In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance their company and reach a wider audience. Video content is a powerful tool that’s played a big part in getting MSPs seen. Video marketing for MSPs allows you to evolve consumer preferences, humanise your brand and keep up with your professional image.
This article will show how MSPs can use video marketing to grow and thrive in the competitive industry.
The importance of MSP video marketing
Video marketing entered the scene in 2005 when YouTube was born. As the technology to create quality videos got more accessible, more and more marketers jumped on the hype; however, that’s not the only reason it’s the most dominant form of communication today. The increase in smartphone technology made making videos more effortless, and the pandemic boosted online media consumption by over 215% – video isn’t going anywhere! The strategy is a non-negotiable if you want to learn how MSPs can use video marketing to grow.
Video marketing equals social media shares
Most people use social media nowadays, with video being the second most popular content type on social media for increasing engagement. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube have set the scene, encouraging platforms like Instagram and Facebook to focus more on video.
Following this point, most social media consumption comes from mobile users. According to a Statista study, 77% of people watch online videos on a mobile or tablet.
Build trust and familiarity with your audience
For MSPs, building education and trust is essential. You could do this through onboarding videos, educational support videos and customer stories. Doing so can add to a more personalised customer experience.
Production quality matters in MSP video marketing
If you put yourself in the shoes of a customer and you’re watching a video that has terrible quality or is hard to watch, you’re going to turn it off. No one has time for videos that don’t look good because other content creators have set the standard.
A high-quality video can keep your clients hooked and even make them trust you more, as they’ll assume you put a lot of effort into all areas of your company. If you viewed a low-quality and high-quality video on the same subject from two companies, it would be clear which company you’d purchase from.
But that doesn’t mean you have to fork out loads of money to make your videos look professional. While it’s common for MSPs to post selfie videos to promote their services, investing in an iPhone stand, a ring light, and a decent background is a significant upgrade.
Use advanced camera features in your smartphone
Using your smartphone to film is a great place to start, especially if you have a newer model. Today’s smartphones have excellent cameras, meaning spending £1,000+ on a great camera is unnecessary. Ensure you have enough storage space and battery life, and purchase a tripod or stabiliser to avoid shaky footage and bad angles. You can adjust the camera app settings from there to suit the lighting and subject. Lastly, remember to film with your back camera for better quality.
Improve sound quality by investing in a good microphone
The audio quality on your smartphone is enough, but having an external microphone attached to your clothes can make your voice clear and concise throughout. There are affordable options online; alternatively, you could purchase headphones with a built-in mic.
Keep editing simple
Use free or low-cost apps to trim, crop, splice, and merge your clips. Add transitions and effects, but don’t overdo it with too much going on, or your target audience will turn off.
Add music to your MSP video marketing to improve engagement
Setting a music budget and researching local Copyright laws is vital before continuing. The Copyright law can be challenging to decipher with digital content as most music isn’t free. You could face video removal or legal action if you use another artist’s music without permission.
Create a video content plan to keep your content consistent
Planning and having a clear idea of what your goals are is essential for being successful with video marketing. Write a script and list all the equipment you need to keep making videos. Possessing a plan in place will help you save money and avoid any mistakes.
MSP video marketing trends
Live streaming
Live streaming has stayed popular over the past few years and will likely not go anywhere soon. It’s a great way to engage with your target audience and get them closer to your brand and values. Live streaming lets you have real-time conversations with viewers while selling your services, providing tutorials, or even participating in a Q&A. The best part about live streaming is that you only need a decent smartphone and a reliable internet connection.
Short-form content
Thanks to TikTok, punchy, fast content has risen in popularity. As an MSP, you might think that short-form video will only work for your marketing strategy if your audience is young. However, did you know that 73% of consumers prefer short-form videos to search for products or services?
Short vs Long-form content
Although short-form content has risen in popularity recently, especially among Gen-Z, long-form content is going nowhere. Filming one video and editing it down into short form for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn and then long form for YouTube and your website gives you two pieces of content for the effort of one.
Creating quality short and long-form content is essential for an excellent MSP video marketing strategy. To make the best strategy, decide on your video’s length, goals, what’s working for your competitors, and your audience’s search intent.
SEO optimisation for video
The higher your website ranks, the better because it means more people will see your website when they search for a relevant query. A high ranking in search engine results leads to increased traffic, brand awareness and sales.
Video can help with SEO rankings. When you Google something, the site shows a video thumbnail net to a search result, and according to BrightEdge, users are more likely to click that listing. The thumbnail makes up a rich snippet, which generates higher click-through rates than standard snippets.
