Are You Doing Enough to Inspire Trust in Your Community?
Being an active marketer involves more than simply creating ads and writing blog posts. Your presence in the community can boost exposure (and sales!).
Think about it: hiring someone to manage the infrastructure of your business is a big decision. If you were in the shoes of your client, would you select a relatively unknown organization whose name popped up in a Google search to invest in? Or would you prefer to work with someone you've met at industry events, who you know personally -- someone who has invested in learning more about your vertical and understands the unique challenges facing your business? Creating relationships with your potential clients starts with ensuring you are getting enough exposure in your community to build trust and awareness of your team and your brand. At Ulistic, we preach the value of reinforcing your digital marketing with good, old-fashioned networking. With IT managed services expected to grow dramatically during through 2023, the timing has never been better to expand your reach.
Find Some Local Connections
Are you already a part of some local networking groups for your target market? Don't stick with the technical crowd -- reach further out and find groups that are focused around your selected vertical. Healthcare, logistics, finance, law . . . it will only take a quick search to find trade shows and activities that you can attend or you can check out sites such as MeetUp for events that pique your interest. Not seeing any opportunities to get involved? Why not start your own group! It's not difficult to put the word out to other interested professionals. It is important to make it clear that you're not pushing sales, you're truly looking for a way to connect authentically and discuss market challenges.
Network with Others Selling to Your Target Market
One of the best ways to get leads is to get cozy with others who are also selling into your market. These non-competing vendors might be providing complimentary goods and services to what you're offering -- or they might be selling something completely different. What's important is that you're making connections with others who can provide you with introductions to people who are in a position to work with your business. This type of warm lead is invaluable because it comes with the implied personal connection of someone who is already in the circle of trust with your prospect.
Benefits of Community Outreach
Sure, you'll gain some great leads and you'll learn more about your target audience, but what do you really get out of community outreach? It might be difficult to justify when you consider that this is time that's not spent selling or servicing current customers. You might be struggling to quantify an ROI for your activities, and there are likely to be some travel or attendance costs involved as well. While you're not likely to see an immediate gain on your investment in building trust, the long-term effects are undeniable. Your advertising will land better because there's some awareness of your business name. You will become a trusted resource and thought leader for individuals looking for advice on technology. Your website traffic will increase and your content marketing will be viewed by more people as your audience grows. While this type of organic growth of your marketing does take some time, the investment will pay off for years in the future as you continue to reap the benefit from your presence in the community.
Are You Ready to Get Exposed?
There are plenty of creative ways to reach your target market if in-person networking is not your sweet spot. Consider working with a local radio station to offer tips and guidance for people around specific technical challenges. Record a weekly podcast that you share and encourage others to share that includes a tidbit of great information. Raise awareness of information on LinkedIn that may be of value to your target audience. If you're able to make an investment, consider billboards and radio spots during the morning commute. What's important is that you're constantly looking for ways to expose your business and the great work that you do to the community.
Are you wondering if your MSP marketing is falling flat? Contact Stuart Crawford, CEO and Creative Director of Ulistic, today at 863-225-0687 or fill out our quick online form to book your 60-minute complimentary review of your website and current marketing strategies. For more than a decade, the team at Ulistic has been providing best-in-class marketing strategies and solutions for IT managed services providers throughout the country -- and beyond. From staying active in your community to the right type of content marketing strategies that truly get results, Ulistic's proven techniques improve your marketing effectiveness and drive new clients to your business.
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