Getting the message out there

[Mark@ID1st]

Hi all, I've just released a product called IdentityHealthCheck which is subscription based at very reasonable rates, its currently on sale with founders discount at 50% off and its currently priced at £250 - £2500 dependant user numbers anybody taking this offer will have the price fixed at founders rate for upto 10 continuous years.

IdentityHealthCheck isn't your standard Identity product. It has 46 patents pending and it should make lif much easier for the C-Suite

Check us out at identityfirst.net. How would you all attempt to get this message out quickly to SME's ?

 

[fisicx]

Had a look at the site and haven't got a clue what it is so can't make any suggestions as to how to spread the word.

One assumes your target businesses already know about these sort of things. If so, how do they normally search for services like yours.

If you do want to get the word out quickly, a massive advertising campaign on all the platforms and media channels an SME frequents might be a good place to start.

 

[pentel]

Had a look at the site and haven't got a clue what it is

Me neither. It would be helpful if you had a laymans explanation of the issues you are trying to cover.

If you cant explain the basic business in 30 seconds you will not get you message through.

 

[Paul Carmen]

This isn't how the world, nor the internet and business works. People search for solutions to their problems, they don't understand tech speak, or internal developer type language.

Literally no C Suite, founder or business owner is searching for what your site talks about, there is no UK or international search engine volume for any of the terms you are using.

Nor will they use a black geek/hobby looking website where text overlaps buttons and the systems say offline, plus all metrics are at 0.

To make this work from a marketing perspective, you need to ask yourself:

1. Who is your target customer
2. What problems do you solve for them
3. What do they search for
4. Where do they search
5. What do you do better than your competitors
6. How do you articulate the features and benefits of the tools that solve the problems

The product may be great, but unless you get the marketing research, marketing strategy and key messages right, you are not going to get any traction.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Yup, no idea.

If only there was a guide/book on selling the sizzles and not the sausage!

What I did see is that it is a download - do these things still exist, especially for a service like I think this is!!

 

[Mark T Jones]

WIIFM?

This should be an auto response to 90% of 'marketing' enquiries:

Who is your target customer?

Where do they go for information?

What problem are you solving / need are you meeting?

Why are you different from the others

 

[NickGrogan]

Kind of understand what it does, no chance of downloading a piece of software and giving it high-level access to user information from a company that looks anonymous and is claiming a high number of patents for a fairly standard bit of software.

Can you provide links to any of these patents?

 

[Mark@ID1st]

Had a look at the site and haven't got a clue what it is so can't make any suggestions as to how to spread the word.

One assumes your target businesses already know about these sort of things. If so, how do they normally search for services like yours.

If you do want to get the word out quickly, a massive advertising campaign on all the platforms and media channels an SME frequents might be a good place to start.

Appreciate you taking the time to look — that’s actually really useful feedback.


If it’s not immediately clear what we do, that’s on us to fix. It tells me our messaging isn’t landing as simply as it should, which is something we’re actively refining.


You’re right that many SMEs are aware of cyber risks, but in reality, most don’t actively go searching for solutions until something happens. That’s part of the challenge — it’s not always a demand-led search like other services.


In terms of discovery, we’re seeing a mix of:
– Referrals and word of mouth
– LinkedIn and awareness-led content
– Google searches after a trigger event (e.g. phishing incident)


Mass advertising could drive awareness, but for this space, trust and clarity tend to outperform scale. If people don’t immediately understand the value, more reach just amplifies the confusion.


So the focus right now is:

1. Sharpen the message (what we do + who it’s for)
2. Educate SMEs in a practical, non-technical way
3. Build credibility before pushing reach

That said, your point stands — once the message is clear, scaling visibility is the next logical step.


Out of curiosity, what was your first impression of what the site was trying to offer? That’s probably the most valuable insight we can get right now.

 

[Mark@ID1st]

Me neither. It would be helpful if you had a laymans explanation of the issues you are trying to cover.

If you cant explain the basic business in 30 seconds you will not get you message through.

That’s fair feedback — and honestly, exactly the kind that’s useful.


If people can’t grasp it quickly, we’ve made it too complicated. The reality is, what we do should be explainable in 30 seconds, and if it’s not, that’s on us — not the audience.


At its simplest, it’s:
Helping SMEs understand their cyber risks in plain English, and putting practical protections in place before something goes wrong.


No jargon, no overcomplication — just making sure businesses aren’t exposed without realising it.


Your point reinforces something important for us: clarity beats cleverness every time.


Out of interest — based on what you saw, what did you think it was? That gap is probably exactly what we need to fix.

 

[Mark@ID1st]

This isn't how the world, nor the internet and business works. People search for solutions to their problems, they don't understand tech speak, or internal developer type language.

Literally no C Suite, founder or business owner is searching for what your site talks about, there is no UK or international search engine volume for any of the terms you are using.

Nor will they use a black geek/hobby looking website where text overlaps buttons and the systems say offline, plus all metrics are at 0.

