Outbound marketing has seen an interesting renaissance over the past 10 to 15 years.
For people who’ve been in the IT world for decades, outbound marketing may stir up images of cold calling, direct mail, and maybe even knocking on doors.
In 2024, for many managed service providers (MSPs) these tactics do not represent the bulk of outbound marketing. This is for one simple reason:
These strategies are no longer considered “normal” by many.
Outbound marketing, by nature, is bold.
Essentially, it involves barging into a stranger’s life and trying to sell them something. In many ways, it’s always going to be an uphill battle. The key is (and always has been) to make the approach feel as natural as possible.
Enter the need to “be normal”.
In this post, I will discuss how MSP owners can make outbound marketing feel more organic and improve their return on investment (ROI). Let’s get into it.
Target spaces business owners are using
Do you normally answer calls from unknown numbers?
Do you open every piece of mail that looks like an advertisement?
When was the last time you opened your home or business to a stranger who knocked on the door?
To most people in 2024, these outbound marketing tactics feel too intrusive.
Your target clients are business leaders – owners, CEOs, CFOs, etc. Most of these people are religiously checking their email and are active on LinkedIn. These channels need to be a target for your lead generation strategy. If you haven’t already, do some research on LinkedIn Sales Navigator, an email marketing software, and focus on building your contact list.
Looking to go beyond? Many MSPs these days are having success by being active in online forums, like Reddit or even Facebook groups. The key is to reach out to your prospects using the channels that they are already involved in.
Lose the fluffy jargon
This is one of the most common mistakes I see from MSPs.
The language of the IT world is very nuanced. To many people outside the industry, a lot of the technical terms sound like a foreign language.
Why do MSP owners love the articles on SmarterMSP.com?
For one, the content provides great insight. But more importantly, the editors are careful to publish articles that aren’t chock-full of confusing lingo. They are written in a way that speaks directly to MSP owners – not professional marketers.
When you speak to a potential client, you need to be mindful that you’re not speaking to other IT people. Your services’ technical nuances are amazing, but your language needs to be focused on the results.
Always remember, businesses hire IT companies for one overarching reason: So their computers do not break down and they can do their jobs seamlessly.
- Instead of getting into the nuts and bolts of your “cutting-edge” cyber security tools, talk about how many threats you’ve stopped in the past year.
- Instead of talking about the details of your “top-notch” network infrastructure solutions, show how little system downtime your current clients experience.
- Instead of trying to explain how your “state-of-the-art” ticketing system works, focus on your low average response times to client inquiries.
With outbound, you need to capture attention immediately. Your best chance to do so is by focusing on the real, tangible value you add to a business.
Here’s an example outbound message that conveys value and ditches all the fluff (replace the text in brackets to meet your unique situation):
Hi [first name],
We’re working with some other [industry] firms in [your general service area], helping them stay ahead with their cybersecurity.
Do you currently work with an IT or cybersecurity partner?
[Your name]
[Your email signature]
Be super personal in your outreach
Everyone has heard about the importance of personalization in marketing.
Real personalization goes deeper than many assume – and doing it right takes research and diligence (and time).
Here’s the golden rule about personalization: if you’re going to use it, it needs to be super obvious you took the time to do your homework – and didn’t just plug-and-play with a template message. Here are a few tips to get personalization right:
- Focus on the location the prospect serves.
- Discuss some of the unique IT challenges their industry faces.
- Talk about some relatable challenges businesses of their size experience.
Personalization in outbound marketing is an all-in or all-out scenario – and it comes with a caveat.
Is it better for your MSP to use a fishing rod or cast a wide net?
Are 10 hyper-personalized cold emails better than 1,000 generic emails?
If you need help deciding which is better, talk to me. I’m happy to steer you in the right direction.
Focus on end-game benefits
To echo the section about using minimal jargon, the underlying key of all outbound marketing is to show how you will make life easier for your prospects.
As an MSP, you probably work with many businesses in the growth phase.
The end-game benefit for these businesses is an IT infrastructure that’s adaptable, scalable, and helps everyone do their best work. In other words, a system that makes the chaos of rapid growth less intimidating – and puts them in a good position to generate more revenue.
These points should be the general theme of your outbound marketing campaigns.
What’s the next step?
Outbound marketing is not going anywhere, but it looks a lot different now than it did a decade ago.
The average business owner is exposed to more messages and B2B sales pitches than ever before. The secret to cutting through the noise all boils down to being normal. This simple notion is the core of everything we do at Tech Pro Marketing.
Is a normal outbound strategy what’s missing from your MSP marketing mix?
Let’s find out. On my website, you can request a strategy call, during which one of our strategists will spend 60 minutes with you to help you clarify that question and more.
Photo: 3rdtimeluckystudio / Shutterstock
