I ran an MSP before starting Tactics Marketing, so I know exactly what you're dealing with. You're brilliant at solving IT problems, but marketing? That's a different language entirely.
The right MSP marketing agency can generate 5X growth in your retainers. The wrong one wastes months and thousands convincing you "marketing doesn't work for MSPs." I'm comparing seven legitimate agencies with honest assessments of who they're actually right for.
Look, I'm going to be straight with you. I ran an MSP before starting Tactics Marketing. I know exactly what you're dealing with right now.
You're technical. You're brilliant at solving IT problems. But marketing? That's a different language entirely. You've got a website that probably needs work, maybe you've tried some Google Ads that burned through budget without much to show for it, and you're competing against 20 other MSPs in your market who all seem to say the exact same things.
Here's the truth: you need help. Not because you're incapable, but because marketing a technical services business requires specialized expertise you simply don't have time to develop while running your MSP.
Quick Answer: The best MSP marketing agencies include:
Choose based on your budget ($2,500-$10,000+/month), growth stage, and whether you want education alongside execution or hands-off management.
The right marketing partner can generate 5X growth in your managed service retainers. The wrong one will waste months of opportunity and thousands of dollars convincing you that "marketing just doesn't work for MSPs."
I'm going to walk you through seven legitimate MSP marketing agencies, explain what makes each one different, and help you figure out which one fits your situation. Full transparency: I'm obviously biased toward Tactics Marketing because I built it specifically to solve the problems I faced as an MSP owner. But I'll give you honest assessments of the others too, because the worst outcome here is you choosing the wrong partner and giving up on marketing entirely.
|
Agency |
Best For |
Key Strength |
Contract Terms |
Core Services |
|
Tactics Marketing |
MSPs wanting education + execution |
Learn-plan-grow framework with founder's MSP experience |
Flexible 6-12 months |
Branding, Design, Marketing Strategy, SEO, PPC, Web Design, HubSpot, Content Marketing, Social Media, Lead Generation, Executive Coaching |
|
Jumpfactor |
Established MSPs |
Strong track record with documented results |
Typically 12 months |
Full-service: SEO, PPC, web dev, ABM |
|
Lemonade Stand |
MSPs wanting flexibility |
Month-to-month terms, no long contracts |
Month-to-month |
Digital marketing, SEO, social media |
|
Ulistic |
MSPs seeking mentorship |
25+ years experience, coaching included |
6-12 months |
SEO, web dev, executive coaching |
|
LeftLeads |
Complex technical messaging |
Conversion copywriting expertise |
6 months typical |
Lead gen, messaging, sales enablement |
|
Marketing Edge |
Small MSPs, tight budgets |
Affordable content and systems |
Month-to-month |
Content packs, templates, community |
|
IT Rockstars |
Local market focus |
Direct mail integration |
6 months typical |
Lead gen system, content, local authority |
Before we get into specific agencies, let me share what I learned the hard way when I was running my MSP and trying to find marketing help.
This is everything. Your sales cycle runs 3 to 12 months, not days. Your buyers care about uptime and business continuity, not RMM features. Your services are technical, but your prospects aren't technical people.
Generic marketing agencies will talk about impressions and engagement rates. MSP specialists talk about qualified opportunities, contract value, and how long it takes to close deals. That difference matters enormously.
When I was looking for marketing help for my MSP, I talked to five agencies. Four of them wanted to show me campaigns they ran for dentists or restaurants. One actually understood MSP business model. Guess which one I hired?
Let's talk about what real MSP marketing looks like:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Getting found when prospects search "managed IT services [your city]" or "cybersecurity for small business." This takes 3 to 6 months to show results, but it's the most cost-effective lead source long term. When I finally invested in proper SEO for my MSP, it took four months before I saw real traction. Then it became our best lead source.
Content Marketing: Blog posts, case studies, and service pages that answer questions your prospects have before they even call you. This builds trust and positions you as the expert. It takes 2 to 4 months to impact traffic, but the content you create becomes a permanent asset.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click Ads): Google Ads and LinkedIn campaigns that generate immediate traffic. You'll see leads within weeks, though optimization takes 1 to 2 months. This is expensive per lead compared to SEO, but it works while you're waiting for organic efforts to mature.
Website Design: Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. If it's confusing, slow, or looks outdated, you're losing deals before prospects ever call you. A proper website redesign typically improves conversion rates by 20 to 50%.
