Effective Marketing Strategies for Security Companies

In the past, security companies have been successful with traditional marketing strategies such as TV and radio ads. However, in today's digital world, these strategies are no longer effective. Security companies need to change their marketing approach. 

Luckily, there are a variety of different online marketing techniques that can be used to promote a security company in a more effective way. This article discusses five effective marketing strategies for security companies, no matter if you're new to the market or experienced, these ideas will help you find success as a security company owner.

1. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most effective marketing strategies for security companies. With the help of SEO, many security companies have been able to grow their customer base by attracting new clients on a monthly basis.

The objective of SEO is to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs), so that people can easily find and contact your company. The higher your ranking, the more exposure and opportunities you'll receive.

Keep an eye out for keywords related to your business that aren't overly competitive so you can rank higher in SERPS. Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to drive traffic back to your website where you can share content and link back to your site.

Google Business Profile

One of the easiest methods of implementing SEO for your security business is to claim your listing on Google My Business (or Google Business Profile)!

Google Business Profile is a free business listing from Google. It allows you to provide details and photos of your business, including your location, services, and products. This tool alone is a simple and easy win to get some more "SEO juice" to fuel your organic reach.

All you have to do is stay up to date with your listing and optimize it, so the content stays fresh (and relevant).

Professional Directories

Some of the most popular directory websites are Yelp and Angie's List. Your security company can easily benefit from directory websites by boosting your online presence. Don't just look at the bigger name directories either. Even smaller "local" based can be of use and add a little power behind your SEO efforts.

This is something that we help you in by partnering with Yext, an online listing submission program. The process with Yext makes it seamless and easy! Just make sure that you aren't adding yourself to irrelevant directories if you choose the manual process.

Responsive Website

Now...what about my website???

If you are an established security professional then there is no excuse to not have a website -- after all, we are talking about SEO here. Does your website have to be fancy with all the bells and whistles? No, but having an online presence is crucial in every industry.

Give your potential client the tools to at least know something about you or your company before going through any proposal process. Think of it as your digital flyer or business card. When creating or updating your website keep SEO in your mind so that you are staying up with the best practices. Examples include but not limited to the following:

• Consistent details regarding NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number)

• Optimizing Title Tags

• Create an XML sitemap and robots.txt

• Structured URL data

• Optimizing images

• Schema Data Markup

• Mobile friendliness and responsive web pages

2. Paid Advertising

As mentioned in the introduction, traditional marketing is less effective in today's digital world. That being said, paid advertising still has its place... that place is online! Paid advertising is a marketing strategy that involves purchasing ad space on an online platform and then driving traffic to this page.

This type of advertisement will become more affordable as the number of users increase on these platforms. For example, if you are advertising on Facebook or Twitter, you can bet that your ad will be seen by many people because these social media networks have over a billion active monthly users.

Paid advertisements also have the ability to instantly target your ideal customer base which means that you don't need to worry about wasting money on ads that won't convert into sales. You can easily input information about your audience and use it to narrow down your campaign for a more successful ad campaign.

There are a variety of platforms where you can advertise your security company such as Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Facebook Ads just to name a few.

Due to the nature of the security business, search engine advertising using platforms such as Google or Microsoft may be more beneficial than social media. For example, guard services should be focused more on the higher intent platforms, but home security companies have a stronger advantage over guard service for social media ads (just in our experience).

Discover how we helped a new home security company achieve remarkable results with limited resources. Witness their success as we generated a stream of fresh leads for them, and closed an impressive 17 of those leads to generate immediate profits, all achieved within a small budget.

Google Search Ads

Search campaigns allow you to place ads across Google's vast network of search results. You can show ads to people actively searching online for your products and services. Understand that Search Campaigns are only one type of campaign, there are also Display and Video (YouTube) options.

Some benefits include:

• Reach goals: Search campaigns can help you get more sales, leads, or website traffic.

• Highly relevant targeting: Target people actively searching for your specific products and services.

• Easy setup: Ads are easy to create and don't require special assets.

LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn is the World's #1 professional network that has been considered the best for B2B Lead Generation. Even if not used for ads per se, using LinkedIn as a social networking tool could be great for local visibility (as in meeting people). Learn more about LinkedIn Ads and determine if it could be of any benefit here!

