Let's cut straight to what's keeping you up at night: You've invested thousands in marketing that promised results but delivered crickets. I get it. After working with hundreds of MSPs, I've seen this pattern play out again and again - solid companies struggling to stand out in a crowded market.

If you feel your marketing isn't getting traction, keep reading.

The Real Numbers Behind MSP Marketing Failures

From analyzing nearly 100 MSPs over the last year, here's what I discovered:

• 80% of MSPs bleed revenue on marketing that looks identical to their competitors
• The average MSP website has a bounce rate of 78% (translation: prospects are leaving in seconds)
• Nearly 70% of MSPs rely primarily on referrals

Does any of this sound familiar?

IT decision-makers eliminate MSPs from consideration based purely on their market presence and perceived authority. That means your potential clients make decisions before they talk to you. Once they know they have a problem and start researching a solution to that problem, you need to stand out as an authority to make the cut. If they can’t find you or they can find you but the value you bring isn’t crystal clear, you’re irrelevant.

Three Costly Authority-Killing Mistakes

If you're like most MSP owners I speak with, you may be making these critical errors that are destroying your authority position:

• Playing the ‘Me Too’ Game

Instead of highlighting what makes your business unique, you're using the same generic "trusted IT partner" language as every other MSP in your market. This is why prospects can't differentiate you from that competitor.

• Speaking Tech Instead of Business

Your website reads like a technical manual instead of addressing what keeps business owners up at night. This is what drives purchase decisions. Remember: CEOs don't care about your certifications. They just want to be able to work without interruption.

• Leaving Money on the Table with Poor Lead Nurturing

You’re probably getting website visitors, but they're not converting into high-value leads. IT buyers need 3-5 meaningful touchpoints before considering switching providers. But most MSPs give up after the first contact, letting six-figure opportunities slip away. MSPs who implement a multi-touch nurture system with prospects can count on more closed deals and an increase in average deal size.

Laura Johns

The Authority Building Framework That Works

After helping dozens of MSPs transform their market position, here's the framework you can use to build authority and stay top of mind among your ideal clients.

Content: Share your expertise through content (blog, emails, podcasts, webinars, LinkedIn articles) that addresses business leaders' biggest fears about IT, such as unexpected costs, security risks, and growth challenges.

Success Stories: Turn your best client wins into compelling stories showing how you solved real business problems with specific, measurable results. Use their words, not your own.

Your Method: Document your unique approach to solving an IT problem. Give it a name, and communicate it in a way that shows prospects exactly how you're different from every other MSP they're considering.

If you want to grow, being "just another IT company” won’t cut it. The opportunity to establish yourself as an authority is there – but it requires a fundamental shift in how you approach market visibility.

Your Next Steps

If you're serious about establishing absolute authority in your market (not just playing at it), you must start with a clear baseline. I invite you to take our free 360° Marketing Audit. If you qualify, we will identify precisely where you're leaving money on the table and what to fix in your MSP first.

Laura Johns, CEO of The Business Growers, will speak at two Channel Partners Conference & Expo Reputation Management strategy sessions on March 26 at The Venetian Las Vegas. The sessions are on “Creating a Top-Notch Value Proposition for Tech Advisors” and “How to Establish Omnipresence and Gain IT Customer Confidence.” Stop by Laura’s sessions to learn more.