Business
The Business Benefits of Managed IT Services
The average small business owner pays anywhere between $10,000 and $49,000 per year on technology. Some of this money goes into IT work. How much are you currently spending?
If you haven’t found the sweet spot for your spending yet, it’s time to make a change. Have you considered investing in managed IT services to improve your business?
If you’re on the fence, we want to help. Read on to learn about a few of the most helpful benefits of managed IT solutions.
You’ll Save Money
As a business owner, you know that you have to choose where you spend your money wisely. You already have tight margins and one bad choice could be the difference between staying profitable and shutting down.
Because of this, you might think that choosing not to invest in managed IT services is the better choice, but this isn’t the case. In reality, working with a managed IT provider might be one of the best ways for you to save money.
First, a managed IT service provider takes the place of several in-house workers or contractors. This isn’t to say that you can’t maintain an in-house team, but managed IT services will make a great addition to that team.
The average IT worker makes over $90,000 per year, and for good reason! They work hard and they’ve gone through a lot of education to gain all of their valuable expertise.
If you hire contractors, you’ll pay less per year, but you’ll be paying a lot in the event of an emergency.
Paying a whole team of IT workers that much money might not be in range for a small business owner. You could pay a managed IT company a flat monthly rate for their services as an alternative.
That rate will include all of the services you need to keep your business up and running.
You’ll Save Time
Money isn’t the only thing you’ll be saving when you make the switch to managed IT services. You’ll also save time.
If you’ve been relying on contractors to fix your IT problems, you know how troublesome it is to wait for them to arrive just to fix your problem in a matter of seconds. You have to pay them for their time (as you should), but you’ve wasted valuable money-making time.
When you use managed IT services, you don’t have to waste any time. Either they’ll be able to solve the problem from afar or they’ll arrange for someone to come visit you in person in no time.
Time is money, so you can’t afford to waste it.
You Can Focus Effort Elsewhere
So you have several competent IT workers on your team already, right? Why would you want to spend more money by investing in outside managed IT services?
You hired your IT team for specific tasks, right? They’re working hard to keep your business running, but every time you have an IT problem, they have to stop what they’re doing to handle it.
They’re also spending a lot of time working on “behind the scenes” things, like security, software updates, and IT network support.
Wouldn’t it be better for you and your employees alike if you had a team of managed IT workers available to handle everything instead? Your employees would be able to focus on the jobs that actually interest them and benefit your company instead of having to waste time with tasks that are easily outsourced.
Your employees will appreciate the ability to focus and you’ll appreciate how much more efficiently everything runs.
IT Managed Services Are Scalable
You might be worried about investing in managed IT services because you know that your business is going to grow (or shrink). Wouldn’t it be a waste of money if your business is getting ready to change anyway?
Not at all.
Managed IT services are scalable. While you’ll start off with a custom package that works for your business as it is right now, it takes no effort at all to change it when you need something larger or smaller.
Let’s say you suddenly expand to a second floor and you’ve doubled your computers on a single network. No problem! It’s easy enough for your managed IT service provider to note that change and make any necessary changes in a flash.
When in doubt, simply contact your provider to ask about scalability. They’ll make sure that your plan always fits your business.
You’ll Have Access to Better Software
Do you wish that you had the money for the high-end software all the large companies are able to use? Small business owners often struggle to afford the best new technology!
You won’t be able to get everything that large businesses have access to, but through a reliable managed IT service provider, you will have access to the software you may not have been able to afford on your own.
The IT company uses the same software with all of its clients. Whether you’re a brand-new business with a single-room location or you’re running an entire building (or multiple buildings), you’ll still have access to the same technology.
You’ll Have More Advanced Security
Speaking of high-end software, how is your current security software? If you’re like many of us, you likely have a free antivirus program and whatever came pre-installed on your computer. You may even reject updates when they pop up.
For the average individual, this is enough security. For a business owner, however, it’s risky. Without proper security, you’re putting yourself, your customers, your income, and your entire reputation at risk.
Managed IT providers will make sure that your security is sufficient for your business. They’ll look for any potential problems and protect you against them before they happen.
They’ll also be able to identify potential security threats in real-time. They may catch a hacker before they even get to you!
This is another way managed IT providers save you time and money.
Let’s face it: security threats are expensive. If you have one bad security breach, you’re going to lose the trust of your customers and you can lose money from the breach itself.
Even if no information or money was lost, you’ll likely still experience an IT blackout. This will result in serious downtime (and you won’t be able to make money during that downtime).
