Persona-driven Cyber Security Marketing
Cyber Security Marketing
Cyber Security Digital Marketing Strategy Guide + Tactics
Being a boutique Cyber Security marketing agency, our objective is direct – improving security products pipeline to create new revenue opportunities.
Marketing Cyber Security solution and service, in the fast-paced, needs to understand the gulf between doing the right things and doing things right. Reason is simple. The Cyber Security marketing is all set to surpass 1 trillion USD in 2021 and while attending an RSA Security conference, one could easily see the ‘noise’ in the security space.
Security landscape has too many cyber security vendors and the main victim is Cyber Security marketing best practices. So, how you position Cybersecurity marketing campaigns will decide if it gels well with cybersecurity decision makers for security tech buying decisions, during their cybersecurity investments.
Cyber Security Marketing for Opportunity Creation
Cyber-attacks are not going anywhere. Cost of Cyber crime is inching towards $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025
With growing technology adoption and digitization, it goes without saying that a flurry of new information security threats is looming large on computerized systems. There are more applications and data in the cloud which, if not secured, end up becoming victims of cyber-attacks.
With unprotected data and poor cybersecurity practices in place, regulatory compliance and security awareness are must to respond swiftly to incidents.
Add compliance and Cyber Security awareness becomes the first line of cyber security defense.
So, what are companies doing for Cyber Security strategies to keep their business, customers data and critical CIA? The following section talks about growing cyber security industry growth.
Cybersecurity Statistics and Trends for 2021
Spending on cybersecurity worldwide, during 2019 was just over 40 billion USD. Talk of 2021, and considering remote work culture touching new heights, the IT security spend if all set to go beyond 50B USD and we are just halfway through 2021.
Cyber Security demand generation:
From thriving cybercrime economy, security threats, to data security regulations core motive behind implementing cyber security strategies lies in customer education and giving them a reason to believe and invest in your security product or service.
Generating demand for leads in cyber security is the key component in cyber security vendor or service marketing.
Definition of Demand Generation in Cyber Security
Cyber security demand generation function can be defined as any sales and marketing initiatives that create awareness and demand for a security vendor’s products or services interest to cultivate leads.
Being a cross-functional marketing approach, an effective demand generation strategy thrives on boosting conversion rates from leads to opportunities.
From leads to building a predictable pipeline for a cyber security sales team, demand gen embraces the following 3 components:
- Lead generation
- Demand Capture
- Pipeline acceleration
A b2b Demand generation strategy is a gradual, comprehensive, holistic approach towards a mix of programs and channels initiatives to empower ABM lead generation.
Also, a demand gen funnel revolves around building cyber security brand awareness, inbound marketing campaigns, sales enablement and customer retention.
Cyber Security Marketing
From thriving cybercrime economy, security threats, to data security regulations core motive behind implementing cyber security strategies lies in:
- Marketing: Strategy, execution, buyer journey
- Strategy: Channels, analytics, action plan
- Brand: Messaging, positioning, awareness
- Content: Strategy and infosec content creation
Sales:
- Nurturing: sales journey, pipeline building
- Sales enablement: content, tools, messaging
Cyber Security Marketing For Sales Enablement
For a successful cyber security digital marketing outcome, here at Z Cyber Security we focus on marketing, content, and cyber security sales enablement. Mixing content with inbound marketing, our digital marketing services for Cyber Security shortens a long sales cycle.
Cyber Security Persona
The path of closing a Cyber security meeting, and then to a successful purchase, goes through several decision makers/job titles.
Hence, it goes without saying that your security marketing sales and marketing plan should be aligned with security issues infosec leaders concerned with.
Taking a tailored approach for each persona, content is created to deliver both context and content in a conversational form.
Cyber Security Awareness
Why is Cyber Security awareness important for sales reps?
The simple reason of being comfortable with the security sales objections.
