“I have lived in Seattle for decades and had never even heard of a bomb cyclone. But now that one hit Seattle, I’m terrified by them.”
That’s what Eric Stefanik, CEO of Elliptic Systems Corporation in Everett, WA (just North of Seattle), had to say about the recent disaster that hit the Pacific Northwest earlier this week.
The powerful “bomb cyclone” caused significant damage and widespread power outages. This storm, characterized by rapid intensification, brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to the region. In Washington state, wind gusts reached up to 75 mph, leading to the deaths of at least two individuals and leaving over 700,000 residents and businesses without power for days.
When nature attacks in the form of hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, floods, bomb cyclones and more, it’s devastating. But it highlights the vulnerability of technology to severe weather and underscores the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of such natural disasters.
Which translates to it being a timely opportunity for MSPs to leverage the impact of natural disasters in your marketing strategy.
Disaster Marketing for MSPs: Turning Natural Crises Into Business Opportunities
Eugene Hastey, CEO of CG Tech Services, Inc. based in Seattle, found that the bomb cyclone was the push one of his clients needed to FINALLY take action on advice he had been recommending for some time. “Small business can get complacent and think that ‘it won’t happen to me.’ So when this unprecedented bomb cyclone hit, it was a rude awakening to them to start taking disaster preparedness seriously.”
“Overall, most of my clients were prepared,” Hastey went onto say. “But I worry about those whose IT company didn’t put the right technology into place and the ramifications they’re facing that they never should have had to face if they had the right tech.”
Stefanik was actually flying on a plane into the city when it hit. “When we finally landed and I started driving around, the damage was horrendous. We have never seen anything like this here. But this is when we strike. This is when MSPs are needed most. This is when I drop everything and amp up the marketing to try help as many businesses as possible.”
In the wake of a disaster, it can feel like there is no time for marketing, but like Stefanik said, now is when businesses need to be able to easily find an MSP to help them, and why not you?
Lessons for MSPs: Using AI to Improve Disaster Preparedness and Drive Leads
Since time is of the essence, and there is very little of it in these situations, we employed the help of AI to give you some ideas of marketing that you can do to show businesses you are there to help them. You can highlight the importance of robust solutions, while positioning yourself as trusted advisors. Here’s how to effectively craft your messaging to upsell existing clients and attract new leads:
1. Create Urgency with Real-Life Scenarios
- Messaging Angle: “What would your business do if the lights went out for a week?”
- Sales Opportunity: Highlight solutions like disaster recovery, backup systems, and business continuity plans.
- Example Campaign:
- Email Subject Line: “Would Your Business Survive the Next Bomb Cyclone?”
- CTA: “Learn how our cloud-based solutions keep you running—even during a blackout.”
2. Offer Post-Crisis Assessments
- Upsell Opportunity: Provide free IT assessments to evaluate vulnerabilities exposed during the storm.
- Lead Generation Tactic: “Schedule your FREE post-storm IT health check to ensure you’re ready for the next disaster.”
- Focus Areas:
- Backup and disaster recovery systems.
- Cybersecurity risks from power surges or downtime.
- Network redundancies.
3. Emphasize Data Protection and Continuity
- Marketing Hook: “Natural disasters are unpredictable—data loss shouldn’t be.”
- Sales Opportunity: Sell cloud backup, secure remote work solutions, and 24/7 monitoring.
- Example Campaign:
- Webinar Title: “Survive Any Storm: Protect Your Business from Data Loss and Downtime”
- CTA: “Register now and get a free disaster recovery template.”
4. Position as a Preparedness Partner
- Messaging Angle: “The businesses that thrive after disasters are the ones that plan for them.”
- Sales Opportunity: Business continuity consulting or bundled packages for existing clients.
- Lead Magnet Idea:
- Downloadable Guide: “The SMB Guide to Disaster-Proof IT Systems”
- CTA: “Get your free guide and learn how to protect your business from the unexpected.”
5. Highlight Competitor Failures
- Marketing Hook: “Were your IT systems offline during the storm? Let’s make sure that never happens again.”
- Sales Opportunity: Offer seamless migration to your services and solutions.
- Tactic: Use targeted ads or email campaigns aimed at competitors’ clients who experienced outages or downtime.
6. Leverage Social Proof
- Messaging Angle: Share case studies or testimonials from clients who avoided downtime because of your solutions.
- Sales Opportunity: Offer service upgrades, highlighting the success stories as evidence.
- Example Campaign:
- Social Media Post: “While others went dark, [Client Name] stayed fully operational during the recent storm thanks to [Your Company’s] IT solutions.”
7. Partner with Related Businesses
- Joint Campaigns: Collaborate with insurance companies or emergency services to provide bundled offers, like disaster recovery plans plus insurance discounts.
- Sales Opportunity: Increase your perceived value by being part of a larger preparedness ecosystem.
8. Run a Limited-Time Promotion
- Messaging Angle: “Don’t wait until the next storm to protect your business.”
- Sales Opportunity: Offer discounts on advanced IT services for a limited time.
- Example Campaign:
- Promotion: “Sign up for our disaster recovery service by [Date] and get the first 3 months free.”
9. Host an Educational Campaign
- Messaging Angle: “What bomb cyclones teach us about IT resilience.”
- Sales Opportunity: Introduce advanced solutions like cloud hosting, managed services, or cybersecurity protections.
- Event Ideas:
- Virtual Q&A sessions with IT experts.
- In-person seminars for local businesses on disaster preparedness.
10. Use Fear to Drive Action—Responsibly
- Messaging Angle: “Businesses without a disaster recovery plan face an 80% chance of failure after a major event.”
- Sales Opportunity: Emphasize the long-term cost savings and peace of mind your services bring.
- Example Campaign:
- Email Subject Line: “80% of businesses fail after disasters. Don’t let yours be next.”
- CTA: “Schedule a 15-minute call to start building your IT disaster recovery plan.”
Ready to take it a step further and implement any of these ideas QUICKLY and EASILY? Just ask ChatGPT for help drafting specific email sequences, ad copy, or a campaign plan based on one of these approaches.
As for Eric Stefanik, he’s hitting the pavement and walking business to business with his flyers and cards, handing them out to any business that needs help. It doesn’t have to be fancy to find businesses that need your help after disasters.
This is just one easy, hack that you can use AI to help you to do targeted marketing FAST. Want more ways to use AI in your marketing? Attend our free AI workshop: How To Use AI In Your MSP To Get More Leads And Profits While Eliminating Up To 70% Of Mundane Tickets And Tasks!