Facebook/Instagram (Meta) Ads

If you want to reach the maximum amount of people via advertising, there is no doubt Facebook and Instagram will get you there. Of course, you have to analyze on whether people are looking for security services on Facebook or not. It could be a great re-targeting tool but not a great cold audience tactic.

No matter what, this route requires a strategic approach to help calculate your Return On Investment. Plan your campaigns accordingly to achieve your goals. Paid advertising is a sure way to generate traffic, leads, and overall brand awareness for your security services.

3. Content Marketing

Content marketing is one of the fastest growing forms of marketing. It's a great idea for security company owners to use this technique because it offers a wide range of benefits. Relevant content can help build your business's brand and increase customer engagement. Additionally, it can help you to become more visible on the internet and establish yourself as an authoritative expert in your field. Finally, it allows you to create longer lasting relationships with potential clients by providing them with valuable content about your services, products, or industry.

So what type of content should a security company do?

Video Content

One thing has remained throughout the years...video content has reigned as king! Just think about it for a moment, when you see people on their endless scroll through Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. what type of content do you think they are consuming? 

Video allows for you to really educate and engage with your ideal audience. Given the importance of the security/defense industry, the opportunity to educate others will always be present. So, whether you're looking to start a new video series, create a how-to video, add videos to your blog, or simply post some relevant content on YouTube, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Blogging

Blogging for business and marketing is a very easy way to begin your marketing journey, especially for the security industry. Blogging can help build your authority on a subject area but most importantly trust. One tactic that I highly recommend for security professionals is that you can also write blogs that are internal, for example why not make a blog for your Employee of The Month/Quarter! It is an easy opportunity to shed light on employee achievements and also allows for potential clients to know that you are active with internal accomplishments.

Some other benefits of blogging include:

• It drives web traffic

• You can re-purpose blog content for social media

• Helps with link building

• Great for long-term results (Lead generation)

 Another tip on blogging, if you can make a video out of it then do it! Adding video to your blog can be great to give people an option to either read or watch.

Infographics

Every now and then, I will come across a great infographic. They are short, simple, and get the purpose of the content out there in a visual format. Security services could easily use this type of content to promote their services, spread awareness, and/or educate the local area.

Creating great content can be a challenge! Don't listen to people that say you need to do it ___ times per week/month (or whatever other frequency). Just put out quality content when it suits you best, the frequency can come when you have a standard for what is great content. As you can tell, there is no shortage of terrible content!

If you want to create great infographics, try using a program like Canva or Venngage!

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing techniques. It's often overlooked because it's not seen as an "exciting" marketing technique, but it can be very powerful and effective. Email marketing has the potential to reach a wider audience than any other type of marketing. You can create lead magnets or offer people discounts or promotions for signing up for your emails. But it does require a lot of work.

You'll need to plan out each email carefully and ensure that all of your links, images, and text are optimized. If you don't take time to optimize your emails, then you risk having them end up in spam folders or being ignored altogether. This could potentially harm your business if you rely heavily on email marketing.

5. Event Hosting/Networking

Event hosting is one of the most cost-effective ways to market a security company. Why? Because people will remember you for a long time after you give a speech at their event. When someone gets up and speaks, they are very memorable. 

If you're not sure how to start, attend events in your industry and volunteer to do a quick 10-minute talk on what makes your company unique. This will help build your reputation as an expert in the industry without costing too much money.

Additionally, if there are conferences or workshops happening in your area, offer to host them. It may be difficult to find venues when you're newer so offer to provide food or drinks if the venue isn't free. This can help you get more leads that might be interested in your services!

One of my favorite strategies is to host virtual events! No, I am not talking about Zoom meetings with a bunch of people, I am talking about virtual networking events that are multi-purpose and interactive. As you network with others, you could easily network with local business owners and create a great experience together.

However, you go about implementing these strategies, remember that you have to think long-term. For newer security or defense professionals, it may take a bit to get your brand out there (and that is fine). Just stay consistent and know that our goal is to change our communities for the better.

Want to learn more about what Imani Advantage can do for your security or defense company? Contact us today!