The Fundamentals of Marketing for MSPs

How to Stand Out in a Market Where Everyone Offers the Same Service

The Managed Service Provider (MSP) market is crowded and, let's be honest most MSPs offer a very similar set of services. Remote monitoring, patch management, cyber security, cloud solutions… it’s all part of the standard package.

If you want to grow, you can’t simply rely on offering “IT support” as your selling point. Price differences in the MSP space are usually minimal, which means you need to give prospects another reason to choose you over your competitors. That reason is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

Step 1 – Identify Your USP

Your USP is the single most important part of your marketing. It’s the answer to the question:

“Why should a business choose you over another MSP?”

For MSPs, this could be:

• Personal service from a small team – Clients get to know you by name, you respond faster, and you genuinely care about their business success.

• Innovation-led approach – You’re ahead of the curve with AI integrations, automation tools, and cutting-edge solutions that help clients work smarter.

• Specialist sector expertise – You focus on one industry, such as legal, finance, or manufacturing, and understand their needs inside out.

Pro tip: Your USP needs to be real, not just marketing fluff. If you claim to have the best customer service, you need proof: testimonials, case studies, response time metrics.

Step 2 – Market Your USP to Your Ideal Customer

Once you know what makes you different, the next step is to get that message in front of the right people.

Where to focus your marketing efforts:

• LinkedIn – The most effective B2B platform for MSPs. Share valuable content: (articles, educational guides, tech tips) case studies, and thought leadership posts that highlight your USP.

• Industry events and networking – MSPs thrive on trust. Being physically present at sector-specific events keeps you top-of-mind.

• Email marketing – Regular, insightful emails to your ideal customer profile keep your name in their inbox until they’re ready to switch providers.

• Website optimisation – Your USP should be front and centre on your homepage, reinforced with testimonials and results.

Remember, if you try to market to everyone, you’ll connect with no one. Be clear on your ideal customer profile and tailor your language, examples, and channels to them.

Step 3 – Stay Consistent and Review What Works

Marketing isn’t something you do once and tick off the list. For MSPs, consistency is what builds trust and credibility.

• Post regularly on social media – not once in a blue moon.

• Keep your website fresh – update case studies, blogs, and service pages.

• Track what’s working – Look at LinkedIn and website analytics, and email open rates to refine your approach.

Step 4 – Understand Buying Cycles and Inertia Loyalty

One of the biggest challenges MSPs face is that most businesses don’t switch IT providers on a whim. Even if they’re unhappy, there’s often inertia loyalty - sticking with the current provider simply because it's easier and less disruptive to stick rather than switch.

But when something goes wrong, or they decide to review suppliers, you need to be front of mind. That’s why your marketing must be visible before they’re ready to switch. When they reach that tipping point, you’ll be the obvious choice, not your competitor.

Step 5 – Remember, Price Isn’t the Decider

In the MSP market, pricing is often within a similar range across competitors. Winning business rarely comes down to being the cheapest, it’s about being the most relevant, trusted, and memorable option.

Your USP is your weapon here. Whether it’s “We’re the fastest to respond”, “We specialise in AI-powered automation”, or “We’re your local IT team that cares” , lead with it in everything you do.

Step 6 - Measure what matters

It’s easy to get distracted by “vanity metrics” likes, followers, and website traffic. Whilst it's good to keep an eye on them the real importance is tracking the things that show real business impact:

• How many enquiries are you getting?

• Where are they coming from?

• How many turn into paying customers?

When you know what’s working, you can do more of it and stop wasting time on the rest.

Key Takeaway: If you want to stand out as an MSP, don’t market “IT support” market why you’re the MSP that’s right for them. Know your USP, communicate it consistently, and keep showing up so when the time comes to switch, you’re already their first choice.

Final Thought

Marketing doesn’t need to be complicated. If you focus on understanding your customer, showing up consistently, and making it easy to work with you, you’re already ahead of many of your competitors.

And if marketing still feels like a headache? That’s where I step in.

I specialise in B2B marketing for MSPs, creating a clear strategy and tailored content that attracts the right customers, so you can focus on running your business without wasting time or budget.

Ready to hand over your marketing and see results?

Let's talk: kristina@huntmarketing.co.uk | 07519 573023