IT and cyber security are no longer an optional extra, but a duty. Companies are sitting on their digital treasure troves – data, systems, access – and everyone knows that where there is treasure, attackers are not far away. The market for security solutions is therefore growing rapidly, and in Europe demand continues to outstrip supply. Sounds like a sure-fire success, doesn’t it?
Not quite.
The misconception: “Customers find us on their own”
Many security providers believe that their expertise alone is enough to attract customers. After all, the demand is so high that projects should practically flutter into the mailbox by themselves. But this is exactly where the trap lurks.
What good is the best solution if nobody knows about it? Relying on customers simply “somehow” finding their way to you is like a perfectly configured firewall that works silently and invisibly in the background – and nobody knows it exists.
Why many providers come to nothing
You are a professional when it comes to securing systems and combating threats. But let’s be honest: how often have you sat down and thought about who exactly your customers are and what they really need?
This is often the crux of the matter: while you’re focused on providing security to others, you may be overlooking how you yourself are perceived in the market. Without a clear strategy, you’re wasting time and energy – or worse, you’re falling completely under the radar.
A strategy is not a “nice-to-have”
Imagine the market as an endless network landscape. Data streams everywhere, signals everywhere. Without a precise plan, you’ll get lost in the noise. This is where the go-to-market strategy (GTM) comes into play – not a marketing phrase, but a framework that gives you orientation.
With a GTM strategy, you leave nothing to chance:
- Identify target markets: For which industries is your solution really relevant?
- Understand target groups: Who are the people who decide? IT managers, CEOs, compliance managers?
- Tailor your offer: What sets you apart from other providers, and how do you communicate this clearly and understandably?
Instead of blindly starting out, use a GTM strategy to focus on the activities that reach your target group – be it via your website, information materials or product descriptions.
What does this look like in practice?
Suppose you offer an endpoint security solution for SMEs. Without a strategy, you’re like standing in a noisy exhibition hall with a megaphone: everyone is shouting, everyone is promoting their solutions. With a GTM strategy, however, you know exactly where your target group stands, what language they speak and what problem they are currently facing.
Instead of talking in general terms about “security”, you show how your solution solves their specific challenges. You design your website to appeal specifically to IT managers and publish a white paper that analyzes the top 5 risks for SMEs – with practical tips and, of course, your solution as part of the puzzle.
Why you should start now
Without a strategy, you are like an attacker without a recon phase: haphazard and ineffective. The GTM strategy is your recon, your plan and your roadmap all in one. It helps you to target your energy and achieve results where they count – with the right customers.
This doesn’t mean that you suddenly become a full-time marketer. But with a clear structure, you can ensure that your marketing activities don’t come to nothing. It’s about being visible – not to everyone, but to those who are looking for your expertise.
Take the first step and start with the question: Who are my customers and why should they choose me? Once you have a clear answer to this, you are ready to open up the next path in the network landscape – this time not randomly, but systematically.
What is a go-to-market strategy?
A go-to-market strategy (GTM) is basically the common thread you need to not only enter the market with your new product or service, but also to understand it – and preferably shape it right away. In the previous section, we talked about how many IT security companies assume that their solutions will be in demand by themselves because the demand is high. But the reality is different. And this is exactly where the GTM strategy comes in. It ensures that you don’t act like an attacker without a plan, but instead take precise aim at your target.
Why is this so important? Because without a clear strategy, there’s a high probability that you’ll either target the wrong audience or your message will be so general that it gets lost in the noise of the market. After all, you don’t want to use a shotgun approach where you try to reach everything and everyone. Instead, you need a precise plan of attack – one that helps you use your resources efficiently and reach the right people.
The GTM strategy forces you to take a close look at your target group. You ask yourself questions like: Who really has the problem you can solve? What drives these people? Perhaps your IT security solutions are aimed specifically at medium-sized companies whose IT teams are overloaded. Or you may be targeting industries that are particularly heavily regulated, such as banking or healthcare. The key is to dig deep enough to understand what your target audience actually needs and how you can convince them that you’re the right partner.
Another important aspect is your positioning. Imagine you are one of many providers of endpoint security solutions. Why would a company choose you? Is it because you have a particularly user-friendly interface? Or maybe because your support team is available 24/7 worldwide? Your positioning is the foundation on which your entire marketing strategy is built. Without a clear positioning, you are like a security concept without patch management: incomplete and vulnerable.
And then comes the operational part: your marketing measures. The GTM strategy helps you to select the right channels and tools to spread your message. Should you focus on technical webinars to reach IT decision-makers? Or rather on case studies that show realistic scenarios and successes with your product? Perhaps it also makes sense to cooperate with MSPs (managed service providers) who recommend your solution directly to their customers. Whatever it is – the GTM strategy ensures that you don’t act haphazardly, but take a targeted approach.
