Alberta Business Marketing » managed services

Complete End-to-end Marketing for MSP Partners

Stuart R. Crawford — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:40:44 +0000

Ulistic and Heartland Technology Solutions Forge Strengthening Relationship

Two leading content creators join forces to help MSPs and IT VARs craft their message and win new business opportunities through online business newsletters, social media and search optimization.

Ulistic, a leading MSP Internet consulting firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and an organization focused on delivering valuable online marketing services and education within the IT VAR and Managed Services Community, today announced their strategic partnership with Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS). HTS is a very successful IT reseller located in the Midwest that also provides marketing services through its popular e-Newsletter service for resellers throughout North America…it’s known as the e-Newsletter produced by a reseller for resellers.

This strategic partnership will offer the IT VAR and Managed Services community a robust, complete and well-rounded online marketing solution leveraging HTS’ newsletter and content library services with Ulistic’s Search Engine Optimization, Social Media and Internet Marketing and consulting programs.

Ulistic will offer in-depth social media, corporate blogging and search engine optimization services built on proven SEO best practices to HTS and their community of newsletter marketing clients. This will allow each member to leverage advanced web marketing and coaching services geared at positioning their businesses ahead of their competition in online search and provide a foundation to take their Internet Marketing to the next level.

“Marketing your MSP and IT VAR business online is no longer a fad,” states Ulistic Senior Partner and 15-year MSP veteran Stuart Crawford. “Online marketing must be a core component of your overall marketing strategy, no matter the size of your business. Our partnership with HTS will help the technology community increase their overall visibility in their communities and with their clients, aiding in their overall creditability in the marketplace.”

HTS will offer their very popular e-newsletter to Ulistic clients. This proven service produces over 170 newsletters each month for VARs across North America who want to maintain a “soft touch” with their customers. HTS e-newsletters are highly customizable with a robust content library for VARs to utilize.

“VAR customers appreciate the mix of personal news, tips and tricks, and education on technology trends that appear in our e-newsletters. We’re excited to expand our market to assist Ulistic clients as well,” says Jane Cage, COO of HTS.

About Ulistic Inc.

Ulistic (www.ulistic.com) focuses on assisting leading Information Technology organizations, technology manufacturers and their partners plus the Managed Service Provider market. Ulistic’s services help position their partners and clients to achieve success by leveraging the latest Internet Marketing trends and services. Ulistic is a progressive Internet consulting firm founded by David West and Stuart Crawford who offer a combined 30 years of IT experience. Ulistic is the definitive organization for firms wanting to lead in their markets. Ulistic has global results with companies looking to dominate search results, lead their markets and leverage social media and advanced web services. Ulistic are a team of Internet Consultants with a fresh approach to doing business online by empowering clients through education.

About HTS

Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS) has been providing business solutions to clients throughout the Midwest for over 25 years. HTS has offices across Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma with a regionally based staff of almost 80 IT professionals including 30 industry certified engineers and experienced business consultants. HTS also provides marketing services through its popular e-Newsletter service for resellers throughout North America. (www.heartlandtechnologies.com)

Ulistic sets sites on Los Angeles, California

Stuart R. Crawford — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:53:56 +0000

Once again I get to work directly with my good buddy Erick Simpson and his team at MSP University. This week Ulistic released this press release outlining how our team is expanding the reach of our Calgary Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Consulting services into the Managed Services community.

Ulistic and MSP University announce Strategic Partnership

IT VAR and Managed Services Providers win as two marketing leaders join forces to offer a comprehensive, effective online marketing solution to the channel

Ulistic, a leading Internet consulting firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and an organization focused on delivering valuable online marketing services and education within the IT VAR and Managed Services Community, today announced their strategic partnership with MSP University. MSP University is the largest consultancy and online resource dedicated to business transformation and improvement strategies for information technology (IT) professionals and managed services providers globally.

