by Rebecca Reese
Cybersecurity Awareness Month can be a marketer’s best friend and thorn in their side all at once.
On one hand, it’s the one month a year when the spotlight shines on an industry most people aren’t experts in. It gives cybersecurity professionals a platform to encourage more responsible online behaviors, caution against the dangers of hacking and data breaches, and tout their companies’ cyber offerings to the media and potential customers.
But therein lies the problem: every cybersecurity company wants that spotlight. October is a month of crowded conversations and fighting for media attention. Every company wants its spokespeople to have the most screen time, leaving cybersecurity marketers with high expectations to meet.
Here are some tips and tricks to make sure your Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign stands out from the rest:
- Analyze past campaigns. What tactics worked for you last October? What about the October before that? Identify the messaging, content formats, and strategies that resonated best with your audience in years past – as well as the campaigns that fell on deaf ears. That will ensure you’re constantly improving year-over-year and spending your time on what you know works.
- Identify your targets early. If you’re hoping to garner media attention, a “spray and pray” approach won’t cut it. Do your due diligence tracking down reporters who have covered topics for Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the past. What types of stories get told every October? How can you refresh them and make them your own? Is there an educational gap you can fill?
- Stay on theme. Cybersecurity Awareness Month has a new theme every year. In 2024, it’s “Secure Our World.” Hold an internal brainstorm with your team to come up with creative ways to infuse the theme with your company’s messaging in a way that feels authentic to your brand.
- Don’t wait until the last minute! Everybody is working on a campaign for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Start planning yours in August (or early September at the absolute latest) so you can make sure all your ducks are in a row before October rolls around. This will give you enough time to do the research you need to inform smart campaigns.
- Leverage data to stand out. Cybersecurity companies often sit on a wealth of proprietary data, but many overlook its potential as a storytelling tool. By analyzing this internal data and enriching it with survey research, you can build a compelling narrative that provides fresh, valuable insights. Whether you’re highlighting industry trends or showcasing customer pain points, this data can fuel content that stands out in a crowded market. The result? A campaign that’s not only relevant but also adaptable across multiple channels—boosting engagement and demonstrating thought leadership.
- Avoid fear mongering. Data breaches are a scary thing. But try to refrain from scare tactics in your marketing campaigns (even though it is October). Rather than confronting people with bad news or frightening statistics, rely instead on the solutions available. Give people the critical information they need to know (e.g. this many data breaches occurred last year) and focus on what can be done to improve resilience. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a time for experts to share what they’re excited about rather than what’s keeping them up at night.
- Make the most out of this month. For seasoned cybersecurity marketers, October can feel like a necessary evil. But don’t build a campaign simply to check the box (changing your banner on LinkedIn isn’t enough to make a meaningful impact). Think about all the avenues you can use to tell your story! Can you host an educational webinar that directs people to your website? Put together a weekly series of timely blog posts? This month is the perfect opportunity to get in front of folks who aren’t already immersed in the world of cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the time to reflect on how the industry has advanced and how your company has evolved since last October. Now is your chance to get your audience as excited about cybersecurity as you are! You might be tired of it – but your potential customers aren’t.
