Introduction:

As a penetration tester and threat hunter, I have found that building my brand and establishing trust with potential clients is crucial to my success. One strategy that has worked well for me is to share my journey, both the good and the bad, and to be transparent about my craft. In this blog post, I will explain why building in public is such a powerful tool for cybersecurity professionals, and how I have used it to establish myself as a trusted and valuable resource for my clients.

People Know You’re Real:

When you share your journey and experiences as a penetration tester and threat hunter, you demonstrate to potential clients that you are a real person with real skills and expertise. By sharing your successes and challenges, you show that you are authentic, relatable, and human. This can help you stand out in a crowded and often anonymous market, and establish a connection with your audience.

Everybody Understands What You Do, and Why It’s Valuable:

By sharing your journey and experiences, you can help potential clients understand what you do as a penetration tester and threat hunter, and why it’s valuable to their organization. You can explain the benefits of proactive threat hunting, the importance of regular penetration testing, and the risks of ignoring cybersecurity threats. By educating your audience, you can help them see the value in your services and build trust in your expertise.

Your Story Inspires Others:

When you share the messy parts of your journey, you can inspire others who may be facing similar challenges. By showing that you have overcome obstacles and succeeded in your craft, you can motivate others to do the same. This can help you build a community of like-minded professionals who share your values and goals, and who can support and learn from each other.

You Instantly Build Trust:

By sharing your journey and experiences, you can build trust with potential clients. By being transparent about your methods, your successes and failures, and your values, you demonstrate that you are trustworthy, reliable, and committed to your craft. This can help you establish long-term relationships with clients and build a reputation as a go-to resource for cybersecurity services.

Your Content Becomes an Extension of You:

When you share your journey and experiences, your content becomes an extension of yourself. By writing about your craft, your successes and challenges, and your insights, you can establish a unique voice and style that reflects your personality and expertise. This can help you stand out in a crowded market, and establish a loyal following of readers and clients who appreciate your perspective and value your services.

Writing Becomes 10x Easier:

When your content is an extension of yourself, writing becomes much easier. By drawing on your own experiences and insights, you can generate ideas and inspiration for your blog posts, social media updates, and other content. This can help you create a steady stream of high-quality content that resonates with your audience and establishes you as a thought leader in your field.

You Go from Being “Just Another Account” to Becoming “Top of Mind”:

When you share your journey and experiences, you go from being just another account in a crowded feed to becoming top of mind for your audience. By establishing a unique voice and style, and by sharing valuable insights and advice, you can differentiate yourself from other cybersecurity professionals and establish yourself as a trusted and valuable resource. This can help you attract new clients, build your brand, and grow your business.

Building in Public as a Penetration Tester and Threat Hunter:

As a penetration tester and threat hunter, building in public can be a powerful strategy for establishing your brand and building trust with potential clients. By sharing your journey, your successes and challenges, and your insights, you can demonstrate your expertise, build a community of like-minded professionals, and establish yourself as a go-to resource for cybersecurity services. Here are some tips for building in public as a penetration tester and threat hunter:

Share your successes and challenges: By sharing your successes and challenges, you can demonstrate your expertise and build trust with potential clients. You can share your successes in the form of case studies, blog posts, or social media updates, and you can share your challenges in the form of lessons learned or best practices.
Be transparent about your methods: By sharing your methods and techniques, you can demonstrate your expertise and build trust with potential clients. You can share your methods in the form of blog posts, videos, or webinars, and you can explain why you use certain tools or techniques, and how they benefit your clients.

Conclusion:

Building in public is a powerful tool for independent cybersecurity professionals who want to establish their brand, build trust with potential clients, and differentiate themselves in a crowded market. By sharing your journey, your successes and challenges, and your insights, you can establish a unique voice and style, educate your audience, and inspire others who may be facing similar challenges. As a penetration tester and threat hunter, building in public can help you demonstrate your expertise, build a community of like-minded professionals, and establish yourself as a go-to resource for cybersecurity services. So if you want to succeed as a solopreneur in the cybersecurity industry, start building in public today.

Building in Public: A Powerful Strategy for Penetration Testers and Threat Hunters