Effective Communication: Marketing for Technical Brands

In the world of cybersecurity, many of our clients aren’t just communicating with end users; investors and government bodies are also key stakeholders. When a technical business struggles to convey its solution, it risks hindering business growth.

Launched in 2023, Cyber Made Human started as a 12-part passion project. Aimed at discussing current, prevalent or upcoming cyber topics, our host Alice meets with experts in their field for a conversation that minimises complexity and addresses the key points. Through the production of the original 12-part series, we discovered the value in its approach to communication.

This involved deconstructing the complex technical language barrier and replacing it with more accessible terminology. This could be as simple as explaining acronyms, putting a topic into a more relatable context and being open about the direct impact of topical pros and cons.

The success we have had with this series has helped inform our approach to the services we offer and how we implement creative solutions to complex marketing goals. Through our engaged audience, we have learned what people need to hear to resonate with the topics presented. With this knowledge, we have designed our services to encompass a range of creative mediums, addressing the specific needs of each brand we work with.

With that established, the first step is to understand your clientele. You need to identify three key things:

● What do they want?
● How do they hear about you?
● What converts them to clients?

Once you have established this, you can begin to develop your own tailored method for communication. Our advice for answering these questions would be to conduct in-depth market research to understand each of these points. It’s important to look at who else operates in your sector and geographic area, and who could be a potential partner or competitor. What are other solutions doing well, what are they doing badly? Critically, you’re looking through the lens of your target audience, not yourself.

With that established, you can begin to reach out to your clientele. Here are the key ways you can enhance your communication:

Abbreviations 

These work great when you’re in the know; however, if you’re a newcomer, unexplained abbreviations just add confusion. For example, often there will be long technical terms used in cybersecurity, such as Post-Quantum Computing (PQC) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Writing these out in full for every instance can overcomplicate an already highly technical article or paper. Abbreviating these saves reading time, avoids repetition, and shortens sentences. However, it is important to refer to the full term at least once. This ensures that people unfamiliar with the terminology do not feel alienated or overwhelmed. 

Length 

When discussing technical subjects, there is often an overwhelming amount of detail involved. The first impulse may be to convey all this information to provide a complete overview of the factors, considerations and specifications involved. Whilst this is valuable for specialists, a broader audience is unlikely to approach it with the same understanding or have the time to read, process, and formulate an understanding. 

The best approach is to save these longer overviews for technical specialists and provide a more universal breakdown which can be used in other sections. Focus on how your business solves a problem and what the measurable outcomes are, not the micro detail of how the technology was created. 

Context 

For those who are unfamiliar with the topics at hand, establishing a basis for understanding is vital. There are many levels of context; you will need to judge the right one based on your audience. Here are some examples. Most in the cyber and tech space are familiar with AI, VPNs, cyber terrorism and data protection. These have received a lot of media coverage and are often encountered in our daily lives, whether in personal or work contexts. However, other topics, such as quantum computing, blockchain and cryptocurrency, require more explanation. These are niche or cutting-edge technologies which have yet to have a direct or currently limited impact.