The cyber security business has grown rapidly in recent years, and shows no indications of slowing down. According to a Cybersecurity Ventures report, global expenditure on cybersecurity goods and services would exceed $1 trillion by 2021. The average yearly cost of cyberattacks globally is $9.5 million, according to the Ponemon Institute.
While there is an obvious demand for efficient cyber security goods and services, the market is flooded with options, making it tough to stand out. If you want more demo sign-ups and sales, you need to stand out from the pack.
We understand how difficult it can be to stand out in a crowd and convey the value of your brand after working with cyber security clients. We’ve discovered a variety of strategies that perform well for cyber security businesses and eventually create demo trials and boost sales over the last several years.
We’ll go over why cyber security marketing may be so difficult, as well as what marketing strategies cyber security companies can utilize to increase their reach and conversions.
Why Cyber Security Marketing Can Be Difficult
Before we go into how to create effective cyber security marketing, let’s take a look at the obstacles that frequently come in the way of marketers in this sector. Here are just a handful of the stumbling obstacles you may encounter while attempting to persuade your target audience to sign up for a demo:
There is already a lot of competitors in the industry.
In response to the increased demand, new cyber security firms are springing up all the time. This may make it difficult to stand out in a crowd, making it critical for you to convey what makes your brand unique.
While it is essential to distinguish yourself from your rivals, you also want to be trustworthy. Outlandish or inflated promises may attract a crowd, but in the end, trustworthy businesses that convey their true value will be the most successful in the long run. Unfortunately, striking a balance between sticking out and staying believable may be challenging.
Potential consumers need extensive education.
There are many cyber dangers out there, and these threats may alter on a daily basis. As a consequence, your prospective clients need extensive education to comprehend the risks they face and the remedies they may require.
This is particularly true given that CEOs and other C-level executives are less knowledgeable about information security, which may influence a company’s choice to incorporate cyber security as part of its overall preparation strategy. According to EY’s 19th Global Information Security Survey 2016-2017, almost one-third of information security managers and IT executives polled stated a lack of executive knowledge and support was a major barrier in creating an effective cybersecurity strategy for preparation.
Many companies just do not place a high priority on cyber security.
Despite the fact that there is plenty of evidence pointing to the importance of cyber security in safeguarding important data, the reality is that many companies simply do not prioritize cyber security until it is too late. According to the same Global Information Security Survey stated above, just one in every five respondents, or 22%, claimed they completely integrate information security into their strategy and planning.
Given the recent rise in the frequency of cyber security assaults and the average cost of these breaches, this is a shockingly low proportion. Finally, this research indicates that cyber security marketers should find methods to instill a feeling of urgency in prospective consumers and highlight the necessity of acting ahead of time.
Which Cyber Security Marketing Strategies Should Be Utilized?
That brings us to the major issue of how cyber security firms can overcome these obstacles and connect with people who need their services. We’ve compiled a list of some of the finest cyber security marketing strategies to assist you boost demo sign-ups and increase total sales by encouraging education and awareness:
- Content Marketing
Content marketing may assist you in establishing credibility while tackling the main issue of educating your prospects. In order for your material to be successful, your business must offer real-world examples that illustrate the significance of cyber security as well as the efficacy of your solutions.
Not only will your material need to be thorough and data-driven, but it should also be distinctive. Create instructional material that clearly shows how your solution addresses a real-world cyber security threat, backed up by case studies, independent industry evaluations, and so on. Rather of repeating information that already exists, consider utilizing fresh examples or providing a distinct perspective on the kinds of cyber risks that are relevant to your particular goods and solutions.
When it comes to content marketing, there are many kinds of material that you can use to reach and engage your target audience. Here are some examples of material that may help you contact consumers at various stages of the buyer’s journey:
Blogs
Blogs are excellent in attracting prospects at all stages of the buyer’s journey. Create some evergreen blog material that is widely applicable. Topics such as “What is a Phishing Attack?” or “What is a Mirai-Style DDoS Attack?” are ideal for clients who are just beginning their study and need to understand the fundamentals. Topics like “How to Identify Phishing Emails?” or “DDoS Mitigation Best Practices” would be good for additional middle-of-the-funnel leads. Finally, for those prospects who are ready to purchase, consider a subject such as “X Reasons to Choose XYZ Security for Your Anti-Malware Software.”
