How to Actually Stand Out in a Crowded Cybersecurity Market
Season: 2 | Episode: 29
Published: August 11, 2025
By: Byer Co
The provided text offers marketing strategies for cybersecurity companies to distinguish themselves in a crowded market. It emphasizes the importance of niche specialization, suggesting that businesses should focus on specific industries or use cases rather than trying to appeal to everyone. The source also advocates for developing a unique brand identity, including a distinct visual style and tone that avoids common, fear-based imagery prevalent in the cybersecurity sector. Finally, it recommends creating signature brand assets, such as benchmark reports or podcasts, to build memorable associations with the company and demonstrate expertise, moving beyond generic claims to showcase true differentiation.
Link: How to Actually Stand Out in a Crowded Cybersecurity Market
Keywords: marketing,SEO,cybersecurity,Digital Marketing,web design
Episode Transcript
00:00:00 - 00:00:07
Welcome to Digital Rage. I am Jeff the producer here at Byer Company. This is part four of our
00:00:07 - 00:00:12
Cybersecurity Marketing Series. Today we talk about how to actually stand out in a crowded
00:00:12 - 00:00:19
cybersecurity market. This is where you resist the temptation to use a guy in a hoodie
00:00:19 - 00:00:26
in front of a computer. That is not what they look like. Let's get into it.
00:00:26 - 00:00:31
Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we are tackling a problem that while anyone trying to get
00:00:31 - 00:00:36
noticed in a crowded space really understands. But we are looking at it through the specific
00:00:36 - 00:00:41
lens of cybersecurity. How on earth do you stand out when it feels like everyone is saying
00:00:41 - 00:00:45
the same thing? It is a huge challenge in that market. We have got some source material
00:00:45 - 00:00:51
here, an article called How to actually stand out in a crowded cybersecurity market. And
00:00:51 - 00:00:58
it really puts its finger on the pulse of the problem. It argues the market is just drowning
00:00:58 - 00:01:05
in vendors all using the same language. AI, zero trust, next gen, everything, threat
00:01:05 - 00:01:09
prevention. Oh, the buzzwords. All the buzzwords exactly. And they are relying on these incredibly
00:01:09 - 00:01:13
generic visuals too. Oh yeah, you know the ones. Dark backgrounds, glowing padlocks,
00:01:13 - 00:01:18
maybe a hacker in a hoodie. Matrix code falling down the screen. Yeah. It is like a visual
00:01:18 - 00:01:23
cliche factory. The article points out this, this sameness makes them all blur together
00:01:23 - 00:01:29
into what it calls forgettable blobs. Precisely. And when you sound and look like everyone
00:01:29 - 00:01:35
else, the most likely outcome is that potential customers just scroll past. They tune out.
00:01:35 - 00:01:38
Your message is just noise. It's part of the background noise. Yeah. Okay, so let's get
00:01:38 - 00:01:45
into it then. Our mission for this deep dive is to unpack this article and really pull
00:01:45 - 00:01:51
out the core strategies it suggests for vendors to actually rise above all that noise to differentiate
00:01:51 - 00:01:57
themselves. And the source of frames, these not just as like abstract ideas, but as practical
00:01:57 - 00:02:02
strategies. They're apparently based on a larger guide designed specifically to tackle
00:02:02 - 00:02:07
these, you know, common marketing pain points in cyber. Right. Practical steps. The fundamental
00:02:07 - 00:02:10
insight this piece starts with is pretty crucial. Maybe even a little counterintuitive.
00:02:10 - 00:02:15
Okay. Is that if you try to be relevant to absolutely everyone. Mm-hmm. And if you
00:02:15 - 00:02:19
sound like everyone else while doing it, you basically guarantee you'll be ignored by
00:02:19 - 00:02:24
most people. Huh. So differentiation isn't about the broadest appeal. No, it's about
00:02:24 - 00:02:32
having a distinct recognizable identity. So given that problem blending in, where does
00:02:32 - 00:02:36
the article suggest a company should even, you know, begin to break free? It sounds like
00:02:36 - 00:02:41
the first step is about making a choice, narrowing down. That's exactly right. Strategy
00:02:41 - 00:02:46
one is pick a clear niche. Okay. The article makes a really strong case that trying to be
00:02:46 - 00:02:52
this comprehensive solution for every possible security problem for every type of customer.
00:02:52 - 00:02:56
Well, that's the fastest path to being utterly forgettable. Right. Becoming a generalist.
00:02:56 - 00:03:02
Nobody remembers. And it gives some pretty practical examples of how you might define that
00:03:02 - 00:03:06
niche. Doesn't it? It's not just focus, but focus on what? Yeah. It suggests several
00:03:06 - 00:03:11
angles. Like you could focus entirely on a specific industry. Think security solutions
00:03:11 - 00:03:15
built just for fintech startups, right? They have unique compliance needs. Okay. Yeah.
00:03:15 - 00:03:20
Fintech or maybe focus on a highly specific but critical use case. Like API security
00:03:20 - 00:03:24
tailored just for healthcare platforms dealing with sensitive data. Oh, interesting. Very
00:03:24 - 00:03:30
specific. Very. Or in other ways targeting a particular company size and maturity level,
00:03:30 - 00:03:35
offering say compliance for security tools designed for those mid market saws companies.