This strategic alliance will offer the IT VAR and Managed Services community a robust, complete and well-rounded marketing solution leveraging MSP University’s traditional and website marketing services with Ulistic’s Search Engine Optimization, Social Media and Internet Marketing and consulting programs.

Ulistic will offer in-depth search engine optimization services built on proven SEO best practices to MSP University’s channel of over 7,000 members. This will allow each member to leverage advanced web marketing and coaching services geared at positioning their businesses ahead of their competition in online search and provide a foundation to take their Internet Marketing to the next level.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for managed services providers and IT professionals globally to have a well-rounded marketing solution that balances traditional marketing techniques with today’s required and often overlooked search and social strategies,” states Ulistic Senior Partner and 15-year MSP veteran Stuart Crawford. “MSP University continues to lead the IT channel in business improvement education, strategy and fulfillment services for the technology community. It is wonderful to be part of the MSP University team going forward.”

MSP University provides IT business operations, sales and marketing and technical service delivery improvement education, training, fulfillment and consulting services to IT service organizations in over 100 countries worldwide, and trains thousands of attendees each year at its international IT Solutions and Managed Services Boot Camps.

“Adopting and integrating Ulistic’s proven approach into an IT solution or managed services provider’s marketing strategy greatly improves their results and ROI”, said Erick Simpson, Vice President, MSP University. “MSP University’s member channel looks to us to continually seek out and engage with strategic business partners whose products and services will add value to their businesses, and our alliance with Ulistic is yet another example of our meeting this expectation.”

About MSP University

MSP University (www.mspu.us) provides IT business operations, sales and marketing and technical service delivery improvement education, training, fulfillment and consulting services to Fortune 50 manufacturers, distributors, membership organizations, vendor channels, franchises and thousands of independent IT service organizations worldwide. MSP University is the ultimate resource for IT solution providers, whether preparing to transition to an annuity-based Managed Services delivery model, or who are already delivering Managed Services, and wish to increase their knowledge of IT and Managed Services vendors, services, solutions and business, technical and sales and marketing best practices to drive revenue and increase profitability. MSP University helps solution providers succeed…period.

Ulistic sets sites on Los Angeles, California

Stuart R. Crawford — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:53:56 +0000

Ulistic and MSP University announce Strategic Partnership

IT VAR and Managed Services Providers win as two marketing leaders join forces to offer a comprehensive, effective online marketing solution to the channel

About MSP University

Is Social Media Just Noise?

Stuart R. Crawford — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:17:41 +0000

I was reading a very interesting online article from my very good friend in New York state this morning. Joe Panettieri is a trusted colleague, friend and someone I take my guidance from when it comes to blog writing, social media and online marketing. Joe runs a few very successful blogs focused on the IT services industry where he shares news, trends, observations and a number of other creative topics focused in the vibrant information services world. Joe has carved out a niche.

In one of his recent blog posts, Joe asks the question “Small Business Social Media: A Noisy Waste of Time?”

This got me thinking in the very early hours about my most recent 24 hours and how my online social media has worked. In the past 24 hours I was interviewed by “The Canadian Employer” magazine on social media in Canada plus Ulistic is very fortunate to be working with another successful REALTOR in Calgary.

What does this tell me?

When used effectively, respectfully and with purpose…social media can help position your business and generate a buzz about what you do in your market. However, for some “Social Media” is just a noisy waste of time. ReTweet this, post this, share that…with no intent or purpose…just adds to the noise.

Here are some things I attempt to do each day that ensures my investment in social media does end up as just noise out there:

Focus on a niche - Just like my buddy Joe has found success in a particular industry so can you. You must pick a niche and excel in that niche. Sorry folks, being spread out across multiple platforms doesn’t work and for those who say “small business” is my niche. Sorry to disappoint you, but that is just to broad of a focus. What business models do you know? What industries can you learn? Where can you excel?
Master that market – Once you pick your niche…master it. Learn everything you can. How is business done? How are the movers and shakers in that industry. What are the terminologies used? Where do you see gaps and how can you fill them? (When I started in the IT industry I focused on oil and gas. I made getting to know what everyone does in a company crucial to knowing the industry…so should you).
Continue to learn – Never stop learning or never stop sharpening your saw. Attend their industry trade shows. Participate at their local events. Attend their courses. You must never stop continuing to learn.
Post intelligence - Don’t post noise (hey, learn from me). Post relevant observations on what is happening in that market, not just various statements and useless junk. If you have nothing to say…don’t retweet just to be heard.

