Welcome back to Digital Rage. This is episode 35. I'm Jeff the producer here at Byer
Company. Today is part 10 of our Cybersecurity Marketing Series. We take our executive
summary of my book and give it to Gemini to summarize the whole thing. So this should
give you a great primer for what's in the book. If you want the book, please go to jbyer.com
Let's go. Alright, let's dive in. Today we're looking at something pretty complex but totally
crucial. Cybersecurity. Specifically the marketing side. Why is it so uniquely tricky for these
companies to get their message out there? It really is a different beast. We're digging
into an article by Jeff Byer. Cybersecurity marketing challenges and solutions are planned
for this deep dive. Pull out the core ideas. Figure out why marketing this stuff is so different
from, say, selling phones or even regular business software. And importantly what Byer suggests
companies can actually do about these challenges. Yeah, the practical side. Byer sets the stage
well. He points out the cybersecurity market is just incredibly fast. Threats change.
Tech shifts almost constantly. Right. So you're marketing against a backdrop that's always
moving. Exactly. That alone makes it tough. You're aiming at a moving target. Totally. And
the article gets right into the specific pain points. The first one. It's all about the language
they use. Oh, definitely. The jargon byer highlights this straight away. So many acronyms,
deep technical terms. Stuff that maybe only a security engineer really gets. Pretty much.
Yeah. And that's the problem, isn't it? The article points out the decision makers, the
people signing the checks. They might not have that deep tech background. Right. They're
thinking about business risk impact the bottom line, not necessarily the system architecture.
Exactly. Overly technical talk and just switch them off. It alienates the really people you
need to convince. So it doesn't connect with their needs. Precisely. Byer's advice. Simplify.
Radically simplify the message. Focus laser sharp on the outcomes. What problem are you
actually solving for them? Make it about their world. Yes. And use visual storytelling.
Translate that tech speak into business speak or maybe risk speak something that resonates
outside the IT department. Okay. That makes a lot of sense. Get the language right first.
But then the article moves on to the buying process. That was not exactly an impulse buy.
Is it? No, definitely not. It's a marathon. Not a sprint. The article really emphasizes
these long sales cycles. The complicated buyer journeys. Multiple people involved. Oh
yeah. Rarely just one person. You've got IT, security teams, legal compliance, finance,
maybe even the C suite. They all have different questions, different priorities. Wow. Okay.
So if it takes that long and involves that many people, how do marketers stay relevant
through that whole process according to buyer? Sustained engagement. That's the core idea
he presents. Sustained engagement. Okay. Which means things like account-based marketing or
ABM, treating key target companies almost like their own little markets. Tailoring the message
for each one. Exactly. And tailoring content within that company for the different stakeholders.
Plus, just consistent, valuable outreach over time. Keeping the conversation alive. Helping
build that internal consensus. Okay. Consistency is key. Now something you touched on
earlier risk. Cyber security is all about protecting really sensitive stuff. Trust must be
absolutely massive here. The article hits on this heart. Oh, it's critical. Probably
the most critical element. Buyers are naturally skeptical. They kind of have to be given
the stakes. Makes sense. A bad decision could be catastrophic. Totally. So building that
rock solid confidence in your company, your solution. It's not just nice to have marketing
fluff. It's foundational. So how does buyer suggest companies build that trust, that credibility?
What are the methods? He lists a few key things. Customer testimonials are huge social proof
showing you've done it successfully before. Real world evidence. Yep. Then there are third
party certifications. Objective validation of your claims. Also thought leadership. Meaning
publishing genuinely useful insightful content. Showing your next breath they can actually rely
on not just a vendor pushing a product. Become a resource. Exactly. And just being transparent.
Open communication about what you do, how you do it. It all adds up to demonstrate reliability.
Okay. Building trust over a long cycle. But the article also mentions another issue. Just
how many cybersecurity companies there are now. It seems like a really crowded space.
It is incredibly crowded. And buyer flags that differ in cheating your brand is a major
major hurdle. Because everyone's talking about similar things. Firewalls, endpoint protection,
threat detection. Right. If the language sounds similar, how do you possibly stand out?
How do you explain why your solution is the one they need? Good question. So what are
the tactics buyer puts forward for cutting through with that noise?
Number one is clearly articulating your unique value proposition, your UVP. What specific
problem do you solve better than anyone else? Or who do you solve it for uniquely well?
Find your angle. Find your angle exactly. Maybe that means strategic positioning, like
focusing on a specific niche market you can really own. Rather than trying to be everything
to everyone. Precisely. And then using creative, targeted campaigns that speak directly to that
niche, that ideal customer. Make it distinctive. Got it. Now here's an interesting one the article
brings up. Sometimes a customer doesn't even realize they have a big problem. Or they
underestimate the danger. Yeah, that's the education challenge. It's significant and ongoing.