Security should be one of your top priorities as a business owner. After all, 83% of small and medium-sized business owners aren’t financially prepared to recover from a cyber attack.
You’ll Have 24/7 Support
Cybercrime and other common IT problems don’t suddenly stop when you’re off the clock. data breaches, blackouts, glitches, hardware problems, and more can happen during any hour of the day or night.
Are you planning on having your valuable employees stay late (and pay them overtime) every time you have a late-night IT problem? Can you afford to pay an emergency IT contractor their nighttime rate?
Often, you can’t wait until morning or you’ll have a whole new host of problems on your hands. So now what?
When you use managed IT services, you don’t have to worry. You get around-the-clock support from trained IT professionals who are ready to handle your problems.
Even if there isn’t an emergency, those trained professionals will also be available if you have a late-night query or concern.
You’ll Have a Whole Team of Talented Workers
If you already have an in-house IT team, you know how valuable it is to have multiple brains working on the same problem. Everyone comes with their own unique experiences, and that makes problem-solving a breeze.
If you only have one IT worker on your team, it’s not as easy. Even the best IT professionals will have blind spots. No one knows everything.
When you invest in IT managed services, you get a whole team of workers for that low flat monthly rate we mentioned earlier. There are always several workers available to work on your problems or projects.
Where one person falls short, another can easily fill in and help out.
You’ll Get a One-Stop-Shop for All IT Needs and Questions
If you don’t have an in-house team, you’re always bouncing from contractor to contractor. Even if you do have an in-house team, you may still have to deal with multiple outside contractors when there’s a problem.
Every time you switch contractors, you have to rebuild a relationship with them so they can answer your questions accurately. You’ll find that many of them have different answers to the same questions.
This lack of consistency can be a pain to deal with.
While you will have multiple people working for you through the managed IT company, the company itself functions as one unit. Everyone works together, so you’ll never have to re-explain your issues or worry about conflicting information.
You’ll have a consistent place to turn when you’re not sure what’s going on with your tech. No more calling around.
Are There Downsides to Having Managed IT Services?
So why wouldn’t a business owner want to invest in managed IT services? While they have plenty of benefits, it’s normal to have a few concerns before committing. After all, you’re spending your hard-earned money.
Here are some common things that give people pause before they commit to managed IT services (and why they aren’t usually problems at all).
No In-House IT Help
This is a huge concern for people who are new to managed IT services. They like having the luxury of having people on their own teams so they have “in-person” help when they need it. Or, they already have an in-person IT team and they aren’t looking to displace them.
While a managed IT service can replace an IT team, it doesn’t have to. As a matter of fact, it’s not uncommon for businesses to have a few IT professionals on staff while still taking advantage of managed IT services.
You don’t have to displace anyone. You’re getting more help for a lower cost.
On that note, you don’t need an in-house IT person for in-person jobs. Your managed IT company can arrange for someone to help you if you’re having problems that they can’t fix remotely.
No Specialization
This is another concern for business owners in specific niches. They want to make sure that their IT professionals have experience within their industry. They can only ensure this if they hire and train a new IT worker on their own.
While most managed IT companies don’t specialize in one specific industry, some do. Even more will focus on a range of industries (for example, anything under the hospitality or food service umbrella) so they can expand their reach while still offering great service.
If you’re worried, find a managed IT company that has experience with your industry. Remember: they’re also working with plenty of other companies within your niche, so they have more experience than the majority of IT contractors or potential new hires.
Do You Need Managed IT Services?
If you’re a small or medium-sized business owner, it might be time to invest in managed IT services. You’ll be able to save money, get access to great software, protect your business from common cyber threats, and more.
Remember: managed IT services don’t have to replace your team. Think of them as an extra asset that you can use to improve your business overall.
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Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
If you’re a software company that wants to gain an advantageous position in the market, you should definitely consider SaaS Ads. Running a Google Ad, Facebook Ad, Instagram Ad, or LinkedIn Ad campaign is the best thing for your performance marketing and lead generation.
Despite numerous benefits, there are also a few issues with PPC Ads. In this article, we will explore the basics of SaaS advertising, its advantages and disadvantages, and steps businesses can take to set up their own successful ad campaigns.