At the time when it takes more than 200 or 250 days to fix an application vulnerability in production, it’s a tad different to close a cyber security meeting at the drop of a hat.
Moreover, when you read the Verizon Data Breach report and its findings like:
- How phishing and covid-related email attacks lead cybersecurity attack varieties
- Jump in Social engineering cyber attacks reaching almost 35%
- Variations in most compromised data in data breaches
- Complex system intrusion
- Malware
- Ransomware
- Human errors and misuse
- Financially-motivated Threat actors
The amount of knowledge needed cyber security vendor growth is never ending. This is where you weave your basic cyber security awareness training with a solution’s threat prevention, detection, and mitigation abilities to keep certain kinds of cyberattacks at bay will decide the effectiveness of the Marketing for Cybersecurity story.
Be ready for calls when you would be answering all kinds of ‘if-then-else’ scenarios, which is pretty different from ERP systems.
Both ERP and Cyber security are targeted at reaching out to the IT department and finding key decision-makers. The trinity of cold calling, events, and razor-sharp prospecting are successful only when you are aware of the following:
Every industry’s cyber security requirement is different
– A healthcare company thrives on cyber security regulations (that doesn’t mean they don’t value security data and information). Hence, the security laws and regulations would help segregate marketing strategy and sales enablement to different champions, prospects and marketing materials.
It’s not About Cyber Security Vendors Graph or Statistics
– In short, it’s not about you but them. Your audience. It doesn’t matter which malware kit or type is making the industry go upside down.
Only two things matter – impact and preventing cyber security risks on their data and information.
Data, factsheets, PDFs, graphs etc. could attribute to your marketing and prospects outreach, but how you keep the human element alive and engage by interacting with your content would define the success of your cyber security marketing initiative.
So, rather than employing Cybersecurity scare tactics, summarize the benefits and value of the security product and keep the emotional connect with the audience as it’s them who should relate to the cyber security product.
Top 15 Cyber security awareness topics that help:
- Ransomware
- Phishing attack
- Encryption
- Removable Media
- Incident Response
- Clean Desk
- Multi-Factor Authentication
- business email compromise (BEC)
- Cloud Security
- Social Engineering
- Password Security
- Web Security
- Malware
- Mobile Device Security
- Safe Wi-Fi Security practices
How do you market cyber security?
With the constant arrival of new entrants and increased competition among cyber security vendors solutions, the “cookie-cutter” approach in cyber security marketing won’t help.
It means that it’s important to understand how you leverage all digital channels to build credibility to express a solution’s unique selling proposition.
Right messages at the right time to engage a niche group of engaged decision-makers is the core mantra behind a brand’s/vendor’s marketing campaigns.
And how do you create digital marketing campaigns?
There are many approaches to develop and effectively position your security product or service from blogs, surveys, websites, inbound and outbound marketing activities, events, webinars, content, podcasts, etc.
5 Top Elements to consider before a digital marketing campaign
- Know who are you are selling your cyber security product or service (i.e. your target audience)
- Understand requirements and industry
- Focus on expertise
- Develop a sense of urgency
- Do not sell ‘fear.’
Cyber Security Marketing Campaigns
Cyber Security Awareness programs hallmark a digital business’s aim, compliance requirements, and security landscape culture.
However, EY’s 19th Global Information Security Survey showed how one-third of information security managers and IT leaders were ‘ill-prepared’ in cybersecurity plan for preparedness.
It is evident that driving demo sign-ups and improve overall sales involves significant education.
It is not required to learn every technical term under the sun, but one should know how hackers attack an information system and why potential prospects should book a meeting with your sales reps.
To achieve the success mark GTM slide, knowledge of a company’s cyber-footprint, potential cyber threats, and response to a security incident are key tenets of information security aware mind.
Selling cyber security is a tough nut to track if a sales rep is unaware of what causes data breaches or does not understand the strong culture of the security landscape.
