Why Quiet Expertise No Longer Wins Cybersecurity Clients

There’s a graveyard of brilliant cybersecurity companies that no one has ever heard of. These firms had incredible technical talent, were able to spot vulnerabilities others missed, and poured blood, sweat, and tears into building elegant solutions to complex problems. In other words, they knew their stuff. And yet, they failed.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of companies out there with decent but not amazing technology that are thriving, growing, and still gathering plenty of investment. So what is happening here?

The uncomfortable truth is that in the current cybersecurity market, being the smartest team in the room isn’t enough. The market doesn’t automatically reward the best technology. Instead, it rewards the best-known technology.

But this pattern isn’t exactly unique to the cybersecurity space. History is full of similar examples:

Betamax offered superior video quality to VHS but lost the format war. The electric car was invented in 1890 but was overshadowed by gas engines for over a century. Brilliant social networks like Path and Google+ were technically superior to Facebook in many ways, but they faded away into obscurity.

The real question is: why does this keep happening, and what can smart cybersecurity companies do about it?

****The Death of “Build It and They Will Come”****

In the early days of cybersecurity, technical excellence was usually enough. The market was much smaller than it is today, and the buyers were more technical. But that era is over.

The cybersecurity space we see today resembles a crowded, noisy bazaar rather than a quiet specialist shop. There are thousands of vendors competing for attention, so much so that even genuinely innovative solutions struggle to get noticed.

What used to be a specialized technical field has expanded into every aspect of business operations. Board members who never cared about security now ask pointed questions about risk. Companies that never had security budgets now have entire departments.

In this dynamic, technical brilliance without visibility is like having the world’s best restaurant hidden in an alley with no sign. The food might be amazing, but not many people will show up.

****Your Buyers Aren’t Where You Think They Are****

The modern B2B buyer journey has changed a lot in the past decade.

The modern security buyer does a lot of their research independently. They won’t usually contact vendors until they are close to making a decision. This means they’re not sitting around waiting for cold calls or reading technical journals.

Instead, they’re asking their peers in private Slack channels, reading security blogs and newsletters, following thought leaders on social media, attending conferences, listening to podcasts on their commute, and even asking LLMs which vendors they would recommend. If you’re not visible in these places, you don’t exist to many potential buyers.

****The Multi-Channel Security Marketing Equation****

Here’s the new formula: Expertise × Visibility = Success!

When marketing for cybersecurity, a multi-channel approach is your golden ticket to connecting with decision-makers and being given a chance to showcase your solutions. It’s the bridge that links your technical brilliance to the people who need it most, turning unknown expertise into recognized value that clients would be happy to invest in.

****1. Inbound Marketing** **

Security professionals are hungry for genuine insight. They’re looking for content that makes them better at their jobs, calms their anxieties, or gives them a deeper understanding of what is going on in the industry around them. They’re not just content that fills space.

To help meet this need, publish a deep technical analysis that proves you know what you’re talking about. This could be a vulnerability research piece that makes other security pros say, “Huh, I hadn’t thought of that.” Or perhaps it’s threat breakdowns that actually teach something new or original perspectives from your team that add to the conversation instead of rehashing the obvious.

When someone types a specific security problem into Google, you want your content to be what they find. And when they read it, it should make them think, “These people get it. They understand the problem better than I do.”

Do some topic and keyword research in your area of expertise and see what terms you could rank for. The more of these queries you can satisfy with your content, the more inbound traffic you will bring to your site.

****2. Outbound Marketing** **

Most security professionals have an allergic reaction to traditional outbound marketing (as most people do). But outbound marketing done right shouldn’t feel like spam.

It means targeted outreach based on actual need signals, reaching out when a company has shown signs it might need your services. It means customized campaigns for specific high-value targets. And it means participation in speaking engagements like conferences, webinars, and workshops that showcase your team’s expertise.

****3. Third-Party Validation** **

Perhaps nothing matters more in the cybersecurity space than building trust. You’re asking clients to put their most sensitive assets in your hands, and they need to know you’re legitimate.

That’s why getting featured in leading publications is so important for cybersecurity companies. When a reliable Magazine covers your research or solution, you’re borrowing their established credibility. This acts as powerful social proof that you’re a legitimate player in the security space.

The key is learning how to write cyber press releases that journalists actually want to read. Most security news gets ignored because it blends into the background noise of vendor announcements. Your cyber press releases need to highlight something genuinely newsworthy. That could be a novel research finding, an unusual threat discovery, or a truly innovative approach to a common problem.

****Final Word****

For technical founders and executives frustrated by slow growth despite having what they feel is superior technology, this reality can be hard to accept. The good news is that the same analytical skills that make for good security work apply to marketing effectiveness.

Start by mapping out your ideal client’s information sources. Where do they learn? Who do they trust? What problems keep them up at night? Then create a presence in those spaces with content that addresses those specific concerns.

Be patient but persistent. Security is built on trust, and trust takes time to establish. However, once established, that trust creates a moat around your business that competitors struggle to cross.