Audience 1st

f you are too much in love with your product vs. how you help your audience solve a problem, you're going to be disconnected from the very people you're trying to reach.Content. The fuel that drives demand today.There is so much of it online.Unfortunately, though, the mass majority of content in the field has left security buyers confused and distracted.The problem that security practitioners find themselves in right now is that they’re bombarded with high quantities of content but also high quantities of higher-quality, product-centric content too.So, how do we go back to the core and create content that focuses on the real problems we can solve for security practitioners so they have the ability to make good decisions?In this episode, I had a candid and practical conversation with Andra Zaharia, creator and co-host of the Cyber Empathy podcast and cybersecurity marketing expert.We discussed the challenges she faces as a content marketing professional in cybersecurity, stereotypes to battle in order to be successful in the field, questions to ask to deliver valuable content, and the framework she uses to produce content.Join Audience 1st TodayJoin 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audience1st.substack.com

Even if you don't win right now on customer acquisition - you will absolutely win on the churn rate.People will not leave you.They will stay with you forever because they trust you.When I listened to Evan Francen, CEO of FRSecure and SecurityStudio, chat with Ryan Cloutier on their podcast, he said one thing that stood out to me:“I don’t want any friends.”I called b******t.And so, here we are, having a down-to-earth, candid conversation, full of “F'“ bombs and the “S” word 😱, about what motivates him, what his challenges are, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.Look how that worked out!Here’s hoping for a continued friendship.Join Audience 1st TodayJoin 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audience1st.substack.com

The goal is to frictionlessly get security buyers to information in trusted ways so they can self-verify and make wise, educated decisions.How do we build and develop business and communications skills, foster different ideas that allow us to think about how to be more ethical and innovative, and communicate better with our audience?How do we get cybersecurity to be a cool industry that people want to be in?These are questions that Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO at Delinea, asks himself regularly.In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with Joseph on what motivates him, what his challenges are, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.Join Audience 1st TodayJoin 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audience1st.substack.com

How we relate ourselves to others helps us deal with immediate challenges and provides us with the toolbox to navigate our immediate surroundings.If you’re phasing into cybersecurity marketing or are already working in cybersecurity as a marketer, it may come as no surprise that you must have some thick skin for the job.Between aggressive goals, sometimes stressful and fast-response support required, pressure to “rise above the noise”, ever-changing technology, and audiences that are sometimes hard to reach - all that can sometimes take a mental and emotional toll.Despite the challenges we, as marketers, face, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer, lose motivation or have feelings of negativity in your personal and professional life.There are ways to navigate fear, frustration, and imposter syndrome if you feel it like I sometimes do.In this episode, I had a refreshing and open conversation with Nadja El Fertasi, Founder of Founder Thrive with EQ and Emotional Firewalls.We discussed how to build emotional firewalls to become more resilient in today’s age and how to navigate fear, step out of your comfort zone, establish boundaries, and understand your audience.Join Audience 1st TodayJoin 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audience1st.substack.com

Ryan Cloutier, President of SecurityStudio, champions genuine relationships over profit-driven motives in the cybersecurity realm. He emphasizes that engaged employees are essential to defense strategies, challenging misleading industry tactics. Ryan discusses the importance of relatable marketing that resonates personally while addressing frustration with aggressive vendor practices. He advocates for transparency, ethical interactions, and genuine client relationships, encouraging a cultural shift towards meaningful engagement in business and cybersecurity.