The cybersecurity industry is one that is growing rapidly, which is no surprise when you consider that cybercrime is the biggest threat to modern day businesses and something that every company needs to consider. While this means that there is every chance of success and a cybersecurity salary is comfortable, it is also important to understand just how competitive it is, and those in this industry will be competing against some very large businesses. This is why it is helpful for a cybersecurity business to know a few of the best ways that they can promote themselves.
Search engine optimization
SEO is an important way to get noticed no matter what industry you are in, as search engines are where consumers first turn when they need any kind of product or service. For cyber security, SEO is particularly useful because it helps to improve your reputation and credibility when you appear near the top of search engine results lists—in this industry, consumers will only use brands that are credible and trustworthy so this is a great way to attract consumers. Obviously, it is highly competitive which is why you need to use the services of an experienced SEO agency.
Content marketing
Similarly, content marketing is a highly effective strategy for promoting a cyber security business because it is a chance for you to show your expertise and give value to your target market. Creating valuable content that educates the consumer on what the latest threats are, how they can protect their data, how it can affect their business and why they should use your company can all be useful for building credibility while increasing brand awareness.
Crucially, you need to create a range of different content to keep it interesting, such as:
- How-to guides
- Infographics
- Slideshows
- Animation
- eBooks
- Interviews
- Webinars
- Video tutorials
Explainer videos
Explainer videos have become hugely popular in recent times and work well for any complex and/or service providing business. These videos allow you to easily explain the threat of cybercrime and what action your business can take to protect others in an easy-to-digest manner, plus you can then share this video on social media, via email, TV advertising and anywhere else it might get viewed—video is a highly engaging form of media that is hard to ignore so often this is highly effective messaging and a smart way to promote your business.
Case studies
Case studies work well when it comes to B2B and are particularly useful for cyber security businesses. This is because it will clearly show to a consumer how your business has helped another and improved their bottom line. It also shows that you are a trustworthy and experienced brand and it is another chance for you to explain your value to the consumer along with showing that cyber security threats are real and can impact businesses of all sizes and in all industries.
Customer reviews
Leading on from this, you should also look to obtain customer reviews from each customer that you have and then place these on the website and anywhere else where potential customers might see them. Again, this is useful for building credibility and showing that you are an experienced brand that can help businesses to overcome their cyber security concerns.
Earn qualifications
In order to attract people to your business, you need to have a team of highly skilled cyber security professionals which is why it is important to have employees earn qualifications. An online Master’s in cyber security is a highly valuable qualification that will help people to earn a comfortable cyber security salary, so having employees that have this qualification will ensure that you always deliver. You can then have staff profiles on the company website as a way to promote your brand by showcasing their expertise. In addition to a healthy cyber security salary, you need to attract employees with other perks as they may be able to earn a higher cyber security salary at a more established business.
Use social media
As with any modern-day business, social media is a great platform for promoting a cyber security company. This is because it allows you to share content, demonstrate your expertise, provide customer service and engage with your target customer. This is an industry where the consumers often have concerns or questions that they want answering swiftly and social media enables you to do this while increasing your brand reputation and awareness. As such a large platform, you must be careful with how it is used and never post anything which is unprofessional or could offend your followers.
Email marketing
If you are able to collect email information then this is another excellent way to promote your business. Keeping in touch via email allows you to demonstrate your expertise and deliver high-quality content directly to their inbox on a regular basis, which could help you to build relationships and attract new customers to your business as well as retain your existing ones. You can use downloadable content, links to your blog posts, explainer videos and sales promotions as a way to entice the customer and demonstrate your value.
Referral programs
Acquiring new customers is challenging, particularly for new businesses that have not yet built their reputation. Word of mouth marketing remains highly effective and referral programs are a smart way to achieve this where you incentivize your existing customers to promote your brand to their network – this is intelligent because it can take the work out of reaching a much larger group that would have been hard to reach otherwise and it automatically presents your brand as reliable and credible because it is being recommended by a trusted source.