In short: a GTM strategy is your handbook for market entry. It shows you how you can not only become visible with your IT security solutions, but also remain relevant. Without it, you risk getting lost in the competition – with it, you are ideally prepared to conquer your market.
Wer braucht eine Go-to-Market-Strategie?
Whether you are just starting out as a start-up or are already an old hand in the IT security or cybersecurity industry, the GTM framework is like a universal Swiss army knife. It is suitable for anyone who wants to put their product or service in the spotlight, regardless of whether they are new to the market or already established.
Why? Because it helps you to keep an overview. Imagine you’ve developed a great cybersecurity tool, but nobody knows about it. Or you offer a service that is hard to grasp because it is so specific. The GTM framework is your guide to making sure your target audience not only hears about you, but also understands exactly why they need you.
GTM strategy for IT security and cyber security
Are you ready to develop your go-to-market strategy (GTM)? Perfect! In the next few steps, I’ll show you how to create a customized GTM strategy for your IT security or cybersecurity product or service in a short space of time. It doesn’t matter whether you are part of an established company or just starting out – the approaches can be applied flexibly to any initial situation.
Before we dive into the details, however, I have a small request: Realize that you’re just switching perspectives here – from deep technical work to the world of marketing. For many of us who are deep in IT security, this can be a challenge. It’s almost as if you’re suddenly switching from designing a security bunker to designing the shop window. Both are important, but they require a completely different mindset.
My tip? Take a moment to consciously accept that marketing is not only necessary, but can also be exciting. It’s the stage where you can put your expertise and solutions in the spotlight. If you embrace it, you’ll see that it can even be really fun over time.
So, let’s get started! Step by step, I’ll explain how you can develop a GTM strategy that not only works, but also suits you and your goals.
Step 1: Define your goals
A strategy without clear goals is like navigating without a destination: you can arrive anywhere – but perhaps not where you want to go. Goals not only give you a direction, but also a yardstick to check your progress. And hand on heart: gut decisions are not always the best approach, especially in an area as structured as the go-to-market.
To ensure that your goals don’t end up as vague pipe dreams, they should be precisely formulated. This is where the SMART method comes into play. In the next section, I’ll explain how it works and we’ll take a look together at examples of well-formulated goals.
SMART Method
SMART is an acronym that describes the five core characteristics of a good goal.
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
These characteristics will help you to formulate goals in such a way that they are not only ambitious, but also tangible. Let’s go through each point once.
Specific – Clarity is everything
A goal must be formulated precisely, without ifs and buts. Statements such as “If we have enough employees, we could set up customer support” are not goals, but conditions. You are postponing decisions and giving yourself a back door to not tackle the goal.
It would be better to say: “Set up a customer support team.” This makes it clear what you want to achieve. There are no excuses, no conditions, just a clear focus.
Measurable – Making progress visible
Without measurability, a goal remains nebulous. You need to know when you have achieved it – or how far away you are from it.
Our example becomes: “Establish a customer support team with five employees.” Now you can check if you’re making progress. Once the fifth team member is on board, you know you’ve reached your goal.
Achievable – Stay realistic
Dream big, but plan realistically. If a goal is unattainable, it doesn’t motivate anyone – on the contrary, it frustrates. Think about whether you have the necessary resources, skills and capacities to achieve the goal.
Example: If your business is just starting out, “300 customers per month within the first three months” is unrealistic. In contrast, “20 customers within three months” would be a goal that challenges you, but doesn’t overwhelm you.
Relevant – Focus on what counts
A goal should be in line with your overarching strategies and priorities. There is no point in putting energy into things that are nice but not essential.
Example: If your main goal is to attract customers, “Create a 100-page internal guide to compliance” would be important but not critical to market entry. Instead, a goal could be: “Create a landing page with the three main use cases of our product.”
Time-bound – Set deadlines
Without a time limit, a goal is like a project without an end. A clear deadline gives you and your team orientation and creates commitment.
The example becomes: “Set up a customer support team with five employees by 31.12.2024.” Now there is a clear target to work towards.
Examples of SMART goals
To make the theory more tangible, here are a few examples:
Short-term goals (within one year)
- Establishment of 30 new providers by 31.12.2024.
- Increase registered customers by 20 accounts by 31.12.2024.
- Increase the number of visitors to 300 per month by 31.12.2024.
- Achieve a monthly turnover of € 5,000 by 15.03.2025.
