Building a brand that drives business for your MSP is about creating an identity that makes you stand out. That’s your unique selling proposition, or USP. It’s the reason prospects will decide to choose you over the competition (see How to Command Above-Average Fees without Suppressing New Client Acquisition).
Do you want to be known for fast response? White-glove handholding? Cybersecurity expertise? The fun geeks?
Then you must embrace that identity, reinforce it, and use it to develop authentic connections with prospects and customers. Because in a crowded market where everyone offers “comprehensive IT solutions,” branding is so much more than logos and color schemes.
Here’s what successful MSP leaders have learned about building brands that promote growth.
Start With Your Own Story
The most powerful MSP brands aren’t built around services or technologies. They’re built around personal stories.
Julio Lopez, founder and CEO of IT for Education, an MSP based in Hialeah, Florida, says his company’s focus came from a deeply personal place. Growing up, he saw education as his only ticket to a more financially secure and stable life. That realization shaped everything.
“I really want to be able to, in our own little way … empower educators who then empower students to have education as their way out,” Lopez says. As a result, IT for Education’s brand is characterized by a distinctive focus on serving educators and students, whether or not they become customers.
Lopez’s approach reflects what Rory Vaden, co-founder of Brand Builders Group and New York Times bestselling author, says is one of the most compelling sources for branding guidance: “You’re most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”
Vaden points out most entrepreneurs don’t choose their business by accident. “There’s usually a connection to their personal story, right? They’re interested in it. They’re passionate about it.” With a real personal story at the center of your brand, “you don’t differentiate based on what you do,” Vaden says. “You don’t differentiate based on how you do it. You differentiate based on who you are.”
Brand Consistency at Every Point
Every aspect of your business should reflect and reinforce your brand.
Let’s start with names. MSP names run the spectrum from too generic to remember to so weird it’s impossible to know what they do. Or sometimes they’re just misleading. Adam Spencer, CEO of 911 IT, learned this the hard way. Originally called 911 Computer Repair, the name gave the impression that computer repair was their only available service. But a rebrand to 911 IT had an immediate impact on clarifying the business offerings.
Even though somebody occasionally dislikes the name because they think it’s meant to impersonate 911 emergency dispatch, Spencer says it works great for conveying the company’s brand as a calm helper when things are going wrong. “You can’t make everybody happy,” he says, so it’s best to prioritize a name that says who you are.
Once the name fits, that’s when those logos and color schemes do help ensure the brand remains consistent at every touchpoint.
“It’s not just your logo and what your building looks like and what your website looks like. But what your techs look like, and your core processes [are how] companies get to know you,” Spencer says. All 911 IT technicians wear a blue shirt with the company logo, so they all look the same on-site.
But he says the real challenge is people. “You can have a really good employee that really cares about people and is really personable. And you can have a person that is very techie—still does a great job—but they don’t know how to interact with people or communicate.”
The solution is vision alignment at every level, starting with the leader. “And then how do I get that vision out at every single level of the company? So my sales manager knows that vision … My people that are underneath him … They see that vision, and if we can get everybody seeing the same vision, they can go deliver the same thing,” Spencer explains.
Personal Branding: No Experience Required
Most MSP owners avoid personal branding because they think it’s too complicated. Vaden sees this constantly. “I think they assume they have to have perfect lighting and perfect camera and perfect editing … like being an influencer or dancing on TikTok.”
Thankfully, none of that is necessary. You might have to get out of your comfort zone as Lopez did, but he found it to be an opportunity for personal growth. Even though most of your personal branding effort happens through social media, the goal isn’t to go viral when building leads for your business. The goal is to build trust, Vaden says.
The better strategy for MSPs is to be useful. And don’t be afraid to overdo it. Vaden suggests making a list of every single question or issue your prospect could have, answering them one at a time.
“[MSPs] can teach everything they know for free, one little bit at a time, almost as if they were trying to teach people how to solve their own problems,” Vaden explains. “But in reality, what happens is people realize they need them more because they go, ‘Oh, man, this person knows what they’re talking about. I would rather just hire you to do this for me.’”
Vaden calls this giving away “the what” while charging for “the how”: Share insights freely, but charge for implementation.
What’s more, becoming the go-to expert for your target customers works for both personal and business branding. What you talk about and who you talk to are what make it a reflection of your brand.
Lopez demonstrates this through education-specific programming. His company hosts professional development events for teachers on topics such as AI and cybersecurity in K-12 education, as well as digital citizenship sessions for students. These aren’t traditional MSP services, but they go a long way toward cementing a brand that differentiates itself as a champion of education.
Go Brand or Go Home
The hard truth about growing an MSP is that it’s hard not to become stuck as a commodity. But the more commoditized an industry is, the more the personal brand matters, Vaden says. The solution isn’t broader appeal—it’s deeper specialization.
“The smaller you are as a company, I would advocate, the more important it is to be hyper-focused,” he says. Here are five actions to get started on the road to a solid brand that helps build revenue and move away from the slush pile.
- Find Your Why – Complete a “start with why” exercise. Dig into the personal story behind your business. That’s your brand foundation.
- Audit Your Name – Does your company name clearly communicate what you do and who you serve? If prospects are confused, consider rebranding.
- Systematize Consistency – Create specific standards for how every team member represents your brand, from how they speak to how they dress. Train everyone on your vision and how their role supports it.
- Teach Your Expertise – Answer every question your prospects have through content. Share knowledge freely to build trust and demonstrate competency.
- Pick Your Niche – Choose one customer type, geography, or service area to dominate. Learn their language and pain points inside and out.
The MSPs winning in today’s market aren’t the ones with the fanciest websites or biggest marketing budgets. They’re the ones with authentic brands that create real connections with their ideal customers.