Benefits of SaaS Ads
Paid Ads can provide numerous advantages to your B2C or B2B marketing campaign:
- Faster Setup Time: This marketing channel is ideal if you’re looking to reach a potential customer as soon as possible
- Cost Efficiency: PPC models make SaaS advertising cost-effective, especially when compared to promotional activities like SEO that take some time to show results
- Ease of Implementation: Whether you’re using SaaS Facebook Ads or running a Google Ads campaign, you can get ahold of basics really quickly
- Scalability: Ads allow businesses to manage campaigns at scale and quickly pivot as needed
Challenges of SaaS Ads
Unfortunately, there are also a few issues with this marketing approach:
- Reliability: Despite the fast impact, a display ad or video ad might not produce the results you’re looking for
- Budget Burden: As there are so many competitors, you might be forced to overpay for some of your advertising
- Long-Term Impact: The reason why SaaS marketing agencies usually go with SEO and SMM is because these channels provide long-term impact. On the other hand, paid SaaS ads are much better for short-term promotion
Understanding the Different Types of SaaS Ads
Running effective ads for your SaaS product can be a complicated process. To make sure you’re reaching the right audience with the best message and the most effective channel, it’s essential to understand the different types of ads available.
These are some of the best paid marketing channels for your B2B SaaS company:
Facebook Advertising
With Facebook marketing ads, you can reach people based on their location, age, gender, interests, behavior, and more. You can also take advantage of the powerful Facebook Pixel and Facebook Ads Manager to track user interactions and optimize your ads for better performance.
Google Advertising
Google Ads focus on keyword-based campaigns, display ads, and video ads to generate leads and increase sales. You can target people based on search terms they type in related to your SaaS product. Additionally, you can use Google’s powerful analytics features to track ad performance and adjust campaigns accordingly.
LinkedIn Advertising
If you’re trying to reach a professional audience, LinkedIn Ads are a great option. With the platform’s powerful targeting capabilities, you can quickly get your message in front of the professionals who are most likely to buy your SaaS product. You can choose from a variety of ad formats, such as sponsored posts, sponsored InMail, and display ads.
Native Advertising
Native advertising has become increasingly popular in recent years. It involves placing content-based ads that blend into the natural aesthetic of the platform they’re placed on. That way, you can capture the attention of users without disrupting their browsing experience. Native ads can be used across a variety of channels, including social media, websites, and apps.
Video Ads
Video ads are a great way to engage potential customers on a deeper level. These posts have higher click-through and completion rates than traditional text-based ads, which means they’re more likely to have an impact on lead generation and sales. Furthermore, they’re easy to customize and offer several interactive options, such as polls and quizzes.
By understanding the different types of SaaS ads available, you can create a comprehensive advertising campaign that engages potential customers and drives conversions. To ensure success, be sure to track ad performance diligently and use A/B testing to fine-tune your campaigns to maximize ROI.
Crafting a Winning Digital Marketing Strategy for Your SaaS Business
Crafting an effective strategy requires a combination of the right tools and tactics and a thorough understanding of your target audience. Let’s take a look at some of the most important elements for creating a winning digital marketing strategy for your SaaS brand.
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is one of the most effective ways to drive leads and conversions to your SaaS product. Platforms like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and LinkedIn Ads are all excellent options for getting your product in front of the right audience.
When creating ad campaigns, it’s important to do your keyword research to ensure that you’re targeting the right search queries with the most relevant ad copy and creative assets. Additionally, you’ll want to take into account your budget when it comes to ad spend and the number of campaigns you run.
Social Media
Social media is another powerful tool in your digital marketing toolbox. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook provide direct access to your target audience and enable you to build meaningful relationships with potential customers.
To create an effective social media presence, consider the types of content that will resonate with your audience, as well as the channels that will provide the best return on your investment. The use of custom audiences can help you optimize your campaigns and boost engagement.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a key part of any successful digital marketing strategy. Blogging, videos, infographics, and eBooks are all excellent options for providing compelling content to your audience.
Additionally, effective content will increase your website traffic and search engine rankings, which will, in turn, allow you to reach more people. When creating content, focus on topics that will resonate with your target audience and consider posting to multiple channels for maximum exposure.
Analytics and A/B Testing
Measuring and analyzing your campaigns is just as important as developing them. Without data, you won’t be able to determine which strategies are working and which need to be improved. Google Analytics and other analytics platforms can provide invaluable insights into user behavior and ad performance.
Additionally, A/B testing can help a SaaS marketer create better campaigns and hone in on the most effective strategies. Through careful analysis and testing, you’ll be able to develop a winning digital marketing strategy for your SaaS business.