Long-term goals (longer than one year)
- Build up 300 providers by 31.12.2026.
- Increase monthly turnover to € 30,000 by 31.12.2028.
Why clear goals are crucial
With clearly defined goals, you not only know where you are going, but also how you can measure progress. They help you to take the right measures and provide orientation for you and your team. If things don’t go as planned, you can make adjustments in good time.
Now that you know the basics of goal setting, we can move on to developing the next steps of your GTM strategy – step by step, clearly structured and always with your goals in mind.
Step 2: Find your ideal customer
Now it’s getting exciting: you’re going to find out who your perfect customer is – the one who not only makes your goals achievable, but also helps you to exceed them. But before you dive headfirst into the analysis, let’s clarify two terms you should definitely know: Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Buyer Persona (BP).
The difference? The ICP is like a rough outline on a map – it defines which companies belong to your target group, e.g. automotive suppliers or medium-sized IT service providers. The buyer persona, on the other hand, gives this outline a face: it shows which people within these companies make the decisions, what makes them tick and what they really want.
The two together provide a clear picture of your target group – like a precise map that shows you the way to the right customers.
Hypothesis instead of perfection
If you’re just starting out, you probably don’t have solid data to really define your ICP or buyer persona. No problem! Think of the process like an experiment: You formulate a hypothesis, try it out, gain experience – and optimize it bit by bit.
How do you get there? Conduct interviews, talk to potential customers and observe exactly how they react to your solution. The more you learn about their needs and behavior, the more precise your picture will be.
What belongs in an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?
To create an ideal customer profile, you need a clear structure. Here are the most important building blocks:
1. Brief description of the ICP
Start with a concise description that helps you get to the heart of the ICP. Example: “Medium-sized IT service provider with a focus on security solutions for critical infrastructures.”
2. Demographic Information
Demographic data is the cornerstone of a solid ICP. Think about it:
- Industry: In which industry is the ICP active?
- Company size: How many employees does the company have? Example: 100-500 employees.
- Turnover: What is the typical turnover range?
- Location: Where is the company located? Example: Europe or DACH region.
- Decision-makers: Who is in charge? This could be IT managers, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) or managing directors, for example.
3. Business objectives
What goals does your ICP pursue? This can vary depending on the industry:
- “Improve cyber security standards to meet compliance.”
- “Reduce IT costs while increasing system reliability.”
If you don’t have direct data, research or deduce from general industry trends.
4. Problems und Challenges
What obstacles stand in the way of your ICP? Examples could be
- “Difficulties in finding sufficiently qualified personnel for IT security.”
- “Increasing threat from ransomware without a clear counter-strategy in place.”
5. Behavior and Traits
This is about how your ICP “ticks”. Example:
- Behavior: OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) often have tight schedules and expect quick results.
- Traits: Technology focus, data-driven decisions or a strong hierarchy.
Example: The OEM as the ideal customer profile
An example helps to make the theory tangible. Let’s assume you want to sell IT security solutions to OEMs. Your ICP could look like this:
- Description: Large companies in the automotive industry that manufacture electronic components.
- Demography:
- Industry: Automotive 1-Tier Supplier
- Company size: 500+ employees
- Turnover: > €100 million per year
- Location: Europe, North America
- Decision-makers: IT managers, security managers
- Business objectives:
- Protection of production systems against cyber attacks.
- Compliance with ISO standards such as ISO 27001.
- Problems:
- Lack of transparency in securing the supply chain.
- High pressure to introduce innovative technologies quickly without risking security gaps.
- Behavior:
- Expectation of fast and scalable solutions.
- Decision based on ROI and technological compatibility.
Why the ICP is essential
A clearly defined ICP is the foundation of your go-to-market strategy. It helps you to focus on the customers who really suit you – and who also need your product or service. With time and more data, you can continue to refine the ICP and make your strategy even more effective.
In the next step, we will look at how you can develop specific buyer personas from your ICP to delve even deeper into the world of your customers.
Step 3: Identify Buyers
With the help of the buyer persona, we identify a typical customer who is addressed via your marketing campaigns. We need to understand what the needs, challenges and actions of your ideal customer are.
Now that we know our target group through the ideal customer profile, we need to go one level deeper. We need to understand who we have in front of us. Ideally, you already have customers and can derive your buyer persona from them. But if not, don’t despair. Because, as with the ICP, you can make a hypothesis.
Our aim is to use the BP to find out how a customer makes a purchase decision and how you can influence this.
With the help of the following questions, you can easily create a buyer persona:
- Is it in the B2B or B2C market?
- In which sector does it operate? And how is the company structured?