Online communities
You can also join online communities related to the internet, business and cybersecurity and use these platforms to promote your business and provide support to users. This can be an effective way to reach a large group, but you must also be careful with this strategy as people do not use these platforms to be advertised to so you need to actively contribute, provide support and build rapport with users without spamming them about using your business. This could also be a great place to help those that are interested in getting into the industry by letting them know about vacancies and the kind of cyber security salary they could earn at your company and ways to maximize their cyber security salary.
Host events
Much of the focus so far has been about promoting the business digitally, but you must not forget to target those in the local area. Small businesses are frequently targeted by cyber criminals so promoting to those in the community is smart and allows you to build trust through face-to-face interactions. One of the best ways that you can do this is to host an event at your business, such as a launch party, a free workshop, a lecture or any other kind of event that allows you to bring people in, shake their hand and demonstrate why they should be using your business.
Similarly, you can offer to come in to visit local businesses and offer a free training session where you show staff how they can stay safe and protect company data (while also promoting the business).
Attend community events
Leading on from this, you should also look to raise your profile in the area by attending local community events. This is how you build trust, develop relationships and show to people why they need to use your business. It is much more effective meeting people face-to-face so this needs to be an area to focus on and you should always keep your eyes peeled for local events which would allow you to raise your profile and build relationships.
Attend industry events
In addition to local community events, you should also be promoting your brand at business and cyber security events where people will be looking specifically for companies like your own. Of course, competition can be tough at trade events but when you know how to promote your business effectively and make a great first impression with people then this can be an effective way to find new business. You will also find it useful to attend recruitment events in order to secure the latest talent, but keep in mind that it can be competitive so you will need to offer a good cyber security salary in addition to other perks.
Get involved with local schools
Another intelligent way to promote your cyber security business is to get involved with local schools. There are many ways to do this, such as coming in to do workshops on how people can stay safe while using the computer and explaining the most common threats, plus you could also offer work experience opportunities. The cyber security industry is growing and many youngsters are confident with the latest tech, so it is likely that many will have an interest in the industry especially when you consider the cyber security salary that they could earn. You can give them an idea of what working in the industry is like, what an average cyber security salary is and what kind of path they need to take to find work.
Donate to a local charity
In today’s day and age, consumers are becoming increasingly selective of the brands that they use and will support those that support a good cause. Donating to a local charity is a great way to show that you are a brand that cares, it can help to raise awareness in the local area and help you to develop positive relationships in the community (along with the benefits of doing some good in the world too). Charities will often host events so you can get involved with these too to nurture relationships and make a positive difference to the world.
Sponsorship
Another smart way to raise awareness about your brand in the local area is through sponsorship. Sponsoring a local sports team is a good option as this will allow you to show your support while also helping to promote the business and allows you to build strong connections in the local community. Sponsorship can come at a cost but can make a huge difference to your brand reputation, credibility and awareness so it is usually worth the cost.
TV and radio ads
Traditionalforms of advertising such as TV and radio adverts remain highly effective and worthwhile for cyber security businesses. People watch a lot of TV in today’s day and age and often listento local radio, so having presence here is intelligent and could help you to secure a lot more business for your company.
Flyers
Another traditional form of marketing, but one which remains highly effective at reaching local businesses, is flyers. A well-designed flyer distributed throughout the area is sure to generate some leads, particularly when you consider that every single business in the area will have to consider cyber security so you are able to cast a very wide net with this approach.
Form an alliance with a local business
Strategic alliances can be a smart way to raise your profile, reach an entirely new audience and build meaningful relationships in the area. In order to benefit from a strategic alliance, you need to identify a local business that has a similar target market to your own but is not a direct competitor. You can then work together to find ways to support each other, such as recommending each other to your own customer bases and offering discounts for customers of the other business.
Speak to reporters
Reports are often on the lookout for reliable sources that they can quote to build their stories and it is hard to keep cybercrime out of the news these days as such a huge threat to modern-day businesses. There are various services that you can use to register your expertise or you could even approach local publications and provide them with your details if they ever need help or a reliable source for a relevant story.
Cyber security can be a great industry to work in because it is needed by every business and a cyber security salary can be lucrative, but it is also competitive which makes it challenging to succeed. These are a few of the best ways to promote your business which should help you to attract customers and build your credibility.