This is an example of an excellent TOFU blog article.
You should also concentrate on creating news-related blog material in order to acquire new leads while also establishing trust. A subject like “5 Takeaways from Yesterday’s AWS Attack” enables you to capitalize on event-related search engine traffic while simultaneously educating your audience. This kind of material will help you establish credibility and position yourself as a trusted authority in your field.
Downloadable Material
Offering downloadable material, like as e-books and whitepapers, is another great method to turn site visitors into leads that you can nurture later. Not every topic lends itself to long-form content, and the reality is that you won’t have the time or resources to produce long-form material on every subject. Examine the statistics for your existing content to identify the most popular or often searched for themes and keywords. When brainstorming ideas for downloadable material, these are often the greatest places to start.
Downloadable content, like as this e-book, is an excellent method to generate TOFU leads.
The landing page is another element of downloaded material to consider. E-books and other long-form assets are excellent candidates for gated content. This will need the creation of a customized landing page that introduces the subject of the asset and offers enough information for the visitor to evaluate its relevance without giving away the good stuff.
With cyber security, landing pages need to quickly and clearly communicate the value of the offer.
Case Studies
Case studies, according to the Content Marketing Institute, are one of the most essential strategies for B2B businesses. These are great for engaging bottom-of-the-funnel leads who already know what their issue is and what solutions will be most effective
Case studies like this one are particularly useful for gaining the approval of CEOs and other decision-makers.
While composing case studies, make sure that you include plenty of data to show how your cyber security solutions have impacted your client’s bottom line. Providing results like “X number of attacks blocked” or “$X in projected revenue saved” will hit home the need for your solution. Quotes from the client are also helpful as they make the case study more believable and compelling. In addition to a written case study, you might also consider turning your case study into a video for further visual impact.
Video
Explanation videos are another excellent method to explain what your cyber security service performs and why it may be beneficial to your prospects. This may be a particularly effective strategy when attempting to reach out to CEOs and other C-level executives who need further education. According to HubSpot’s inbound marketing specialists, 75% of executives view work-related videos on company websites at least once a week, and 59% would prefer watch a video than read text. According to these data, CEOs are willing to learn more from video material and may even prefer it over textual stuff.
There are many methods for your business to utilize video to engage and educate its audience. You might utilize video material to deconstruct data on cyberattacks, recovery costs, and the worth of cyber security solutions. By using real-world instances of these problems in your video material, you can help make the numbers more relevant and instill a greater feeling of urgency.
You can also use this graphic style to better explain how your solution works and to highlight the value that your business can provide to its target audience. Cyber security solutions, like any other product from a technology firm, may be difficult to comprehend for people outside of the IT industry. Video material, on the other hand, enables you to more easily break down complicated concepts for a larger reading audience. This makes it perfect for cyber security businesses that need to explain the value of their services, particularly to C-level executives who may need more explanation.
- Email Marketing
Because education and awareness are barriers to selling your solution, it may frequently take a considerable amount of time for a prospective lead to reach the stage where they are ready to request a demo or contact a sales person. Meanwhile, you’ll need a method to nurture these leads and bring them farther down the funnel. Email marketing is a powerful tool for doing this.
With so many emails in their inbox, your prospect may be tempted to delete or unsubscribe if they don’t find your material valuable. Here are some samples of material you may use in your email marketing:
- Downloadable material such as e-books, case studies, and reports that provide readers a more in-depth knowledge of critical cyber security issues.
- Links to your most recent blog articles on current attacks or security issues, as well as those that simplify difficult cyber security subjects for a broader reading audience.
- Video material emphasizing the significance of cyber security while communicating the value of your company’s service.
- A compilation of important articles from respected industry sources that will assist readers in better understanding current issues in cyber security.
- Monthly incentives and sales promotions, such as a free trial, may entice prospects to join up.
Email (together with retargeting advertising) is the most used method for nurturing leads.
Overall, email marketing is an excellent method to keep in touch with prospects who aren’t quite ready to buy. Monitor your campaigns on a regular basis to determine which kinds of content, subject lines, text, and pictures are most successful in terms of open and click-through rates. Also, keep track of how many emails you send to prospects. If you bombard your prospect’s inbox with emails about different cyber dangers, they will grow numb to them and lose interest.
