As the security industry starts to look forward to InfoSec in June, Jargon PR MD Simon Corbett explains how companies can make the most of the three day conference.
Every year at InfoSec businesses in the security industry each invest thousands of pounds on impressive stands and product demos. For some, the deals done at an event like it can make up almost half of a company’s sales for an entire year. The high value of InfoSec to so many businesses highlights the necessity to make the most of the three days.
Too many, however, fail to maximise on their time at the show. Sales are understandably a critical focus but the importance of building relationships to drive future sales should not be ignored. Conferences can be a great platform to build a company’s profile, drive brand recognition and engage with key influencers including press and industry analysts. So here are my tips to maximise your presence at InfoSec this year:
1. Make a company announcement
Making an announcement about something exciting and new with your company can be a great way to increase visits to your stand and build your company’s profile in the media. It has to be of interest to a publication’s readers (so the fact that you’ve moved offices probably won’t cut it), but we’ve seen significant traction with our clients making announcements about new partners or releasing new case studies. Utilising who you know and work with is a great way to increase awareness of your brand and demonstrate expertise.
2. Create a buzz around your presence
With people becoming more immune and less receptive to clear sales messages, positioning your brand as an industry thought leader is a great way to drive brand recognition and positive perception by offering potential customers advice, education and expertise. Driving debate and positioning yourself as experts can be relatively simple to achieve by carrying out a piece of research. A conference is an especially good time to release research as it can become a key talking point, growing your company’s presence and positioning you as a groundbreaking leader in the market.
3. Make the most of your events
Shows are also a great time to hold events. With the security industry descending on London, Infosec can be used to build relationships with existing customers on the ground and catchup with other industry experts. Events can be used to catch up with customers, but are also an excellent way to build your reputation and engage with influencers. Getting a selection of your customers in a room together to discuss an issue is no mean feat, so making the most of it by inviting press and industry analysts will help to maximise your impact through positive press coverage, and positioning your business as a leader in its space.
4. Engage in discussions
Part of the role of media and press at events like Infosec is to provide insight for the outsider into the debates and discussions surrounding the show. Simple things like engaging in debate on social media, or building relationships with key journalists will help to maximise your chances of inclusion within relevant media and further create a buzz around your company.
5. Don’t just bring your sales team
Engaging in discussions requires diversity of opinion and information. To often businesses make the mistake of only bringing their sales teams to shows. The problem with this is that there is little diversity in expertise and opinion. While your sales teams are probably great at generating and building B2B partnerships, are they knowledgeable enough to discuss issues with analysts or the media? Bringing people from different parts of a business will provide a mix, and broaden the areas of expertise you can speak about and engage in debate with.
In short, getting your voice heard above a growing crowd at a show like Infosec can be very difficult and is often put as a second priority. However, the opportunity to engage with influencers, build your reputation and grow that future sales pipeline through PR should not be ignored.
The agency has managed campaigns at Infosec for over five years, helping numerous security tech companies stand out from the crowd by driving awareness and as a result sales.
By Simon Corbett is MD of tech PR agency Jargon PR
Bio : Simon Corbett is the Managing Director of Jargon PR a high quality boutique agency running UK and international public relations campaigns for over 30 retained clients.The agency has offices in London, Hampshire and San Jose, California. It’s core line of business is Technology & Corporate Media & Analyst Relations services.Corbett launched Jargon PR in late 2008 after a decade of experience gained at top 10 global agencies Edelman, WeberShandwick & Porter Novelli.He is also a husband and a father-of-two.
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