In this article 5 sections
From MSP burnout to 25+ leads a month
Darren Strong and Mit Patel interview Jonathan Edwards, the Bearded 365 Guy, on how YouTube turned a struggling MSP into one that gets 25+ leads a month. 15 years in, on the tools, burnt out and thinking about getting out, Jonathan committed to one rule and it changed the business.
The two-year rule
The rule was simple: publish one video every week for two years. For the first 18 months it felt like nothing, a few subscribers and comments. Then leads started arriving, and not local ones. London, the US, France, Germany, Australia, because YouTube and Microsoft 365 are global. Four years in, Jonathan says the MSP reliably gets at least 25 leads a month, and around 95% of its leads now come from the channel.
The alternative is scattergun: 3 months of LinkedIn, then cold calling, then paid ads, then an agency. Jonathan’s marketing plan fits on a business card. One video a week. Sticking to it is what made the channel grow.
Write for the client
The other shift was who the content is for. Videos on EDR versus MDR went nowhere. Videos on getting value from Microsoft 365 took off. Jonathan runs every script through the ‘Richard test’, an ideal client who invests in IT but switches off the moment it gets technical. Make it understandable to Richard and it lands. Personal brand matters too: people trust a person more than a logo, and they arrive already warm because they feel they know you.
Why this matters for every MSP
Businesses choose MSPs they trust. Self-awareness about what you are and are not good at is what lets a business grow.
Marketing builds the trust that gets you in the room. Proof is what wins the deal once you are there. Most MSPs say the same things about security, so the ones that can evidence how they run it have an advantage. Assurix gives MSPs the Assurix Trustmark: 59 controls, 40 security controls aligned to NCSC CAF 4.0 and 19 operational controls, independently assessed by an Assurix assessor. Live-measured controls are checked every six hours and the rest on a set cycle. A prospect can open the MSP’s Trust Portal to see what is checked, and its current status shows on the Trustmark Directory.
Jonathan says he was not a strong leader or process person, which is why staff came and went early on. The business changed when he brought in an MD to run operations and focused on the one thing he was best at.
Common questions
What is the two-year rule for MSP video?
Publish one video every week for two years. The first 18 months feel like nothing, then leads start arriving consistently. Consistency on one channel beats jumping between tactics.
What do MSPs get wrong about content?
They make it for technicians. Content that wins clients speaks to them in plain language about the value they get. Personal brand also builds trust faster than a company logo.
How does this connect to winning MSP deals?
Marketing builds the trust that gets you in the room. Proof is what wins the deal once you are there, because most MSPs say the same things about security.
What is the Assurix Trustmark?
The live trustmark for MSPs. Assurix independently assesses 59 controls: 40 security controls aligned to NCSC CAF 4.0 and 19 operational controls built for MSPs. Live-measured controls are checked every six hours and the rest on a set cycle. An Assurix assessor signs off. A failure left unfixed for 30 days suspends the Trustmark publicly.
