One of the most common questions I get from early-stage MSPs sounds like this:
“Nate, digital marketing feels expensive, slow, and confusing. What else can I do right now?”
And honestly, it’s a fair question.
SEO takes time.
Ads take budget.
Content takes consistency.
When you’re just getting momentum, you don’t always have the luxury of waiting six months for marketing to click.
That’s why one of my favorite, most underrated tactics for MSPs (especially early on), is getting active in your local business community, specifically by setting up a booth at local business fairs.
Why local events work so well for MSPs
I’m not talking about big national conferences.
Events like IT Nation are great – but if you’re a vendor, you’re often spending mid–five figures just to show up. That’s not realistic for most MSPs, especially early on.
Local events are different.
Think:
- Small business expos in your city
- Chamber of Commerce events
- Local association events (Accounting Associations, Legal Administrators Associations, Tax Preparers, etc.)
- Local golf tournaments or business mixers
These events are usually cheap (sometimes a few hundred dollars), and they put you directly in front of the exact businesses you want to work with.
I’ve seen MSPs get booth space or sponsorships for $500–$1,000 and walk away with real conversations, real leads, and real follow-ups.
That’s a very different ROI conversation than national events.
“But I don’t want to sound desperate or annoying…”
This is the part where most MSPs get stuck.
They think:
- “I don’t want to be salesy.”
- “I don’t want to bug people.”
- “I don’t want to look like the nerdy IT guy begging for business.”
That instinct is right.
The goal isn’t to pitch. The goal is to start conversations.
And the easiest way to do that is with a lead magnet designed for live events, not the same PDF you’d use online.
Yes, you need a lead magnet at a live event
But it has to be:
- Simple
- Visual
- Interactive
- And actually interesting
One of the best examples I’ve seen is something called the Cyber Score from Iceberg Cyber.
Mike Bakaic, the founder of Iceberg, has traveled to 50+ local events with MSPs over the past year, helping them generate leads using this exact approach.
And it works because it feels natural.
Here’s how it plays out in real life.
Someone walks by your booth.
You say: “Hey, quick question … would you like to see your Cyber Score?”
They almost always respond with: “What’s that?”
And now you’re having a conversation instead of delivering a pitch.
Why the Cyber Score works so well
The Cyber Score is a quick scan that shows a business how they’re doing from a cybersecurity standpoint.
All you need is their email domain. You plug it in, and it pulls things like:
- Breach exposure
- Risk indicators
- Other security-related signals tied to that domain
You’re not diagnosing their network.
You’re not scaring them.
You are giving them something tangible to react to.
That reaction is what matters.
What you’re really doing at these events
You’re not trying to close deals at a folding table.
You’re trying to:
- Be visible
- Be helpful
- Be remembered
A good local event doesn’t usually produce instant clients.
It produces follow-up conversations.
And those conversations are warmer than almost anything digital when you’re early-stage, because:
- They met you
- They talked to you
- They remember the interaction
That’s incredibly hard to replicate online.
Why this matters more than ever
Digital marketing is powerful.
But it’s not always the fastest lever.
Local business fairs give MSPs a way to:
- Take personal action
- Control their effort level
- Get in front of real decision-makers
- Build momentum without massive spend
If you’re an early-stage MSP asking “what else can I do?” … this is one of the best answers I know.
Final thought
You don’t need to choose between digital marketing or local outreach.
But when digital feels slow or overwhelming, local events are a smart way to get traction, confidence, and conversations, fast.
If you want more practical, no-fluff ideas like this, follow me on Instagram @natehelpsmsps.
And if you want to explore things like live-event lead magnets or tools like Cyber Score, shoot me an email at nate@techpromarketing.com and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Sometimes the best growth move isn’t another ad.
It’s showing up where your customers already are.
Photo: Matej Kastelic / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.