactic and not all organizations are ready for it quite yet. Do you have an idea for video that you’d like some feedback on? Or simply want to discuss your overall marketing strategy? If that sounds like you, I’m happy to help. Visit the Tech Pro Marketing website and request a one-on-one strategy call – make sure to mention that you found us through Barracuda’s SmarterMSP blog, and we’ll take the time to figure out your next steps to winning new customers.

Photo: suriyachan / Shutterstock