00:03:35 - 00:03:40
You know, the one scaling fast, but maybe lacking huge security teams. I see. So instead
00:03:40 - 00:03:45
of just a generic, we secure your data. It's more like we deeply understand the specific
00:03:45 - 00:03:51
API vulnerabilities in healthcare data. Or we get the compliance hurdles of fintech startup
00:03:51 - 00:03:58
faces. Exactly. And the article claims this focus leads to much sharper messaging. How
00:03:58 - 00:04:03
does that work? Well, by understanding the specific pain points and importantly, the
00:04:03 - 00:04:07
language of that narrow audience, your marketing speaks directly to them. Right. You're not
00:04:07 - 00:04:11
just shouting into the void. You're having a, well, a targeted conversation. And what's
00:04:11 - 00:04:15
really powerful about this, the source says, it doesn't just make campaigns more effective.
00:04:15 - 00:04:20
It builds a stronger reputation. You become known as the go to expert for that specific
00:04:20 - 00:04:25
problem for that specific problem and that specific group. Yeah. Okay. So step one, nish
00:04:25 - 00:04:31
down, decide who you're talking to and what specific problem you solve. Then the article
00:04:31 - 00:04:35
moves on from the message itself to how you present it. This is where the look and feel
00:04:35 - 00:04:41
comes in. Exactly. Strategy two is about owning a creative tone and visual identity. Right.
00:04:41 - 00:04:46
The source highlights that visual monotony we touched on, the dark themes, the padlocks,
00:04:46 - 00:04:52
the matrix code. And the tone is often just relentlessly fear based, you know, the threats
00:04:52 - 00:04:58
are coming by our firewall or your doom. Yeah, it's all doom and gloom very intimidating.
00:04:58 - 00:05:02
So the article pushes back hard against that. What's the alternative? It suggests pretty
00:05:02 - 00:05:07
much do the opposite. Instead of dark and scary, it suggests injecting some personality,
00:05:07 - 00:05:13
maybe use bold color palettes, clean, approachable layouts or even using illustration instead
00:05:13 - 00:05:17
of those generic sock photos or complicated network diagrams. Illustration, that's interesting.
00:05:17 - 00:05:21
It immediately signals something different, maybe less intimidating, more human. Absolutely.
00:05:21 - 00:05:26
And on the tone side, moving away from that constant fear mongering, the source suggests
00:05:26 - 00:05:32
leading with say optimism and clarity, speaking like a human being, not like an automated system
00:05:32 - 00:05:37
alert log full of jargon. Yeah, talk to people, not at them. Right. And the article really
00:05:37 - 00:05:44
emphasizes that tone and style aren't just like cosmetic fluff. They are critical brand
00:05:44 - 00:05:50
assets that demand serious strategic thought. Treating your visual style and how you speak
00:05:50 - 00:05:54
just as seriously as you treat your software features, that makes a lot of sense, actually.
00:05:54 - 00:05:58
Well, part of the experience isn't it shapes how people feel about your brand. It fundamentally
00:05:58 - 00:06:02
changes the perception. Yeah. Which leads us nicely into the third strategy, the article
00:06:02 - 00:06:09
outlines. Okay. So we've got pick your audience, your niche, find your unique voice and look.
00:06:09 - 00:06:13
What's the final piece of the puzzle in this source? Strategy three, develop a signature
00:06:13 - 00:06:18
brand asset, a signature brand asset. What does that mean exactly? The idea here is to create
00:06:18 - 00:06:25
something unique, valuable and memorable that people, prospects, industry folks instantly
00:06:25 - 00:06:30
associate with your brand name. Okay. Something concrete. Yeah. And the article provides a really
00:06:30 - 00:06:35
compelling example here, CrowdStrakes adversary universe. Ah, the adversary universe. I've
00:06:35 - 00:06:40
seen that. It's that visual interactive map thingy. Right? Tracks global threat actors
00:06:40 - 00:06:45
and campaigns. It's complex data, but they make it look quite digestible engaging.
00:06:45 - 00:06:50
Precisely. And the source loves this example because well, first, it's unique. Nobody else
00:06:50 - 00:06:55
has anything quite like it. Second, it's genuinely valuable to their target audience, you know,
00:06:55 - 00:07:00
security pros who need to understand the threat landscape. Right. It's useful. And maybe
00:07:00 - 00:07:04
most importantly, it is undeniably theirs. When you think of visually mapping threat actors
00:07:04 - 00:07:10
like that, you think CrowdStrake, it's this powerful piece of like intellectual property
00:07:10 - 00:07:15
and marketing all rolled into one. It's a way of showing expertise without just saying
00:07:15 - 00:07:19
where experts it demonstrates it. The article mentions other ideas too, right? If tracking
00:07:19 - 00:07:23
global adversaries isn't exactly your core business. Right. Yeah. It doesn't have to be that
00:07:23 - 00:07:30
complex. It could be something like a definitive annual benchmark report for your specific industry
00:07:30 - 00:07:34
niche. Okay. Like the report everyone waits for exactly. Or maybe a really high quality
00:07:34 - 00:07:39
podcast or video series that becomes a go to resource or even a dedicated mini site
00:07:39 - 00:07:45
that specifically breaks down threat trends relevant to different industries or use cases.
