How An MSP Can Use LinkedIn To Generate Qualified LeadsMay 09, 2017

Finding a way to be able to generate leads and expand a business has always been a problem. For any company offering remote monitoring and management as a Managed Service Provider, finding a way to reach out to new customers and clients can be a very particular challenge.

Cold calling is always difficult as it can be a hassle just to find out the small to mid-sized company structure to determine which person is in charge of technology. Then, to make matters even more complicated, it can be difficult to try to explain the advantages of MSP and remote monitoring and management technology with enough detail and not too much technical jargon to highlight the benefits of this system.

A more effective option for many MSP companies is to turn to social media platforms. Of course, not all social media platforms are created equal when it comes to marketing to businesses that are interested in using remote monitoring technology or in learning more about its benefits.

In fact, it could be argued, that there is only one social media platform that is ideally suited for this particular marketing option, and that is LinkedIn. LinkedIn has always been a professional and Business to Business (B2B) type of social media platform. It is the perfect option for any company that is involved in cloud data management or performance management solutions to establish their business credentials and begins to build a network of qualified business leads.

To make the most out of this marketing opportunity, there are some critical aspects that every MSP has to consider. Working with a marketing firm that specializes in IT managed service companies can be very helpful in designing an SMO(Social Media Optimization) campaign that can be used on LinkedIn and in conjunction with other media campaigns you may be interested in using.

If you are doing it on your own, or just getting started with a marketing company, here are some essential considerations to have in place when using LinkedIn as a way to build your customer base.

Identify Your Target Audience

LinkedIn is a big place with professionals and businesses from around the world and throughout all sectors of the economy. As an MSP is not limited by geographic location, the target audience identified is more likely to be in a specific sector of the market.

For example, you may want to focus in on law offices, real estate, medical practices, construction companies, retail businesses, service companies or any other particular area. It is critical to identify a target audience or a niche to sell to as this allows you to generate articles, examples and actual demonstrations that are immediately applicable and generate interest in those businesses you want to target.

Think of it this way, if you want to provide remote network management as an MSP to medical and healthcare facilities and services, providing actual case studies, infographics and data on the benefits of using network monitoring using terms and examples specific to medical IT concerns and general business operations is the most effective option.

Providing an example that talks about how your cloud data management system helped a construction company is not going to be immediately obvious to the medical office. The examples will not be relevant and the specific security or IT issues faced will also be very different.

Generate Relevant and Specific Content

It is important to have a way to interact with your customer base and target audience as well as to build your reputation as an expert on Remote Monitoring and Management through your MSP.

Content writing either through posting links to blogs or by actually generating content through the site is a great way to talk about the benefits of a performance management system to your intended audience.

It is important that these are not hard sell types of articles. Instead, the goal of these articles is to establish your expertise and understanding of RMM software and tools and how they can provide much-needed IT streamlining and solutions these industries or business need. They can also address current issues within the specific industry, create your posts as a source of current information and possible solutions to real-world problems.

These articles then generate a discussion among B2B companies, CEOs, IT professionals and others. Interacting with these professionals opens the door to directing them to your website or discussing more specific applications with more case studies appropriate and relevant to their areas of interest or issues they need to be solved.

Target Specific B2B Opportunities

With this active engagement, it is easy to move to more direct communication through a phone call for a discussion or a personal meeting. The key is that these targeted types of businesses have already self-selected your MSP company and you already have insight into the problems, concerns, security issues or Endpoint Monitoring and protection problems they have. In essences, through this type of LinkedIn marketing programs, you will be able to provide a customized IT management solution without the problems involved in cold call marketing plans. This isn't without work, but building relationships online and choosing the B2B companies to target makes it a necessary part of any MSP marketing plan.