Platforms to post on and their SEO standards
Before making your video, consider where you will post it. YouTube SEO has become as important as website SEO as long as you know what users seek. Additional factors are the average view time, size and sound limitations, communities, budget and promotion.
Your website: This one is a given no matter where you post your video content online. Posting a video on your homepage and having a space where you post video content can be beneficial. Adding across your website increases SEO, and 83% of marketers say video boosts dwell time (time spent on the page).
Instagram: Keywords are essential to Instagram. Add them to your captions, along with 3-5 relevant hashtags. It’s also crucial to avoid having watermarks on your videos, or Instagram won’t push them.
How often should you post? According to Later:
- Nano accounts (0-10K followers) should post an average of 2 feed posts per week
- Micro accounts (10K-100K followers) should post an average of 3 weekly feed posts.
- Mid accounts (100k-500k followers) should post an average of 5 weekly feed posts.
Facebook: Add titles, descriptions and tags before uploading a video to Facebook. Adding this information can help more people see your content from the search results and recommended Newsfeed and Facebook Watch videos.
LinkedIn: Producing high-quality content, keyword research, optimising video titles and descriptions, and adding closed captions are all huge parts of making your video SEO-friendly on LinkedIn.
How to build an MSP video marketing strategy
Understand your target audience
Firstly, creating content that connects with your target audience will be more straightforward if you understand your target audience. Discover demographic information like age, gender, occupation, income level, and psychographic details. From this, you can create a customer persona to set a clear vision of who wants and needs to see your content,
The SMART method
To build an MSP video marketing strategy, you must set goals and know exactly why you’re creating video content and who it’s for. Setting SMART goals can help – SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound.
- Specific – The more specific your goal is, the better. Having a broad goal will result in getting lost in what you want from the video marketing campaign. What exactly are you trying to achieve, and when?
- Measurable – How will you measure your video’s success?
- Achievable – Setting unattainable goals won’t benefit the success of your video, so before deciding on your specific goal, make sure it’s doable.
- Relevant – Is it appropriate to your business? For example, as an MSP, you won’t want to create videos aimed at teenage boys who have no interest in your services.
- Time-Bound – Set a deadline for your goal. Otherwise, the temptation to procrastinate will always be there. However, ensure your time frame is realistic to avoid stress and failure.
Choosing the type of video you’ll produce
Once you’ve established your target audience and what you want to accomplish through videos, you can decide what kind of video content works best. Consider where your marketing video fits in the buyer’s journey and what story you want to tell. For example, if it’s a video based on your mission and brand values, you might create an animation for those in the early stages of the buyer’s journey.
Remember that you want your video content targeted at your Ideal Customer Profile, not other MSPs! Less educational videos and more storytelling/client testimonials would benefit your MSP video marketing strategy.
You might be wondering what type of videos are best for video marketing for MSPs. They are:
- Brand videos – Showcasing your mission and services.
- Event videos – Are you hosting a conference, fundraiser or another event?
- Interviews with internal experts – Showcase your MSP as a thought leader and build authority with your target audience.
- Explainer videos – Allows your audience to understand why they need your service.
- Animated videos – Great for explaining something more complex about your business. People love visually pleasing videos.
- Case study and customer testimonial videos – Your future clients want proof that you can solve their problems. Feature your loyal, satisfied customers and ask them to describe their challenges and how you solved them.
- Live videos – As live videos drive longer streams and higher engagement rates, it’s an excellent opportunity to show a behind-the-scenes look at your MSP.
Write a captivating video script.
Scriptwriting is where the creation process begins once you’ve figured out your goals, target audience, and the type of video you’ll produce. There isn’t a rulebook about how much detail you need as long as you know what to say in the video. Some creators might do a rough outline to produce their content in a chilled way, while others prefer to write out every word they say on camera.
Analyse the results after uploading.
Lastly, you must analyse the results once you’ve uploaded your video. Are your audience connecting with it, and are you meeting goals? If not, what can you do better next time to get the results you want? However, don’t get too invested in vanity metrics like the number of views (unless your goal is brand awareness). One thousand people could view your video and take no interest. Refer back to the SMART goals and metrics you set for yourself.
How xpandly can help with video marketing for MSPs
You’re in the right place if you need help with your MSP video marketing strategy. We leverage industry knowledge, keen market insights and a solid grasp of future trends to create innovative and effective go-to-market strategies for our clients.
We’re technology experts with over 15 years of experience, a comprehensive understanding of the market and a forward-thinking approach that capitalises on emerging opportunities.
We have driven success and revenue growth for IT businesses and delivered more than £30 million in recurring revenue growth for MSPs.