- Webinars
Webinars is an incredible strategy for cyber security marketers to reach bottom-of-the-funnel prospects. Attendees of webinars are already interested in learning more about your solution and the risks it protects against, and they have usually done some research. This implies they are more likely to be interested in the subjects you are discussing.
An interactive component is a critical component of the webinar. Webinars usually feature a question and answer session at the conclusion of the presentation, allowing participants to ask more questions regarding the subject and your services. This is an excellent chance to promote more useful information or to increase demo sign-ups. Even if you opt to pre-record your webinar, you may still take questions from viewers and answer in a follow-up.
Webinars may be expensive to create at times. However, like with other aspects of your marketing strategy, there is the possibility of repurposing your webinar to get more out of this material. If the webinar is given live, create a recording of the material and make it accessible later to those who were unable to attend. If the webinar has a positive reaction, you may want to explore expanding on the subjects covered and developing other kinds of content, such as blog articles, around them. The questions that consumers ask during the webinar are also a fantastic place to start when creating fresh material that addresses your target audience’s most pressing issues.
Paid media are effective for promoting a webinar and increasing participation. We’ve had excellent success with both LinkedIn and Google retargeting advertising.
Here is a nice example of an ad promoting a webinar.
- Paid Advertising Campaigns
Paid ads are excellent for achieving two goals: increasing the reach of your content marketing efforts and driving prospects to your demo request landing page.
Let’s start with content marketing amplification. Many marketers believe that sponsored ads and inbound marketing do not mix, but the reality is that when these two techniques are combined, you get a strong campaign. Assume you just released a research with some convincing facts regarding a certain cyber danger. Time is of the importance with this kind of product — the older the data, the less likely prospects will find it helpful. By marketing your content via paid channels, you may see results faster, enabling you to get the most out of the material you’ve produced.
LinkedIn is an excellent compensated cyber security channel.
Getting prospects to request a demo is one of the most important objectives of any cyber security marketer. While bringing prospects to this stage takes some effort and a lot of nurturing, sponsored advertising may assist speed up the process for those who are ready to buy. To attract more prospects to your demo request landing page, you may utilize paid marketing efforts. These advertisements may assist guarantee that your brand is seen to people who are ready to purchase while also making your demo accessible to these prospects.
Due to the competitive nature of sponsored advertising in the cyber security sector, some cyber security firms may avoid utilizing paid campaigns. That’s reasonable – if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s simple to spend thousands of dollars on cyber security advertisements and get nothing in return. For paid campaigns, you’ll need either a dedicated in-house individual (or team) with expertise in this field or a cyber security paid marketing firm.
Other Cyber Security Marketing Suggestions
In addition to using the strategies outlined above, it’s critical to keep a few things in mind regarding your target audience. Though it is tempting to just target CTOs, they are not the only ones who are interested in your ideas. High-ranking IT experts will almost certainly have a say in whatever cyber security solution a business chooses. However, given the importance of data security, the CEO is often the ultimate decision-maker, and other C-level executives may also be engaged in the decision-making process.
Some aspects stay the same whether you are marketing to the CEO or the CTO – it is critical that you be honest about your solution’s capabilities and use a data-driven approach to communicating. To remain on track, use these suggestions:
- Don’t overstate the outcomes of your solution.
Don’t claim that your cyber security solution prevents all assaults if it only prevents 99 percent of them. Being open and honest about your success rate and the capabilities of your solution is the greatest approach to foster long-term connections and increase favorable client recommendations over time.
- Incorporate statistics into your message.
Companies seeking for a cyber security solution must have the facts. Incorporate statistics into your marketing messaging to generate a feeling of urgency and to assist prospective consumers comprehend the value of your product. In the end, regardless of how good your messaging is, the numbers will speak for themselves.
- Create a user-friendly collection of premium material.
Potential consumers must be able to read your material in order to become more knowledgeable about cyber security and make a more educated buying choice. Create an online library of quality materials to make your content more accessible and navigable.
If you aren’t getting the results you want from your cyber security marketing efforts, collaborating with a cyber security agency may be the key to increasing traffic and generating more leads. Want to know how Incapsula, a cyber security firm, increased organic traffic by 107 percent in only five months after working with Seven Atoms? Check out our case study to see how we assisted them in transforming their lead generating process.