The more C-suite executives that we speak to, the more we are finding boardroom involvement in major IT decisions. CISO’s and CEO’s need answers to the difficult questions boards are asking — especially when it comes to their cybersecurity posture and crisis management procedures as evidenced by a recent KPMG report.
“We are clearly seeing an increased focus by boards on key operational risks across the extended global organization—e.g., supply chain and outsourcing risks, information technology and data security risks, etc. Do we understand the company’s critical operational risks? What has changed in the operating environment? Has the company experienced any control failures? Is management sensitive to early warning signs regarding safety, product quality, and compliance?” (KPMG, On the Board 2017)
So, what does this mean for cybersecurity solution providers?
It means you need be educating the C-suite — CISO’s, CIO’s, and CEO’s — on how to alleviate the key concerns asked in the boardroom and recommend solutions that have clear value.
How do you reach the c-suite?
The right content is important, but it’s not the only thing. Yes, you need to understand the issues and address these concerns with your content. The c-suite needs to know you get it, that you understand the challenges they face and that you can uniquely solve their problems with your solutions. Producing this content can be a challenge, but it’s achievable with the right plan in place. But there is more.
What’s missing from the equation?
You have the right content that meets all the criteria. Check. Why aren’t you reaching the right audience? The main reason is that the problem extends beyond posting to your blog. As a cybersecurity solution provider it is imperative to not only address c-suite concerns with content, and post to traditional channels, but to take it a step further where you will get real results.
Finding Alternative Ways to Reach the C-suite
One way ContentMX helps organizations reach out to the c-suite is through interviews posted to the Cybersecurity Journal where we ask organizations to talk about the challenges of cybersecurity for the C-suite and the boardroom. For example:
One particular interview addressed how cyber insurance is a way that an organization can protect itself. While insurance can protect against financial loss, cyber insurance companies don’t actually investigate the protections you have put in place until after the breach has occurred.
To help their clients understand this issue, the cybersecurity company is meeting with cyber insurance companies to understand c-suite needs, and they are then developing blog content that explains their findings.
ContentMX posts content like this to the Cybersecurity Journal. We also promote content through social media and blog posts, as well as include content in newsletters and journals aimed at the c-suite audience. Native ad buys complete the cycle by placing the content in front of the right audience of executive decision makers.
With this complete content marketing approach, companies who understand and address the challenges in the boardroom will break through the noise and win in the increasingly competitive cybersecurity marketplace.