When it comes to your marketing metrics, it’s easy to get distracted. Impression rates, website traffic, click-throughs, email opens—you watch the numbers climb and wonder: Is this working? But there’s only one number that tells the full story: Return on investment (ROI).
ROI simply measures what you’re getting back compared to what you’re putting in. It’s the clearest way to know if your marketing is really building something, or just making noise. After working with 227+ MSPs over the years, I’ve seen the same story play out time and again. The ones who grow steadily, the ones who build businesses that thrive, are the ones who understand one thing:
Marketing isn’t about chasing the next lead. It’s about building something valuable that lasts.
I’ll be honest, when I first started working with MSPs, I didn’t fully appreciate just how powerful that model was. I was focused on immediate results. Fast wins. It took a few hard lessons (and a few very smart clients) to realize: This game isn’t about today. It’s about stacking wins that pay off for years to come.
Let’s walk through how that works.
Why marketing ROI can feel slow (but actually isn’t)
When you’re deep in the day-to-day, it’s natural to want quick results. You spend. You want to see something happen, but MSPs aren’t like most businesses: You’re not selling one-off projects or quick fixes. You’re building something different, something more powerful: Monthly recurring revenue (MRR.) MRR is the engine that makes everything else possible. It turns today’s work into tomorrow’s income and next year’s stability. When you start thinking in terms of MRR, marketing stops feeling like an expense you have to justify every month.
It starts feeling like what it truly is: an investment that compounds over time. One client added today doesn’t just mean this month’s invoice. It could mean five years of partnership, support, and steady revenue. It could mean the foundation for everything else you want to build.
But only if you see it that way.
A simple example: How ROI really works for MSPs
Let’s make it real.
Say you invest $4,000 a month into marketing, everything included. Over the course of a year, that effort brings in five new managed services clients, collectively adding $4,000 a month in new MRR. At first glance? It might feel like you just broke even. You spent $48,000 over the year… and are making an extra $4,000 monthly. Factor in your delivery costs, and it’s easy to wonder if it was even worth it.
Now zoom out. If your average client stays with you for five years (and if you’re like most of the MSPs we work with, they do), then that $4,000 monthly MRR turns into $240,000 over the life of those clients. You invested $48,000 to create $240,000 in revenue.
That’s a 5:1 return. If someone offered you $5 back for every $1 you invested… would you take it? The real magic isn’t in the first invoice. It’s in the years of trust, service, and value you’ve built.
Growth requires a different lens
If you’re serious about scaling your MSP, you can’t afford to look at marketing like a monthly transaction. You must see it like planting an orchard, not hunting for your next meal. The MSPs who win big are the ones who think in seasons, not days. They invest today to strengthen, steadily, and secure their future. Because here’s the thing, one client isn’t just one client:
A great client becomes part of your story. They introduce you to other businesses, leave reviews, refer friends, and open doors that would’ve stayed closed.
Momentum builds.
And it’s not just about the numbers — it’s about the energy it creates for your whole team. Winning new clients feels good. It reminds you why you started. It gives your team confidence, motivation, and pride in the work they’re doing. One deal today can ripple outward for years, bringing more clients, more trust, and a stronger, more vibrant business. However, it only happens if you’re willing to plant the seeds now.
Your next move
If marketing has felt confusing, frustrating, or just flat, it might not be because you’re doing too little. It might be because you’re measuring the wrong things. If you’re ready to shift your thinking about ROI and set up your MSP for lasting growth, maybe we can help.
Book a strategy call with my team at Tech Pro Marketing.
We’ll take a hard, honest look at where you are, where you want to go, and how you can get there faster, without losing sight of the big picture.
Photo: Astockstodio / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.