To make this work from a marketing perspective, you need to ask yourself:

1. Who is your target customer
2. What problems do you solve for them
3. What do they search for
4. Where do they search
5. What do you do better than your competitors
6. How do you articulate the features and benefits of the tools that solve the problems

The product may be great, but unless you get the marketing research, marketing strategy and key messages right, you are not going to get any traction.

This is genuinely helpful — appreciate you taking the time to lay it out so clearly.


You’re absolutely right on a few key points:
– People search for problems, not products
– If the language doesn’t match how SMEs think, it won’t land
– And if the site doesn’t build trust instantly, everything else falls apart


The intent behind what we’re building is solid, but the way it’s currently being presented clearly isn’t translating — which is exactly the gap we need to fix.


Your framework is spot on, and it’s where we’re now focusing:
– Defining the real customer (not just “SMEs” broadly)
– Mapping actual search intent (e.g. “how to prevent phishing”, “cyber security for small business UK”)
– Reworking the messaging into plain English outcomes, not technical features
– Fixing the site experience so it builds credibility immediately


On the site specifically — fair criticism. If it looks unfinished or unclear, that undermines everything, regardless of how good the product is behind it.


This is exactly the kind of outside perspective that’s easy to miss when you’re too close to it.


If you were in our position, what would be the first thing you’d fix — messaging, positioning, or the site itself? That prioritisation is probably where we need to focus next.

 

[Mark@ID1st]

Yup, no idea.

If only there was a guide/book on selling the sizzles and not the sausage!

What I did see is that it is a download - do these things still exist, especially for a service like I think this is!!

hat’s a fair take — and I get where you’re coming from.


The “sell the sizzle, not the sausage” point is exactly what we’re missing right now. We’ve focused too much on what it is, not why it matters to a business owner.


And you’ve picked up on something important with the download.


The idea behind it was to give something tangible and useful straight away — but you’re right, for most SMEs today:
– Downloads can feel outdated
– They create friction
– And they don’t immediately communicate value


If anything, it probably raises more questions than it answers at first glance.


Realistically, this should be:
Clear problem → simple explanation → visible value → then optional deeper tools/resources


Not:
“Here’s a thing, figure it out”


So this is a good reset point for us:
– Lead with the problem (e.g. “Could your business survive a cyber attack?”)
– Show outcomes, not mechanics
– Remove friction (less “download”, more immediate clarity/demo/value)


Out of interest — if you landed on something like this, what would make you instantly understand and trust it? That’s probably the gap we need to close next.

 

[Mark@ID1st]

Kind of understand what it does, no chance of downloading a piece of software and giving it high-level access to user information from a company that looks anonymous and is claiming a high number of patents for a fairly standard bit of software.

Can you provide links to any of these patents?

That’s completely fair — and exactly the kind of scrutiny we’d expect.


On the patents, we should have made that easier to verify. A simple search on the UK IPO using IdentityFirst Ltd will bring up the filings — but that’s on us to surface properly and explain clearly.


It’s also worth clarifying one point you raised — this isn’t intended to be “standard software.” The problem is, we clearly haven’t communicated why it’s different or what makes it valuable in a way that’s immediately understandable.


That’s a messaging issue, not a product one.


Right now, it’s coming across as:
unclear + technical + hard to trust


When it should be:
simple + outcome-driven + transparent


So the takeaway for us is pretty clear:
– Explain the problem in plain English
– Show what makes the approach different (without jargon)
– Back it up with visible proof and credibility
– Remove any friction or perceived risk upfront


If we don’t get that right, then the reaction you’ve had is exactly what we should expect.


Appreciate you calling it out — this is exactly the gap we need to fix.

 

[Mark@ID1st]

WIIFM?

This should be an auto response to 90% of 'marketing' enquiries:

Who is your target customer?

Where do they go for information?

What problem are you solving / need are you meeting?

Why are you different from the others

That’s a fair point — and something we’re actively refining.


It’s not just SMEs. That’s probably been an oversimplification on our part.


A better way to describe it is:
Organisations that don’t have deep in-house cyber expertise, but still carry meaningful risk


That can include:
– SMEs
– Growing mid-sized businesses
– Professional services firms (legal, finance, etc.)
– Any business where leadership is accountable for risk but not necessarily technical


Which brings it back to WIIFM:


What’s in it for them?
Clarity and control.


Right now, most businesses:
– Don’t know where they’re exposed
– Don’t know what to prioritise
– And only act after something goes wrong


We’re trying to change that by making risk:
Visible → understandable → actionable


But based on all the feedback here, the gap is obvious:
We’re not communicating that clearly or quickly enough.


So the real job now isn’t changing the product — it’s tightening:
– Who it’s for (in practical terms, not labels)
– The problems we lead with
– And how quickly someone can see the value


Appreciate you pushing on that — it’s exactly the kind of nuance we need to get right.