Optimizing Your SaaS Ads with Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics
Optimizing your SaaS ads can be a challenging task. After all, you spend time and money creating them, only to have them fall flat. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. By utilizing the power of Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics, you can gain deeper insights into how effective your ads are.
Facebook Pixel
The first step in optimizing your Facebook SaaS ads is to install the Facebook Pixel. This is a code that tracks key metrics like page views and conversions per ad. By tracking these metrics, you can see what’s working for this social media platform. You can also make adjustments to better target potential customers.
Google Analytics
Every Google Ads agency uses Google Analytics for its paid campaigns. The tool tracks performance within the search engine, offering detailed user data such as impressions and clicks. You can then use this data to refine your targeting and optimize your ad spend.
Additionally, Google Analytics provides insight into the behavior of your audience, which can give you an indication of whether or not they’re likely to convert.
Custom Audience
Finally, don’t forget to use custom audiences to ensure that your SaaS ads are reaching the right people. You can create a Google or Facebook custom audience based on demographics, location, interests, and more. This ensures that you’re targeting individuals who are more likely to be interested in your software.
By utilizing the power of Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics, you can optimize your SaaS ads and maximize your marketing ROI. Armed with this data, you’ll be able to create more effective ads and increase your customer base.
Creating a Comprehensive Paid SaaS Advertising Campaign
Creating a comprehensive paid SaaS advertising campaign can be a daunting prospect, but it is necessary for any business looking to increase its digital presence and boost brand awareness. By focusing on the right strategy and target audience, your SaaS ad campaigns can be highly effective in driving leads and converting potential customers.
- To get started, you’ll need to develop an overarching marketing plan that outlines the goals of your ad campaigns, such as increasing ROI or boosting customer loyalty
- Create a detailed budget breaking down how much you plan to spend over a certain period of time. When creating the budget, it is important to consider factors such as the scope of your campaign, ad platform costs, and any other related expenses
- Once you have a budget and timeline in place, you can begin researching different paid advertising channels to determine which one is the best fit for your SaaS business. Popular channels include Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads, each of which has its own unique benefits
- When creating your ads, it’s essential to craft effective copy that speaks directly to your target audience and leverages unique creative assets such as videos or images to grab their attention. Additionally, you should also include a CTA (call-to-action), as this will increase the likelihood of leads engaging with your ads
- To ensure success, monitor your campaigns regularly to track impressions, clicks, conversions, and other KPIs. This will provide valuable insights into the performance of your ads and help you refine your campaigns for even better results
Overall, creating a comprehensive paid SaaS advertising campaign is a great way for businesses to increase brand awareness and attract potential customers. By utilizing effective strategies and monitoring ad performance, you can ensure that your campaigns are successful and reach your business goals.
Utilizing Social Media Platforms to Reach Your Target Audience
Using social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, you can reach your target audience quickly and effectively. By creating engaging and personalized content on these platforms, you can establish a strong relationship with your potential customers and increase your brand awareness.
Learn Basic Features and Functionalities
Before you start using social media, it is important to know the basic features of each platform and determine which ones are the most suitable for your app. For example, if you are a SaaS company, then you may want to focus on LinkedIn, as this is where many professionals connect and share information. While Instagram may be more suitable for targeting a younger generation.
Create Perfect Copies
Once you’ve decided which platforms you want to use, you should create content tailored to each social media platform. This includes choosing the right visuals and creating captivating copy that will stand out from competitors. If possible, you should also make use of interactive features such as polls, quizzes, and stories, as these will grab the attention of your target audience.
Improve Reach via Ads
Besides creating content, you can also use paid advertising to further boost your reach and engagement. Platforms such as Facebook, Google, and Instagram can target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. You can also set up customized ad campaigns for each platform so that you have full control over your budget and ads.
Monitor and Tweak Strategy
Lastly, to ensure you are getting the most out of your social media presence, you should regularly monitor and measure your performance. This way, you can track your progress over time and make any necessary changes to ensure effective results.
By leveraging the potential of social media, you can reach your target audience and improve your SaaS product’s performance. Through careful planning, customizing content, and running targeted ad campaigns, you can get the most out of your social media efforts.
Measuring Ad Performance Through Keyword Research and A/B Testing
The success of any online advertising campaign is dependent on its ability to reach the right audience and measure its performance. To do this, you need to be able to track the performance of your ad by utilizing keyword research and A/B testing. With these strategies, you can measure your ads’ effectiveness, target the right audience, and optimize your advertising for maximum impact.