Security Vendor use cases
For example, if you know answers to common cyber security topics of questions like:
- What is RASP?
- What is SASE security or framework?
- What is Incident Response?
- How to secure a web application from cyber-attacks?
- What is vendor risk management
- What are important cyber security regulations (especially in regional sales?) etc.,
you would be seen as a trusted expert in your cyber security sales pitches for a vendor.
It is natural because selling security vendor is a complex variable, and an aware cyber mind should be able to understand the basics of
- Risk management and mitigation
- Incident Response
- Vendor Use cases
- Cyber security regulations
- Basic workplace hygiene etc.
In the real world, where sales reps’ performance is judged on the number of meetings booked with C-suite, CISOs, IT Managers and Directors and other cyber security leadership folks, understanding human behaviour and technology helps.
Importance of effective Messaging in Cyber security Sales Strategy
Talks about cybersecurity threats and how you craft your compelling value proposition depend on your cyber security awareness level. Cyber security awareness activities should match customers’ level of cyber resilience, especially when you know how to adjust your sales pitch when talking to a non-IT executive.
Ask the following questions and the truth that clears confusion, if any:
- What cyber security problem the vendor use case solves?
- How will the target audience be benefited from the solution?
- Why should the ICP choose your security solution when there is no shortage of rivals?
Cyber Security Content Marketing
The role of content in cyber security helps in attracting the target audience.
It adds value.
Creating stellar marketing content answers your prospects questions – from the top of the mind topics to giving options to choose your product and not your rivals.
Successful cyber security content strategy helps in:
- Demand generation
- Sales enablement for the cyber security sales pitch
- Thought leadership
- Sales Collaterals etc.
All-inclusive and data-driven Cyber security content assist in presenting ways to be ready at the time of real-life cyber security attacks.
Content production types:
- Blog posts – articles and blogs around cyber security and use cases topics
- Social Media posts
- eBooks
- Customer case studies – for bottom-of-the-funnel leads
- Lead magnet
- Gated content
- Visual content
- Video content – to present cyber security offering
- cyber security Cyber Security White Paper
- video interviews,
- datasheets, and
- infographics etc.
Cyber Security Blogs for Education
Cyber Security Videos
Cybersecurity videos can help you make deals progress more smoothly throughout the sales and marketing cycle. Usually, As video production is generally less time-consuming than blogging, it can be a great alternative for busy sales reps who are looking for an effective way to get their information security content out to their audiences.
You can create informative videos that show real-world examples of how cyber attacks have manifested in botched project deliveries, huge data breaches, and destroyed client reputations amongst other negative repercussions that can lead to loss of earnings. Show why it’s vital for employees whose knowledge of IT is on the lower end to get extra help from someone who knows better.
Videos have a ton of potential for generating cyber security sales early on in the sales cycle. They break through the information clutter and take little time to digest, making it easier for your content to reach decison makers like IT heads, CISOs, IT Directors, CTOs etc. no matter where they are or what they’re doing! Not only that, but videos can help you retain customers from start to finish.
Using video and infographics to help break down the importance of cyber security and its value in today’s world is helpful to your viewers, which will ultimately lead to your business getting more customers.
Cyber Security Email Marketing Campaign
In the early stages, potential infosec customers may have a lack of understanding as to why they need adequate security measures in place. Education and cyber security vendor use case awareness are vital for those who may feel they’re not yet ready to make a move towards purchasing a cyber security product.
The trick to doing Email Marketing efficiently is having a well thought-out plan in place before executing anything. Outlining what you want out of this process upfront will affect the bottom line. If there are certain metrics that are important for you to achieve then zeroing in on these specific goals is imperative. It’s not unheard of for businesses to increase sales by over 1000% by following more efficient practices when it comes to email marketing.
Following 4 key characteristics of an effective email marketing campaign for cybersecurity are wortwhile:
Email content:
List of recipients
CTA
Email KPIs
Don’t be afraid to get creative!