Focusing on quality information and post/sharing with purpose will stop you from adding to the noise. Know your audience and how you can help or assist them. Seek the advice of an expert to help get you started in the right direction.

Here is a quick acronym to help you with your blog posts, tweets and anything you do online:

S – share
W – with
I – intent
P – purpose and
E – excellence

Can you SWIPE?

Ulistic focuses on working with Technology firms (small business computer consultants and managed services providers) plus real estate agents, REALTORS and those in the Real Estate business (mortgage brokers, agents etc). We do work with general small business however we know that our marketing needs to focused on our niche markets as well.

Once you get this and you focus on SWIPE….your social media will raise above the noise.

If your IT services firm, real estate brokerage requires help with online marketing, social media or simply getting you found online…give me a call today at 403.775.2205…cheers Stuart.

A great new tool for Managed Service Providers

Stuart R. Crawford — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:55:43 +0000

Managed Service Providers is a term really only used by a selected few in a tight community of small business technology support companies across the globe. These firms are committed to helping small businesses with all their computer and network support, most of them are also focused on Microsoft networks and Microsoft services. This is definitely a blood-red ocean, and there are a number of firms looking at tapping into this market of support companies from around the globe.

On Thursday, I was blessed to enjoy a great chat with Mark Checksfield via Skype (a free telephone service) who works with Naverisk, a leader in the Australian/New Zealand market in the remote monitoring, remote support and patch management marketplace. Naverisk came highly recommended to me from some great friends in the business and Stuart Selbst. Even though I provide no IT services to clients that require me to use their services, it was great to discuss the market and opportunities with Mark and keep my finger on the pulse of a community where I recently finished 15 years of service.

Naverisk is a firm located in Auckland, New Zealand and they are starting to get traction in the Australian and New Zealand Managed Services market. Mark even shared with me that they are now gaining some momentum in the US and Canada, a market which has great potential.

I am no expert when it comes to these tools and actually when I was providing computer services to small business in Calgary I often thought of these services as simply a cash grab. In reality, at the end of the day they provided no real value to my clients (one of my friends this week told me that he actually removed one of these solutions because he claims it was invasive (he first used the term TROJAN) and violated his own privacy policy) and for many of peers often emptied their bank accounts as they jumped from solution to solution. I have found with Naverisk a different approach, Mark appears to be aligned with the “Go Giver” model and their pricing structure is affordable and flexible for every computer support company.

I would give Naverisk a review if you are looking for a remote monitoring tool for managed service providers. For me, I am not gaining financially from writing this post, I want to share with you a solution which appears to meet the needs of every technology support firm and is aligned with the core principles of being a Go Giver.

Erick Simpson is still my friend

Stuart R. Crawford — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:03:57 +0000

Even though I don’t do much with IT services these days, much rather pass this soft of stuff over to my friends in the industry now. If you need IT support, contact me, I have friends who can help your Calgary small business.

But, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for Erick Simpson at MSPU. So, why not share this information for him after all he helped me big time over the past few years.

Have you registered for Dallas CompTIA’s Pre-Day Security Workshop next Tuesday, March 16th?

MSPU is holding it the day before their IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp in Dallas, TX on March 17th-19th.

Register today and qualify to win an MSP University 10 Day Website ABSOLUTELY FREE (a $6,000 value)!

If you are looking to differentiate your organization and stand out from the pack, register for this valuable Dallas MSPU Managed Services workshop by clicking here!