Marketing Automation: Email sequences, lead scoring, and CRM integration that keeps prospects engaged through your long sales cycle. This is huge for MSPs because you can't expect someone to buy after one website visit.
Here's what each service delivers and when:
|
Service Type |
Why MSPs Need It |
Timeline for Results |
|
SEO |
Local visibility, organic leads |
3-6 months |
|
Content Marketing |
Authority building, trust |
2-4 months for traction |
|
PPC |
Immediate lead flow |
1-2 months to optimize |
|
Website Design |
Conversion optimization |
1-3 months to launch |
|
Marketing Automation |
Efficient lead nurturing |
1-2 months setup |
|
Account-Based Marketing |
Enterprise client acquisition |
3-6 months |
This is where I got burned before starting Tactics Marketing. I paid an agency $5,000 a month and had no idea what they were actually doing. They sent quarterly reports with charts showing "progress," but I couldn't connect any of it to actual leads or revenue.
Look for agencies that give you:
Transparency shouldn't be a premium feature. It should be standard.
I'm obviously biased here, but let me explain why I built Tactics the way I did.
When I was running my MSP, marketing felt like this black box where I spent money and hoped something good happened. Agencies spoke in jargon. They kept me dependent on them. They celebrated metrics I didn't care about while my pipeline stayed empty.
So when I started Tactics Marketing, I built it around three principles:
First, educate while we execute. You shouldn't need a marketing degree to understand what we're doing or why. We explain strategies in plain English. We show you exactly what we're working on. We build your knowledge while we build your pipeline. The Tactics App gives you a centralized hub where you can see your strategy, track projects, monitor performance, and request changes with a single click. Think of it as having a marketing department in your pocket.
Second, show you everything. No black boxes. You get access to all analytics, rankings, ad performance, and reports whenever you want them. You can see exactly where your money is going and what results it's generating. Real-time visibility into everything.
Third, collaborate, don't dictate. You know your business better than anyone. You know your ideal clients, your competitive advantages, and what messages resonate. We bring marketing expertise, but the best results come from genuine partnership. We work with you, not just for you.
We offer comprehensive services specifically designed for MSPs:
I didn't just study MSPs or work with them. I owned one. I dealt with the technical complexities, the sales challenges, the commoditization pressure. I've sat in your chair wondering how to differentiate when every competitor makes the same claims. I've struggled to explain technical value in ways non-technical buyers understand.
That experience shapes every recommendation we make. When we suggest a strategy, it's based on what actually worked when I was in your position, refined by what we've learned working with dozens of MSPs since.
Our clients typically experience:
One client came to us after spending $30,000 with a generic agency that didn't understand MSP business. Within six months working with Tactics, they closed a $250,000 contract directly attributed to our SEO and content marketing. That one deal paid for two years of marketing investment.
We're the right fit if you:
We're probably not the right fit if you:
We're transparent about investment because surprises help nobody. Tactics engagements typically start at $3,500 monthly for strategic planning plus 2-3 core services. Comprehensive full-service programs range from $5,000 to $15,000 monthly depending on your market competitiveness and scope.
We recommend 6 to 12 month initial engagements. Marketing needs time to work. SEO takes months to mature. Content accumulates over time. Expecting results in 60 days is like planting an orchard and getting frustrated when you don't have fruit in six weeks.
Setup and onboarding typically run $2,500 to $5,000 depending on website complexity and your existing marketing infrastructure.
If you're tired of feeling like marketing is a black box where you spend money and hope for results, we built Tactics specifically for you. We give you knowledge, visibility, and partnership. We treat your budget like it's our own because we understand what it's like to write those checks every month wondering if it's working.
Ready to talk? Book a meeting with me. Let's figure out if we're the right fit for your situation.
Jumpfactor has built a strong reputation in the MSP marketing space, and honestly, their client results speak for themselves.
Jumpfactor focuses exclusively on MSP marketing, which means they genuinely understand the business model. They've documented some impressive client success stories:
These are multi-year relationships showing what's possible with consistent investment in proper marketing. They're not overnight wins, but they're real business outcomes.
Jumpfactor operates on 90-day strategic planning cycles with weekly performance reviews. They don't set a January strategy and ignore it until December. They're constantly reviewing what's working, killing what isn't, and optimizing budget allocation.
