With over 800 SIA ACS-approved UK security companies and somewhere in the region of 13,000 non-ACS companies, there is a massive amount of competition for every contract. When the crowd is so large, finding a way to stand out can be immensely difficult, and more so with the ever evolving security company marketing strategies. Difficult, but absolutely essential if your company is going to have a chance of survival, is such a gladiatorial industry.
So, with margins so tight, you’re not going to have a fistful of cash to throw at PR, advertising, or pitching a stand at expos or conferences. Top-name consultants and commercial directors are worth their weight in gold, but will cost not far off that to engage. Whatever security company marketing you need to do must be somewhere between ‘cost-effective’ and downright ‘cheap’.
What are your options? Alternative advertising.
Social Media Output
Make sure you utilise social media for brand building to maximum effect. Lots and lots of content showing ultra-smart-looking security officers in your company uniforms. Celebrate all your company wins. Find someone who can spend a couple of hours a week creating and publishing effective content on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and do not let it slip. Regular posts on all networks will help you gain followers.
Also, identify potential customers or target markets, and follow them. If they have a use for your services, then they may follow you back, and they’ll become aware of how great your company is by the great output you publish.
Intelligent Online Advertising
Google ads and YouTube advertising are relatively cheap, and best of all, you can apply a range of filters and parameters to ensure that your ads reach the target demographic.
I went through a phase a couple of years ago when every time I looked at anything security-related on YouTube, I was met halfway through with a short ad from a company called Region Security. Kudos to them. They were not a big outfit, but I saw so many of their promotional videos, I could not help but remember their name and company logo.
Use AI to Assist Your Security Company Marketing
We have all seen horrible websites and poorly written job adverts, dripping with grammatical mistakes, spelling disasters and generally clunky wording. Do yourself a favour, especially if the complexities of the English language are problematic, or it is not your first language.
Run what you want to say through ChatGPT and ask it to rewrite your ideas, also adding keywords designed to engage the reader and phrases designed to emphasise the excellence of your services and drive a call to action. (Feel free to rewrite this in a clearer prompt.) AI, used correctly, will not just make your ads and content sound better; it can apply psychology to help attract potential customers.
Recommended Read: How to Write the Perfect Job Ad
Nominate Your People for Industry Awards
Most security industry awards allow “self-nomination”, and getting on shortlists, or even winning, is a great way to showcase your company’s quality and achievements. The big awards are free to enter, and will involve an online application which can take an hour or two, especially if you need to gather supporting documentation.
Attend the events. Take lots of photos, and get them out across social media and on your website and staff newsletter.
Recommended Read: Why You Should Enter Security Awards
Be Different and Distinctive
Deploying officers in ultra-smart uniforms, with a memorable company logo on the tie or breast pocket, and a catchy corporate salutation, will do a lot to get you noticed fast. A couple of decades ago, before the SIA rocked up and the industry fell apart, there was a security company called SabreWatch. They had a huge amount of High Street retail contracts, and their officers were instantly identifiable as the uniforms were very ‘US law enforcement’ based.
These officers were also very well paid and had to complete a week-long training and assessment course before they were signed up. Everyone knew SabreWatch, and they were always regarded as the best in the business. They stood out and did something different.
Give Your Officers an Advantage
We all know that mandatory SIA training varies wildly in quality, and worse of all, there are a lot of security workers out there who have acquired an SIA licence with no training at all. So, send a clear message to potential clients that your officers are genuinely well-trained, knowledgeable and skilled security professionals. My friends at an excellent NW London-based security company, Pro Sentry, do something different that has always impressed me, so consider doing something similar.
All their new security officers have to undertake and pass an online training syllabus consisting of over a dozen advanced training courses. Failure to do this before the end of the 3-month probationary period will lead to the dismissal of the officer. An excellent way to ensure that you are deploying staff who can both do the job and enhance your corporate reputation. Best of all, the online courses are cheap to utilise.
Guerilla Marketing
I have seen one or two companies turn to ‘guerrilla marketing’. Frankly this is going to be more effective to raise interest from the TikTok generation and probably won’t generate the positive publicity you want, so maybe reconsider your cunning plan, to set fire to a 3 x life sized cardboard cutout of Kier Starmer in the middle of your local shopping centre, and when the press arrive, pull down your trousers to display your security company name and logo on your boxer shorts, as you get carted off by the law.
Why This Matters for GuardPass Users
In today’s crowded security market, the companies that win are the ones that show up with a professional image and a high-performing team. That’s where GuardPass comes in. With access to over 200,000 pre-vetted, SIA-licensed job seekers, advanced job ad tools, and built-in compliance support, GuardPass helps you hire smarter and faster. Whether you’re building your brand via trending security company marketing tactics or filling urgent roles, we make sure you’re remembered for the right reasons.
Final Thought
Whatever route you choose to build company brand awareness, don’t lose sight of the need for integrity and maintenance of professional standards, or your company will become known for all the wrong reasons, and you may have to go through the costly process of rebranding. Good luck.