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For most small and midsize managed service providers, the strongest starting mix is relationship-led: ask satisfied clients for introductions, build vendor and complementary-provider relationships, and show up at industry events. Support those efforts with useful niche content, webinars, a credible website, and deliberate follow-up. Recent MSP surveys report these channels as common ways to start conversations, but they do not prove which tactic will deliver the best return for a particular provider.
What the recent MSP surveys say
The findings below are useful signals, not a universal ranking. The reports use different samples and question wording; their percentages should not be combined or interpreted as conversion rates or ROI.
| Report and measure | Reported selections | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| MSP Global, State of the Industry Report, Summer 2025; n=35, respondents could select up to three ways to generate new conversations | Industry events 71%; customer referrals 51%; LinkedIn/social media 43%; webinars 40%; vendor/distributor leads 40% | These are respondent selections, not measured lead quality or sales results. |
| Same MSP Global Summer 2025 question | Inbound website/SEO 23%; email/newsletters 9%; telesales/cold calling 6% | Lower selection frequency does not establish that a channel is ineffective; the survey did not measure its long-term pipeline contribution. |
| MSP Global, State of the Industry Report, Winter 2026; multiple survey waves | Industry events 58–78% across waves; customer referrals 52–55%. “Improve digital marketing performance” rose from 24% in July to 48% in January as a priority. | The report cautions that sample sizes are modest; treat these as directional findings. |
| ConnectWise, in partnership with ChannelPro, 2026 MSP Marketing Report | 72% cited referrals as a key driver; 43% had a formal referral program. | This is the report’s finding. Its search-result summary does not establish full survey methods or exact publication date, so avoid treating it as a universal industry statistic. |
Which tactics to put into practice
Make client referrals intentional
Ask satisfied customers for introductions when the timing is appropriate, such as after a successful project or a positive service review. Give them a simple way to connect you with a peer and explain the kind of organization you serve best. If you offer an incentive, check contract terms, tax treatment, and applicable local rules; make the terms transparent.
Build vendor and complementary-provider relationships
Develop reciprocal introductions with technology vendors, distributors, and providers whose services complement yours. Explore partner events or co-marketing where there is a clear audience fit. Verify current program eligibility and terms before promising any vendor benefit.
#1 Best Overall
Choose industry events for buyer fit, not attendance alone
Prioritize events attended by the decision-makers and industries you want to reach. Set a clear goal—such as conversations with a defined number of qualified prospects—and follow up with individualized, useful information. The surveys show events are frequently selected, but they do not establish event ROI or prove that attendance causes growth.
Use content and webinars to answer real buyer questions
Create practical material around issues your prospects need to decide: cybersecurity priorities, IT budgeting, compliance responsibilities, service scope, or the risks of changing providers. A webinar or event discussion can become a useful follow-up article, checklist, or email. The reports identify webinars and digital marketing as relevant channels, but do not establish an ideal format or publishing cadence.
Rank #2
Make the website do the basics well
Help a visitor quickly understand what you manage, which industries and locations you serve, what makes your expertise credible, and what to do next. Clear service descriptions, relevant proof, and an easy contact path support referrals and outreach as well as search discovery. In the Summer 2025 survey, website/SEO was selected less often than events and referrals; that is not proof it fails to contribute to pipeline over time.
Distribute useful material through social and email
Use professional social channels to reach the people you serve and email to maintain contact with opted-in prospects. Share material that helps a buyer make a decision rather than sending generic promotional updates. The Summer 2025 sample selected social media more often than email/newsletters, but an MSP should track how each channel performs with its own audience.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesTest outbound narrowly
Cold calling or other outbound outreach is better treated as a focused experiment for a well-defined segment than as a default broad campaign. The Summer 2025 survey’s 6% selection for telesales/cold calling does not settle the value of personalized outreach or every outbound approach. Define the audience and message, track qualified responses, and stop or revise the test if it does not produce relevant conversations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose a starting mix
There is no source-backed universal budget or ROI cutoff for MSP marketing in these reports. Compare tactics against your intended customer and actual capacity:
Rank #4
- Fit: Does the tactic reach the industries, company sizes, and decision-makers you want?
- Trust: Can it credibly demonstrate that you understand the buyer’s IT risks and business context?
- Effort and cost: What staff time and cash does it require to execute consistently?
- Time to conversation: How quickly could it create a qualified discussion, and can you sustain it long enough to assess?
- Pipeline contribution: Does it produce qualified opportunities and wins, and are those customers a good fit?
A manageable starting portfolio is one relationship-led activity, one useful content or event activity, and a defined follow-up and measurement process. Record the source of each qualified conversation, opportunity, and win, alongside time spent and campaign cost. Review quality and pipeline contribution before expanding spend; these are practical measurement suggestions, not a benchmark tested by the reports.
Quick Recap
Sources
- ConnectWise, “The MSP Marketing Report” resource page; report findings cited above are attributed to the 2026 report produced with ChannelPro.
- MSP Global, State of the Industry Report — Summer 2025 (report PDF).
- MSP Global, State of the Industry Report — Winter 2026 (report PDF).
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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