- What does it work as?
- What purchasing relationship does it have?
- How does he make decisions?
- What are his professional goals?
- What problems and challenges does he have to overcome?
- What kind of education does he have? (Studies, training, no degree, etc.)
- Where does he live? How old is he? What hobbies does he have?
- Where does he get information from?
- When is he best available?
Example
Max Mustermann (35 years old, Dortmund, Head of Marketing, studied business administration, enjoys doing things with friends)
- Is in the B2B market
- Is active in the IT security sector. The company structure has a flat hierarchy and the company consists of 20 people.
- Must ensure that marketing campaigns reach as many customers as possible in order to establish brand awareness.
- Max’s decisions are based on the potential reach that can be achieved by a particular product or service, i.e. figures, data and facts need to be looked at. Impulsive purchases are less likely.
- Max needs to identify and use the right marketing channels to make his inbound marketing successful.
- LinkedIn, Xing, Google
- Is best reached between 08:00 and 17:00.
Step 4: Define your value proposition
Imagine you’re standing in a room full of people and they’re all shouting at the same time: “Buy from me! I’m the best!” Pretty exhausting, isn’t it? This is exactly where your value proposition comes into play – it’s like your personal elevator pitch, only much clearer and to the point. It tells your potential customers: “Hey, this is the reason why my product or service is perfect for you!”
But what exactly does that mean? Your value proposition is the promise you make to your customer. It describes what added value your product or service offers, what problem you solve or what wish you fulfill – and why you can do this better than anyone else. It is the answer to the question: “Why should I buy from you of all people?”
The three most important ingredients for a strong value proposition:
- Relevance: Show that you understand and solve the customer’s problem.
- Uniqueness: Explain why your solution is better than the competition.
- Clarity: Communicate your added value in a simple and understandable way – no buzzwords or technical jargon.
Cybersecurity and IT security – an example with added value
If you offer products or services in the field of cyber security, a concise value proposition is crucial. After all, the topic is complex and your potential customers are looking for a clear solution to an often elusive problem: protection against digital threats.
Example:
- CrowdStrike: “We stop attacks in their tracks – with AI-supported cyber security solutions.”
-> Clear, relevant and unique. CrowdStrike solves the urgent problem of fending off cyber attacks quickly and efficiently and sets itself apart from the competition through the use of AI.
Or in the area of IT security for companies:
- Okta: “Secure and simple access management for every app, every device and every user.”
-> The focus here is on the benefits: Companies can use Okta to strengthen their IT security and improve the user experience at the same time.
Why this is so important:
Especially in areas such as cyber security and IT security, trust is crucial. Your customers need to feel that you can really protect their data and systems. A strong value proposition helps you build this trust by showing your customers that you understand their concerns and provide a clear, reliable solution.
My tip: Remember that fear often plays a role in IT security – fear of data loss, hacking or compliance issues. A good value proposition should take these fears seriously, but at the same time reassure them and emphasize the benefits of your solution.
Example
If we now apply this to cyberphinix, the value proposition could look like this:
“cyberphinix optimizes the process of acquiring new customers and projects and offers a cost-effective solution that reduces both time and costs for providers.”
Step 5: Demand Generation
If you’re an IT security expert tasked with marketing your company, it can be overwhelming. Your job is to harden firewalls, identify zero-day gaps and manage risks, not necessarily to create fancy marketing campaigns. But don’t worry! There are marketing approaches that could be just right for you – pragmatic, targeted and, above all, understandable for experts like you. Let’s take a look at six key marketing approaches and examine them using practical examples from the world of IT and cyber security.
Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing attracts potential customers by providing useful content that solves their problems. It’s about being found – not about actively approaching someone. This approach works particularly well as a content marketing strategy for IT security and cyber security.
Cybersecurity example: Imagine your company offers a software solution to defend against ransomware. Instead of approaching potential customers directly, you create a detailed guide entitled: “5 effective strategies to protect your business from ransomware”. This guide is offered via your blog, on social networks and as a free download. Anyone who downloads the guide may leave their email address and you will have a potentially interested target group. You can also explain in an accompanying webinar how your software helps to implement the strategies mentioned. This is how you combine content marketing for IT security with an effective market entry strategy.
Outbound Marketing
The opposite of inbound is outbound marketing: here you actively approach potential customers – be it via emails, advertising or even phone calls. This approach is ideal for finding customers directly and promoting your cyber security services.
IT Security example: Imagine your company develops a special endpoint security solution for SMEs. With a targeted campaign, you send personalized emails to IT managers of SMEs offering a free trial of your product. Or you can place ads on LinkedIn that directly address IT decision-makers: “How secure are your end devices? Try our solution for free now!” The focus here is on actively spreading the message and generating attention quickly. An IT security marketing strategy like this can help to tap into new target groups.
