Managed and other IT services providers who want to differentiate themselves from an increasingly crowded field need to find new ways to engage and entice prospective buyers. For MSPs looking to up their marketing game, social media is a critical element of any marketing program. Whether you’re an MSP just getting started, or a seasoned pro looking to optimize current marketing efforts, here are some social media marketing tips and best practices from to help turn followers into customers.
Meet new customers, anywhere
Social media is important because it helps reach your target audience in whatever city or area you're in, and it helps potential customers understand and connect with your brand. It’s another way to get your name out there so people can find you outside of work hours, wherever and whenever they have their phone or laptop.
Social media is more than just Twitter and LinkedIn
Social media these days is really any platform you’re using to engage or communicating with people. The major ones include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram, but there’s also Snap Chat, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, there’s so many out there! For MSPs specifically, major platforms to join include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Reddit, as well as industry-specific spaces like Spiceworks and some Slack and Discord channels.
Grow your audience to grow your revenue
The one thing you need to understand is: post as consistently as you can. The best way for people to recognize your brand is consistency, so people know they'll be getting new content from you on a regular basis. As for what you post, that’s up to what you want to focus on as a business. For instance, you can post thought-leadership content if you want to be seen an industry leader, or you can post tips and tricks if you want to project an image of helpfulness. Also, be sure to engage with the people who are engaging with you. So, if you have industry people commenting on your posts, make sure to respond and also comment on their posts so that your brand isn’t only on your social account but is seen on other company feeds as well.
Keep it professional
When it comes to content, refrain from anything too political or non-business related—it isn’t your personal page. Think about like an industry event; what would you be talking about there to those people? What wouldn’t you be talking about? That’s what you should and shouldn’t be posting. But also, don’t be afraid to have fun with it; you can post pictures of employees and company events, just nothing that’s too personal to you.
Take it to the next level
Pictures and videos will always perform better than a plain text post. Videos perform best, so if you can add a video to a social post it’s going to perform better than just a regular post. Also look at trending topics and build your content around relevant hashtags like #cybersecurity or #hybridworkplace so that it’s interesting for your audience. Also, if people search for that hashtag, your content will appear in the feed and more people will be able to find you.
Analytics are everything
There are built-in tools in each social media platform for analytics, but that requires you to go into each separate account to view your information. For a more centralized view, there are platforms like Hubspot, Sprout Social or Hootsuite that aggregate all of your data into one location. What you want to track are your followers, impressions (how many people your post reached), and your engagements (how many people like, comment and share your posts). And if you’re trying to drive people from your social site to your website or other landing pages, then clicks are another thing you’ll want to track.
Use social media to drive leads
You can turn your follower count into leads. The same way you would do cold calls or email a prospect list, you can take the same approach to your social accounts. You can find people on social media that maybe haven’t seen your website or heard of your company and suddenly they’re seeing your content and they become interested in your services. You want to make sure you’re driving them from your social account to your website to fill out a demo request or lead form. Don’t think the only way to get business is through events or email or phone calls. You can get the same type of leads through your social media accounts.
Step up your social media marketing with Liongard
All of your social connections need to be turned into deals. Liongard has your back when it comes to pre-sales assessments and upselling with data that can help you close more deals and increase account value. Want to see how we can transform your sales process? Schedule a personalized demo today.
Guest blog courtesy of Liongard. Read more guest blogs from Liongard here.