A lot of businesses, maybe small ones, especially think, oh hackers won't target me. Or they
just don't grasp how sophisticated the threats have become. Or the nuances of the solutions
needed. So there's a baseline level of education required. So how do marketers tackle that?
How do you educate someone who doesn't know they need educating? Buyers suggest becoming
that trusted educator. Like the thought leadership idea again. Sort of. But maybe broader.
Creating a really insightful content, think reports, webinar, simple explainers that
raises awareness about the risks in a way that's not overly technical or scary. Making it
accessible. Exactly. Using interactive tools can help too. Letting people assess their own
potential vulnerabilities. Perhaps the goal is to provide value. Educate the market on
the problem. And naturally position your brand as the go to authority for the solution.
Okay, so you educate them. They see the need. But then you actually have to find the right individuals
within those potential client companies. The article says lead generation that targeted outreach
is still a big struggle. It definitely is. Finding and reaching the specific person or team who
holds the budget or makes the decision for your kind of complex solution. It's tough. Getting
the right leads. Exactly. Buyer really emphasizes the challenge of generating high quality leads
consistently, not just a flood of maybes. And what's the suggested approach there, according
to the article? It's usually a mix. Highly targeted digital ads think LinkedIn ads aimed at
specific job titles or industries. Okay. Plus strong inbound marketing, creating valuable content
that attracts people actively searching for solutions. Pulling them in. Right. And then once you have
a potential lead, personalized outreach, not generic spam, but tailored communication. It's
all about quality over quantity, finding those prospects who are a genuine fit. Now this next
challenge by our mentions, it feels kind of universal in business, but maybe extra sharp here.
Getting marketing and sales teams aligned. Oh, yeah. The classic disconnect. The article points
out. It's a major pain point in cybersecurity sales. Because if marketing brings in leads that
sales can't work or the messaging is different. Opportunities just fall through the tracks.
Efficiency drops. And the customer gets a confusing, disjointed experience. It really hurts conversion.
So what's the fix? How does buyer suggest getting them on the same page? Communication, communication,
communication, clear, consistent channels between the teams are baseline. Makes sense.
Buyer also talks about sales enablement. That means giving the sales team the right tools,
the right content, the right data from marketing to actually have effective conversations.
And articulate that value proposition consistently. The equipping them properly. Yep.
And doing joint planning. Marketing and sales planning campaigns and goals together from the start.
So everyone's pulling in the same direction. Okay, alignment is key. Finally, the article raises
something really fascinating and unique to security. Proving ROI. Return on investment. How do you show
the value of, well, of nothing happening? That's the kicker, isn't it? Success is the absence of a
breach. The prevention of disaster. How do you put a price tag on that? It's inherently difficult
when you're selling something intangible like protection or risk reduction. But buyer stresses,
you have to find ways because budget holders need justification. So what does he recommend for
tackling that specific problem? Focus on quantifiable metrics where you can. Maybe you can't measure
the breach that didn't happen. But you can measure things like reduce system downtime if there's
minor incident or faster recovery times. Maybe improve compliance scores, which avoids fines.
Or even efficiency gains for the security team because your tool streamlines things. Tangible side
benefits. Exactly. Using ROI calculators can help prospects model potential savings too.
Detailed case studies are vital, showing how you specifically helped another company prevent or
mitigate real risk. Proof points. Proof points. And consistent reporting back to existing customers.
Reminding them of the value they're getting, reinforcing the decision. So summing all this up from
the buyer article, it really paints a picture of a very specific marketing battlefield for cybersecurity.
You've got the technical complexity of these long sales processes. The absolute need for trust.
The crowded market. They need to educate the targeting challenges, internal alignment.
And that tricky ROI question. But crucially, as you said, the article doesn't just list problems.
It lays out concrete strategies. It suggests these hurdles can be overcome. Absolutely. And understanding
these specific challenges and the kinds of solutions a buyer proposes gives you a really practical
roadmap. It's not just abstract marketing theory. It's grounded in the day-to-day reality
of selling cybersecurity in this environment. Yeah, this deep dive really crystallizes those key
insights from the source. You get a clear sense of the unique difficulties. But also the actionable
ways forward suggested in the article. It provides a solid framework really for anyone marketing in
this space. And just thinking about buyer starting point that context of constant rapid change.
It leads you with a final thought, maybe. Oh. Well, if these core challenges simplify
complexity, building trust, proving value, are always going to be there. But the threats and the
technologies are always changing. How does the very definition of what makes cybersecurity marketing
effective need to keep evolving right alongside them, something for you and you on it?
Reach out to us at jbuyer.com for comments and questions. Follow us at buyer company on social
media. And if you'd be so kind, please rate and review us in your podcast app.