Keyword Research
The process involves analyzing what phrases people are using when searching for software like yours. Identify keywords used by your potential customers and use them in your ads. By doing this, you’ll make sure your ads are seen by the people who search for them.
A/B Testing
A/B testing is a method used to test different versions of your ads to see which one performs better. For example, you can test various headlines or creatives to see which ones give you the best results. By running multiple versions of your ads, you can determine which version resonates best with your audience so you can use it for your future campaigns.
Measuring ad performance with these strategies will help you optimize your advertising budget and maximize ROI. By continuously testing and refining your advertising strategy, you can guarantee your ads are reaching the right people and producing the best results.
Mastering Amazon Web Services for a Seamless SaaS Experience
Amazon Web Services is an industry-leading cloud computing platform that can make your SaaS product more efficient, reliable, and secure. The AWS platform provides solutions to common problems that are associated with cloud-based services, allowing businesses to reduce their costs and improve their performance. Utilizing AWS can ensure that your SaaS product is running at its best and that it is providing a great user experience.
When using AWS, there are several steps that you should take to ensure that it is working as efficiently as possible:
- First and foremost, you should familiarize yourself with the various features that it offers, such as storage, databases, and application hosting
- Once you have determined what services you need, it’s time to set up and configure each service
- Monitor performance regularly to ensure that they’re running at peak efficiency. You should also pay attention to load times and other performance metrics to ensure that your SaaS product is running as smoothly as possible
- AWS offers a range of tools and services that can protect your data and enhance your product’s overall security. From setting up virtual private networks to deploying identity and access management solutions, you should take advantage of all of the available security features
- The platform allows you to quickly scale up or down to meet the needs of your users. This ensures that you can offer the best possible user experience regardless of the size or demands of your customer base
- AWS can help you save money by allowing you to only pay for the resources you actually need.
By mastering and utilizing all of the services that are available through AWS, you can make sure that your SaaS product is running at peak efficiency. Not only can this help you provide a better user experience, but it can also save money in the long run. By taking the time to learn about AWS and set up the necessary services and configurations, you can make sure that your SaaS product runs as smoothly as possible.
Developing a Unique Content Strategy to Increase Ad Engagement
Creating a unique content strategy for your SaaS product is essential for increasing ad engagement and driving more customers to your website. Good content should be designed to capture and retain the attention of prospects while also driving conversions. To achieve this, it’s important to create content that stands out from the competition and speaks directly to your target audience.
Create Engaging and Relevant Content
When developing content for your SaaS product ads, there are three key elements you should focus on to ensure success: clarity, creativity, and relevance. All content should be clear and easy to understand, as overly complex content can be off-putting to potential customers.
Differentiate Yourself from the Crowd
Make sure your content stands out by using creative techniques like videos, audio, and visuals to engage your audience and get your message across in an interesting way.
Share Message on Different Platforms
In addition to creating high-quality content, you should consider using different platforms to reach new audiences. Social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great places to start, as they offer a wide variety of ad formats and targeting options to help you reach the right people.
Ultimately, developing a unique content strategy is key to increasing ad engagement and driving more customers to your website. By focusing on clarity, creativity, and relevance, you can create content that speaks to your target audience and drives conversions.
Expanding Your SaaS Product Reach Through Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are short, engaging videos that help explain to potential customers the functionality of software. They provide potential customers with a comprehensive understanding of your SaaS product, allowing them to make an informed decision more quickly. With more people watching videos than ever before, explanatory videos are one of the most effective ways to increase the reach of your software and educate potential customers.
Creating an effective explainer video requires careful research and strategizing:
- First, it’s important to clearly determine the goals and objectives you want to achieve with your video. Do you want to focus on the features of your product or the benefits it offers?
- Once you’ve established your objectives, you can create a script and storyboard for the video. It’s important to keep the video concise and to the point, as most people won’t watch a video that’s longer than 2 minutes
- Share your video on social media, embed it on your website, and include it in email marketing campaigns where appropriate. You can also use YouTube Ads to give your video greater reach and visibility
- You may want to incentivize viewers to watch the full video by offering a discount code or other exclusive offer at the end of the video
Explainer videos are great for reaching potential customers and giving an accurate demonstration of your SaaS product. With well-crafted videos, you can dramatically expand the reach of your SaaS product and give your customers a better understanding of its features and benefits.
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