How to Market in An Oversaturated Digital World

In a survey conducted by eMarketer in 2017, 71% of respondents said that ads are more intrusive now than they were 3 years ago. And, they probably are. I’m sure you’ve noticed an increase in ads on your social media pages and as you browse the Internet. Part of this is because of how easy and affordable it is to advertise in the digital space. So, many different companies are dedicating the majority of their marketing budgets to digital marketing efforts.

This frustration with ads has led many people to effectively tune out any sort of online advertisements they see and ignore anything that gives off too much of a ‘hard-sell’ vibe. If a company continues to over advertise online, they may block these digital communications all-together by unsubscribing from company email lists and unfollowing company social media pages. Many internet users have gone as far to utilize ad blocker software on their internet-enabled devices.

This doesn’t mean MSP’s should stop advertising your company online altogether. But, it means that they may need to adjust exactly how you market online. It also means that you should be looking into non-digital advertising outlets.

Be Smart With Your Digital Marketing

When marketing online, it’s okay to utilize PPC ads and email campaigns promoting your MSP's service offerings. But, we suggest that you put this in the mix with other types of digital advertising and communications in the following categories:

• Educate: Marketing with educational content is a great soft-sell technique because it lets the reader come to the conclusion about what they just read. They may be more inclined to turn to you due to the expertise you developed through your content. 

• Engage: Try to engage your clientele on a personal level to show that you care about them and not just their money. Respond to them when they reach out to you. 

• Entertain: Short animated videos are a great way to entertain your audience, even if they are made with a goal of sales in mind. You can also entertain by showcasing your company culture. 

• Entice: Offer up something free in your marketing, whether it’s a free deliverable, free educational content, a free evaluation, or even a free trial of one of your service offerings.

Having a healthy mix of different types of online marketing will help ensure that you don’t overwhelm your target audience. And, with that mix, you should also consider options outside of the digital space.

Non-Digital Options

Don’t forget about the many options available to you that aren’t online. Utilizing some of these along with your digital marketing efforts will ensure that your clients and prospects don’t feel quite as overwhelmed.

• Direct Mail: Despite what you may think, direct mail is alive and well, and it is a great way to promote your company. You can utilize letters, cards, brochures, printed newsletters, postcards and a variety of other options. To get the most out of your options, provide an easy transition to digital so that recipients can learn more with little effort. 

• Print Advertising: You can put an advertisement in a local newspaper or a publication in a trade magazine that you know a lot of your target audience reads. 

• Live Events: Live events such as webinars can be in the digital atmosphere, but there are other options you can do or participate in as well. For example, lunch and learns are a great way to connect with prospects face-to-face, as are trade shows. 

• Getting Involved: A great way to advertise, often without even advertising, is to get your company involved with your local community. This could be as simple as having a company representative attend your town’s Chamber of Commerce meetings or volunteering and sharing what you did on social media. Or, you could push to promote your company and its brand by handing out brochures, postcards, or branded items.

By utilizing digital AND non-digital marketing strategies, managed service providers can effectively reach their target audience. If you need help, we have many different services that can assist you - digital and non-digital. Contact us today.