This agile approach makes sense for MSP marketing where you need to test, learn, and pivot quickly.
Jumpfactor provides comprehensive MSP marketing services:
They're a full-service agency, which works well for MSPs who want one partner handling everything instead of coordinating multiple vendors.
Jumpfactor makes sense for:
They're probably not the best fit for:
Jumpfactor operates in the premium tier. Based on industry knowledge, expect significant monthly investment for their services, though they don't publish specific pricing publicly. They typically require 12-month agreements, which is reasonable given that SEO and content marketing need time to deliver ROI.
Ad spend is separate from management fees, so budget accordingly.
Jumpfactor has built a solid reputation with real results to back it up. If you have the budget and commitment level they require, they're worth considering seriously. Their MSP-specific focus means they understand your business in ways generic agencies never will.
Lemonade Stand takes a different approach than most MSP marketing agencies: month-to-month flexibility with no long-term contracts.
In an industry where 6 to 12 month contracts are standard, Lemonade Stand's month-to-month model stands out. They believe if they're delivering value, you'll stay. If they're not, you shouldn't be locked in.
This philosophy attracts MSPs who've been burned by previous agencies or who want to test services without major commitment.
Lemonade Stand emphasizes:
They also promise rapid response during business hours, which is refreshing compared to agencies where you wait days for email replies.
Lemonade Stand offers core marketing services:
They're not trying to be everything to everyone. They focus on foundational services done well.
They make sense for:
They might not be ideal for:
Lemonade Stand's month-to-month model means no setup fees and no cancellation penalties. Specific pricing varies by services selected, but their flexible structure appeals to MSPs who want to test before committing long term.
The month-to-month flexibility is genuinely valuable if you've been burned before or you're testing agency services for the first time. Just remember that marketing needs time to work regardless of contract terms. Give any agency at least 6 months before judging results.
Ulistic brings something different to MSP marketing: over 25 years focused exclusively on MSPs, combined with executive coaching and peer networking.
Ulistic doesn't just handle your marketing. They provide:
This appeals to MSP owners who want strategic partnership, not just campaign execution.
Twenty-five years in MSP marketing means Ulistic has seen multiple industry cycles. They've watched the evolution from break-fix to managed services to managed security. They understand what works because they've tested approaches for over two decades.
Ulistic provides:
The combination of marketing execution and business coaching differentiates them from purely tactical agencies.
Consider Ulistic if you:
They're probably not ideal if you:
Ulistic's 25-year track record and combination of marketing plus coaching creates unique value. If you're at a stage where strategic guidance matters as much as campaign execution, they're worth a conversation.
LeftLeads focuses specifically on conversion copywriting for MSPs, IT companies, and MSSPs. If your problem is messaging, they specialize in fixing it.
LeftLeads excels at translating technical services into business language. They solve this problem: you talk about RMM, SIEM, and EDR. Your prospects care about uptime, security, and productivity. LeftLeads bridges that gap.
Their conversion copywriting expertise means they create:
LeftLeads positions themselves as an extension of your team, not an external vendor. They work collaboratively to understand your customers deeply and craft messaging that moves prospects to action.
LeftLeads provides:
They make sense for:
They're probably not the right fit if:
If your website talks about "best-in-class RMM platforms" instead of "guaranteed 99.9% uptime," you have a messaging problem. LeftLeads fixes that. Better messaging improves everything: your website conversion rate, your ad performance, your sales close rate.
Marketing Edge serves MSPs who can't afford $5,000 monthly for full-service agencies but still need professional marketing resources.
Marketing Edge provides a "done-with-you" model instead of "done-for-you":
You get professional resources. You handle the execution.
Everything is designed for busy MSP owners. The 60-minute challenges and weekly systems recognize you can't spend 20 hours weekly on marketing. You dedicate one to two hours and make progress.
The white-label content is especially valuable. Instead of writing blog posts from scratch, you customize professional content in 15 minutes and publish.
Consider Marketing Edge if you:
They're not ideal if you:
Marketing Edge offers exceptional value for budget-conscious MSPs. Membership pricing is significantly lower than traditional agency retainers. The trade-off is you're doing the work yourself.
If you're bootstrapping, have more time than money, and can execute consistently, Marketing Edge provides solid resources at accessible pricing. The challenge is discipline. You have to actually implement what they provide.
IT Rockstars focuses on helping MSPs dominate local markets through systematic lead generation and community authority building.