00:07:45 - 00:07:50
So lots of options. The key criteria for a good asset, according to the source, seem
00:07:50 - 00:07:56
to be that it has to be ownable, something uniquely yours. Yep. Bonable. Repeatable. So it
00:07:56 - 00:08:01
becomes consistent part of your identity. Mm-hmm. Repeatable. And genuinely something
00:08:01 - 00:08:07
that prospects come to associate directly with your name. It acts like this constant valuable
00:08:07 - 00:08:11
reminder of who you are and the unique insight you bring. It's a way to show your unique value
00:08:11 - 00:08:15
proposition, your perspective. Right. Rather than just, you know, listing features and
00:08:15 - 00:08:20
hoping people get it, it shifts the dynamic from just selling to providing real value upfront.
00:08:20 - 00:08:24
And thinking about these strategies, picking a niche, owning your look and voice, building
00:08:24 - 00:08:29
that unique asset, it feels valuable, not just if you're say in marketing. Understanding
00:08:29 - 00:08:34
these tactics helps you, the listener, navigate the sheer volume of information you see every
00:08:34 - 00:08:39
day. How does knowing these plays help you filter messages? Well, it gives you a critical
00:08:39 - 00:08:43
lens, doesn't it? When you see a company's messaging, especially in a crowded field like
00:08:43 - 00:08:49
cyber, you could start asking, are they talking to everyone or do they seem focused on a specific
00:08:49 - 00:08:55
group, maybe a group like me? Yeah. Does their style and tone feel distinct? Or could I
00:08:55 - 00:09:00
swap their logo with five other companies and not even notice? It's point. And crucially,
00:09:00 - 00:09:07
they offer something uniquely valuable like that report or tool that demonstrates their expertise.
00:09:07 - 00:09:12
Or is it just, you know, generic marketing fluff? It helps you identify who is genuinely
00:09:12 - 00:09:17
trying to build a distinct presence versus who is just, while adding to the noise, you
00:09:17 - 00:09:22
can more quickly spot the difference between real differentiation and just making generic
00:09:22 - 00:09:26
claims. Exactly. It helps you find the signal in all that noise, whether you're a buyer,
00:09:26 - 00:09:31
or just someone trying to stay informed. So circling back to the article's core takeaway
00:09:31 - 00:09:35
then, it seems to be this powerful mantra. Don't just say you're different, show it.
00:09:35 - 00:09:39
That really captures the whole argument. Yeah. The source kind of boils down the necessary
00:09:39 - 00:09:46
elements for differentiation to three things. Character, clarity and creativity. Okay. Character,
00:09:46 - 00:09:50
clarity, creativity. Character is about picking your unique lane, your niche, clarity is
00:09:50 - 00:09:56
in your message, your tone, how you speak like a human. And creativity, well, that's in your
00:09:56 - 00:10:02
visual identity and those signature assets you develop. Right. So to recap the big practical
00:10:02 - 00:10:07
strategies from this source, one, pick your specific lane, two, find and own your distinct
00:10:07 - 00:10:13
voice and style. And three, build that unique, memorable asset that actually provides value.
00:10:13 - 00:10:18
Exactly. And as you mentioned, the article kind of hints at something maybe a bit deeper.
00:10:18 - 00:10:23
It suggests these strategies ultimately help build a brand that actually means something.
00:10:23 - 00:10:28
That phrase means something that feels pretty significant, especially in a field like cybersecurity
00:10:28 - 00:10:33
that can be so technical, right? So focused on bits and bytes, threats, features.
00:10:33 - 00:10:37
It really does. What does it truly take for a brand, particularly in a highly technical,
00:10:37 - 00:10:41
super competitive space, to move beyond just selling a product that does X or prevents
00:10:41 - 00:10:46
Y to actually mean something on a, I guess, a deeper level to its audience. It's got to
00:10:46 - 00:10:51
be about building trust resonance, maybe even a sense of like community or a shared purpose
00:10:51 - 00:10:56
around solving these really critical problems. And how does understanding these differentiation
00:10:56 - 00:11:01
strategies, we talked about the niche, the unique voice that signature asset, how does that
00:11:01 - 00:11:06
change how you perceive a brand's attempt to mean something? Does that unique asset, for
00:11:06 - 00:11:11
instance, build a different kind of relationship or trust compared to seeing list of features?
00:11:11 - 00:11:16
It's a really fascinating question, I think, about how depth and character in marketing shape
00:11:16 - 00:11:20
are perception, even in these highly technical domains.
00:11:20 - 00:11:25
Reach out to us at jbuyer.com for comments and questions. Follow us at buyer company on social
00:11:25 - 00:11:28
media. And if you'd be so kind, please rate and review us in your podcast app.
00:11:28 - 00:11:30
[Music]