Marketing

Let’s face it: Many managed service providers don’t know how to market and promote their businesses. But don’t worry. We can show you how to raise the visibility of your business using Web 2.0 technologies, e-newsletters, online video, and other low-cost efforts.  Get Started: Register to enter our Resource Center, where you’ll be able to download numerous guides to building and running your managed services business. And check back often. We post new guides in the MSPmentor Resource Center every week.

How to Blog (When You Have Nothing to Write)

This is my 1,539th blog entry for MSPmentor. Readers often ask me how I come up with content ideas. There are some obvious approaches (vendor cat fights…) and not so obvious approaches (checking the help wanted pages on Dice.com). If you’ve ever thought about launching or writing a blog for your customers and partners, here are 10 ways to find and generate new content.

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Building vs. Running Your MSP Business

How do you continue to “build” a managed services business — even as you try to “run” day-to-day operations while maintaining your existing customer engagements? I must concede: We deal with that balancing act Nine Lives Media Inc. (MSPmentor’s parent). On the one hand, our team has to meet daily business and editorial deadlines. But on the other, we have to keep innovating. Otherwise, a market shift or competitive shift will surely sink us. It’s a careful balancing act that I suspect many MSPs are facing as well.

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Join Us: SaaS Reality Check for VARs, MSPs

It’s a common question for VAR and MSPs: How can you get into the SaaS market while avoiding strategic and tactical errors? For the answer to that question join us for our Four Steps to SaaS Success webcast series, which starts April 7 at 2:00 p.m eastern.

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Hosted Exchange Reality Check: 5 Key Questions

I’m heading over to the Intermedia Partner Summit this morning in Silicon Valley, where several dozen MSPs will be hearing about the hosted Exchange and hosted Unified Communications markets. Intermedia is one of the best-known providers of white label hosted Exchange services to MSPs. But the company has also been building a hosted Unified Communications partnership with Unison Technologies. Here are five things I hope to learn at the conference…

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Content: Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool

Your website is the single most important marketing tool your company has. An effective website will increase your search engine hits, capture leads, and establish you as a leading managed services provider. But the key element to building great websites is one that many technology-based companies overlook—relevant, well written content.

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Update: Dell’s Managed Services Brand

It’s another subtle sign that Dell is listening to feedback. The hardware giant’s lengthy ProManaged Managed Services brand will now be known simply as Dell Managed Services. And yes, Dell’s MSP-centric partner program remains in place. Here are some more details.

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Twitter: The Next CB Radio?

twitter cb radioSure, I stole the headline (and the topic) from Novell Chief Marketing Officer John Dragoon. In a recent blog post, Dragoon openly asks if Twitter will become the CB Radio of social media. If you’re under 40, you may not understand Dragoon’s point. But it’s an intriguing one worth exploring. Here are some thoughts.

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Coming Today: The MSPmentor 100

Two things are competing for my time and attention today: A blizzard here in New York, and the launch of the third-annual MSPmentor 100 — which debuts at 2:00 p.m. eastern today during our special webcast. How will I escape from the blizzard to moderate the webcast? Here’s the answer…

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MSP Branding 101: Laptop Wraps

jenaly
Question: If you’re a managed service provider that resells laptops and other hardware to your customer base, how do you promote your company brand over the hardware maker’s brand? The answer comes from MJ Shoer, president of Jenaly Technology Group, a managed service provider in New Hampshire.

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Marketing 101: Brag About MSP Milestones

marketing_101Here’s a smart move involving Architel, a managed services provider in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Architel says more than 10,000 users now depend on the company’s outsourced IT support services. Question: When was the last time you took a moment to brag (responsibly) about customer trust and company growth?

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Seven Managed Services Blogs We Didn’t Write: Feb. 5

mspmentor seven blogsForgive me for being distracted (again). Our team is busy polishing and posting the MSPmentor 100 report onto a hidden section of our website. The complete report debuts Feb. 10, shortly after a webcast on the topic. In the meantime, here are seven managed services blog entries our team didn’t have the time to write for the week ending Feb. 5, 2010.

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Every MSP Needs the Following 3 People

managed services expertsSometimes broad business discussions relate pretty darn well to the managed services market. A prime example: Marketing guru Mary Schmidt says there are three types of people that every start-up needs to employ. Her points definitely relate to aspiring MSPs. Let’s take a look.

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MSPs: A Surprising Place to Find New Customers

Where did the top managed services providers find new customers in 2009? The surprising answer: Many of the best performing MSPs secured revenue in 2009 from target customers that had previously said no in 2008. Want more sales and business tips? Join our next MSPmentor live webcast, scheduled for February 10 at 2:00 p.m. eastern. Here’s what we’ll cover.

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Boosting Sales: Secrets From Three MSP All-Stars

managed services salesWhen I want to learn about a business topic, I always try to get the scoop from people who are battling it out in the trenches. Real-world success trumps the white board gurus any day. So, for this blog post, I’m culling business insights, sales advice and cloud strategies from three MSP All-Stars. Here’s their guidance.

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MSPs: Time to Target Startup Customers?

startups and managed servicesThe New York Internet Company (NYI) recently landed a colocation deal with Meetup, a social network site for coordinating local get-togethers. Now here’s the twist: The customer’s selection decision was based, in part, on NYI’s business experience with startups. Is it time for MSPs to specifically target startups as customers? Here are some insights.

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MSPs: How to Find Low-Cost Branding Advice

nike-swoosh-logoI was watching CNBC over the weekend. A special business report explored how Phil Knight built the Nike empire. Ever wonder where that famous “Swoosh” logo came from? The answer involves a low-cost graphic design student from Portland State University. It’s a rather intriguing story, especially for MSPs that need to work on their branding.

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Last Call: MSPmentor Live Webcast

Our first MSPmentor Live webcast of 2010 has nearly arrived. It’s scheduled for January 20. Here’s a look at the topic, our guest speakers and two surprises (yes: they involve Amazon’s Kindle) we have in store for the webcast.

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How to Market Yourself as a Managed Services Expert

managed services expertWhen I picked up my local newspaper this morning, I noticed an article titled “How to Market Yourself As An Expert.” The opinion piece included nine tips. And the tips certainly apply to multiple markets — including managed services. Here’s a look.

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Zenith Infotech Launches CPR Partner Program

Zenith Infotech has introduced a Certified Partner Reseller (CPR) program to help managed services providers and VARs recruit new business customers. Here’s a quick overview of the effort — which also provides some clues about Zenith Infotech’s private cloud strategy.

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Five-Step PR Plan for Managed Service Providers

msp_publicrelationsGot news? Sure you do. Here’s a simple five-step plan to help managed services providers and VARs generate some news and trigger some buzz. Follow the steps and you could increase mind share and market share within your target markets. Here’s how.

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Two Surprises on MSPmentor Live Webcast

Our first MSPmentor Live webcast of 2010 is scheduled for January 20. Here’s a look at the topic, our guest speakers and two surprises (hint: they involve Amazon’s Kindle) we have in store for the webcast.

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Freemium, Part II: Microsoft Office Starter 2010

Microsoft Office Starter 2010Talk about timing. I spent the bulk of my morning writing about the Freemium trend across the managed services market. Within a few hours I spotted this little item: Microsoft is building a free, advertising-based suite called Office 2010 Starter. Here are the details.

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Free and Freemium Managed Services: What’s the Business Model?

free managed servicesFree. Freemium. Free trial. Free education. Free content. More and more, I hear the word “free” across the managed services market. I’m not pressing the panic button — good managed service providers are still charging a premium for their offerings. But I do wonder how the “free” story is going to play out. Here are some thoughts.

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