IT Rockstars combines digital marketing with traditional tactics like direct mail. They offer:
Consider IT Rockstars if you:
They might not fit if you:
The combination of digital and direct mail makes sense for local MSPs. Getting recognized as "the local IT expert" opens doors cold calls and web forms never will. But you need more than this to build a growth systems that frees you from thinking about growth.
Let me walk you through how to actually choose based on my experience both hiring agencies when I ran my MSP and now running one.
Be honest about your starting point:
Let's talk real numbers. Most successful MSPs allocate 5% to 10% of revenue to marketing. If you're generating $2 million annually, that's $100,000 to $200,000 yearly, or roughly $8,000 to $17,000 monthly.
Here's how agency pricing typically breaks down:
Entry Level ($2,000 to $5,000 monthly): Limited services, usually 1-2 channels, good for starting out or testing.
Comprehensive ($5,000 to $10,000 monthly): Full support across 3-4 channels with integrated strategy.
Premium ($10,000+ monthly): Everything, competitive markets, aggressive growth.
Additional costs to consider:
ROI Timeline (this is critical):
When I first invested properly in marketing for my MSP, I spent $6,000 monthly. Month one and two felt like throwing money into a hole. Month four I started seeing leads. Month seven it became our best lead source. By year two, marketing was generating 5X what I spent on it.
Skip generic questions. Ask these instead:
"How many current MSP clients do you have, and what size are they?"
This reveals whether they truly specialize. If they have 2-3 MSP clients, they're not specialists.
"Can you share three case studies with actual revenue numbers?"
Anyone can increase traffic. The question is whether traffic converts to revenue. Insist on business outcomes.
"What's your average client retention rate?"
If most clients leave after 6 months, that tells you something. Good agencies retain clients for years.
"When campaigns underperform, what's your process?"
This reveals problem-solving approach and transparency. Great agencies admit when things don't work and have systems to fix them.
"What's included versus what costs extra?"
Get crystal clear on pricing. Surprises are for birthdays, not invoices.
"How often will we communicate, and who's my point of contact?"
Will you work with senior strategists or junior account managers? Weekly calls or monthly emails? Clarity prevents frustration.
"What do you need from me for this to succeed?"
Good agencies need your input on ideal clients, competitive advantages, case studies, and timely approvals. If they say they need nothing, they're lying.
Watch for these red flags:
No MSP Experience: Generic agencies will pitch healthcare or e-commerce success. MSP marketing is different. Sales cycles, buyer personas, messaging requirements are unique.
Guaranteed Rankings: No one can guarantee specific rankings. Google's algorithm has 200+ factors and changes constantly. Anyone promising "page one in 30 days" is lying or using tactics that'll get you penalized.
No Transparency: If they won't show real-time analytics, rankings, and ad performance, they're hiding something.
No Case Studies: Every legitimate MSP agency should have multiple case studies. If they can't share them, walk away.
Cookie-Cutter Packages: Your market is different. Your competitive position is unique. One-size-fits-all packages waste money.
Pressure to Sign Immediately: Legitimate agencies give you time to evaluate, check references, and decide. High-pressure tactics from a marketing agency should make you skeptical about their actual marketing abilities.
Look, I built Tactics Marketing because I lived your frustrations. The wasted money on agencies that didn't understand MSP business. The confusion about what was actually working. The feeling of being kept in the dark while writing checks every month.
Our learn-plan-grow framework exists because I wanted transparency when I was buying marketing services, and I never got it. Our Tactics App gives you visibility because I wanted to see what I was paying for, and agencies treated it like a trade secret. Our collaborative approach exists because the best results came when agencies actually listened to what I knew about my business instead of dictating strategy.
We're HubSpot Diamond Partners specializing in MSP implementations. We offer comprehensive services: SEO that ranks you for terms prospects actually search, websites built for MSP lead generation, PPC focused on qualified leads not vanity metrics, content that positions you as the expert, and automation that nurtures your long sales cycles.
Most importantly, we explain everything. You'll understand why we're recommending specific strategies. You'll see real-time performance data. You'll never wonder what we're actually doing with your investment.
The MSP market isn't getting easier. The winners will be those who market professionally and consistently. You don't need to become a marketing expert. You just need the right partner who actually understands your business because they've been in your position.
Let's talk about taking your MSP to the next level. Contact Tactics Marketing today.