As a security provider in 2020, brand trust is paramount. Customers have many reasons to doubt a tech company’s claims and if your brand does not make a conscious effort to validate these claims, you will suffer.

And with the current saturation of the cloud security market, it’s not enough to just offer a security solution. The average cost of cyberattack is £20,000, and 60% of SMEs hit close down within six months.

Every brand needs to convey that their cloud security product could save a business. Communicating that uniquely is the challenge.

Read on to discover how a cloud security company can improve their brand. While you’re at it, download our full guide, “Cloud Security 2020: Barriers to Growth”, including this and other obstacles that your brand can overcome to generate more sales.

Al Young notes the difference in how brands treated customers in the past, “when I started in this business, brands tried to entertain. If you made people laugh, you could pretend you were their mate and that was success.”

We’ve moved from entertainment to trust. A trustworthy brand is worth way more, especially in security, to businesses looking for a cloud solution.

In 2020, 77% of B2B buyers do not talk to salespeople without doing their own research. Most will start their research on social media – yet B2B brands widely disregard it entirely.

This sounds like old news, but it should be stated – a healthy digital footprint is not desirable but necessary – social media engagement, a distinct tone of voice and a strong visual brand all contribute to creating trust.

Our guide’s third barrier to growth outlines it as simply as possible: “Your Brand is Weak”. It’s not just about product features or previous clients, it’s about the strength and clarity.

CMOs are starting to realise this; 33% put brand strategy as one of their top three 2020 priorities, a big jump from last year.

Cloud companies are more inclined to prioritise brand strategy simply due to a lack of tangibility. There’s more trust required and its harder to get back if lost.

A bad reputation will typically create barriers but for most it can be faster to flip a bad story. KFC ran out of chicken and managed to spin it into good PR. Working in the security industry, however, means one bad customer experience could prove irreparable.

View your cloud security brand image as an ornate vase. The painstaking time and effort took to build and shape reputation and include the necessary detail could all be gone with one drop.

Keeping the vase from smashing is down to how well you prevent a drop and how quick your catching reflexes are. Focus on customer experience – currently overtaking price and product as a key brand differentiator and a main driver in cloud solution purchases.

Show how positive your customers’ experiences have been. Leverage potential clients with a look into how pain-free the whole process will be and if your product is up to scratch, you’ll see word-of-mouth referrals go through the roof.

Click here to download our guide – “Cloud Security 2020: Barriers to Growth (And How To Overcome Them)” – to read more on how to grow your brand.