Product-led Marketing
Your product speaks for itself. Instead of long sales processes, you enable users to try out your solution directly. Product-led marketing is one of the most effective strategies for IT security companies that want to build trust.
Example cyber security: Your company offers a cloud-based SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tool. You provide a free basic version of your software that IT teams can use to monitor smaller networks. Once these users experience the benefits – such as real-time alerts on suspicious activity – they can upgrade to the paid Pro version, which offers more features. Such freemium models are perfect for building trust and making the benefits of the product directly tangible. This approach combines cybersecurity marketing with a clear GTM strategy for IT security solutions.
Channel-led Marketing
Here you work closely with partners who sell your solutions. These can be resellers, distributors or managed service providers. This strategy is ideal for scaling your cyber security services efficiently.
Cybersecurity example: Let’s say you develop identity and access management software. Instead of marketing this directly, you cooperate with a large IT distributor who adds your solution to their existing portfolio. The distributor trains its sales team to actively recommend your software to its customers – perhaps larger companies or public institutions. As a manufacturer, you benefit from the market coverage and established customer relationships of your partners. Reaching customers with cyber security services is made much easier through strong partnerships.
Community-led Marketing
This is where you build a committed community that recommends your brand and your solution out of conviction. Community-led approaches are a valuable part of a comprehensive cyber security marketing strategy.
Example cyber security: You start an online community for IT security experts where professionals can share knowledge, discuss threats and develop best practices. To stimulate discussion, you organize regular AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with your internal experts. Members not only appreciate the exchange, but also learn about your solution – e.g. through case studies of successful implementations that you share in the community. An engaged community is key to reaching more customers with IT security services.
Ecosystem-led Marketing
This is about working with other companies to create a larger ecosystem in which your product plays a central role. This strategy for IT security companies maximizes synergies.
Example cyber security: Your company offers a threat intelligence platform. Instead of marketing this in isolation, you integrate your solution into an ecosystem of partners such as SIEM providers, endpoint security solutions and network monitoring tools. Together with your partners, you organize a security conference at which the entire ecosystem is presented. Attendees learn how the different components work together seamlessly – with your platform at the heart. This IT security marketing strategy underlines the importance of cooperation in cybersecurity marketing.
Step 6: Time for the action plan: Your strategy comes to life
Congratulations – you have laid the foundations of your go-to-market strategy for your IT security or cyber security product. Now comes the crucial step: implementation! A strategy remains just theory if it is not backed up with clear actions. This is about defining concrete measures that will lead you step by step towards your goals.
You should be clear about one thing: Your action plan is like the blueprint of a house. Each goal that you defined at the beginning is a supporting pillar, and the actions are the building blocks that make the whole thing stable and functional. Without clear actions, you will be left with nice ideas – but with them you can get started and deliver results.
Planning campaigns: How do you bring your solution to the target group?
To get your IT security service or product to the right people, you need a clear roadmap. Think about how each step contributes directly to one of your goals. This will help you avoid wasting resources on unimportant activities.
Here are some questions to help you structure your action plan:
- Which channels do you use? Reach your target group where they are. For IT security decision-makers, this could be specialized platforms such as LinkedIn, specialist conferences or targeted webinars.
- What messages do you convey? Your aim is to address the specific challenges of your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and show how your solution solves them.
- How do you create trust? Especially in the area of cyber security, credibility is crucial. Consider using case studies, customer reviews or partnerships with trusted players in the industry.
- How do you measure success? Define concrete KPIs for each action, e.g. the number of leads generated, the conversion rate or participation in a webinar.
Example: From goal to action
Imagine one of your goals is: “Increase registered customers by 20 by the end of the year.”
Your actions could look like this:
- Launch webinar series: “Cybersecurity for SMEs: Challenges and Solutions.” Goal: Generate leads.
- Targeted LinkedIn campaign: Use content that is specifically relevant to the buyer persona, e.g. IT managers or security officers.
- Email sequences to potential customers: Provide helpful content such as security checklists or whitepapers that show your added value.
- SEO optimization of your website: Make sure keywords like “cybersecurity solutions for SMBs” are prominent so potential customers can find you.
The common thread: Keeping goals in focus
When creating your action plan, it is important to keep looking back at your goals. Every action you take should contribute directly or indirectly to achieving these goals. If you notice that a planned action is not making a clear contribution, ask yourself whether it is really necessary – or whether your resources would be better spent elsewhere.