Over recent years, the Managed Service Provider (MSP) sector has undergone a variety of changes including market maturity, increasing competition and a more digitally savvy IT buyer. Every player in this market needs to understand, assess and react to this changing landscape in order to survive and grow. This blog looks at how MSPs are responding and how growth–orientated MSPs are looking at marketing automation platform to transform their marketing activities.
GREAT CONTENT OFTEN DOESN'T REACH THE BUYER
In a quest to stand out in this busy market place, it is evident that MSPs are investing in their marketing activities, for example by updating their website, blogging, tweeting, investing in PPC email campaigns. However, there is a danger of spending hours creating and posting content into the digital space and hoping it gets to the target buyer.
Unfortunately, a large proportion of this great content ends up unread as it is delivered through a variety of marketing tools operating in silos and never reaches the target buyer.
However, there is a solution with a marketing automation platform. Marketing automation refers to software platforms and technologies designed for organisations to more effectively market on multiple channels online (such as email, social media, websites, etc.) and automate repetitive tasks.(Source: Wikipedia). There are a range of providers including Eloqua, Marketo, Act-on, Silverpop and our favourite HubSpot. Historically the use of these platforms has been restricted to enterprise level use due to their financially restrictive subscriptions and the specialist training required. In the last couple of years, marketing automation has become far more user friendly and the pricing packages have been introduced which are well within the reach of a SMB.
So now more and more ambitious MSPs are investing in marketing automation. In the USA, adoption has increased so much so that the MSPmentor 100 which collates a worldwide league of top MSPs asked if they were using an inbound/automation tool as part of their application process.
ADVANTAGES OF MARKETING AUTOMATION
Here's some examples of how marketing automation could transform your sales pipeline and redcue your marketing overheads:
- Save time - with an integrated marketing tool - you can control your SEO, social media and email all from one dashboard! Imagine how much time it takes you to go in and out of twitter or consulting with a SEO agency. You can also automate email campaigns.
- Targeted email campaigns - Email is still considered one of the most impactful B2B marketing activities but only if it's a planned campaign. Email can be a powerful tool when you are taking cold prospects and 'warming them up' through sending targeted and useful content over a series of emails which contains a range of educative assets like White Papers rather than an email blast with a sales message.
- Control of your sales funnel - All market leading marketing automation systems have native integrations with CRM systems like Salesforce. This integration gives you complete control over your sales funnel with the marketing tool handling the top of the funnel, while the CRM tool takes over when more individual sales action and involvement becomes necessary.
- Reduce marketing costs and put you in control - Marketing automation can also reduce your marketing costs as you are in the driving set, for example you can manage and monitor your SEO on your commute to work. Also you can see how all your marketing activities are performing.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
If you are a MSP on the path of rapid growth, now is the time to look at marketing automation. With HubSpot packages starting from just £140 per month- what are you waiting for. Resourceful Marketing is a HubSpot partner specialising in inbound marketing for the tech sector. Please contact us for a free mini-consulation.
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