Unlocking Cybersecurity Success: How LinkedIn Powers Rapid7’s Full-Funnel Strategy

Introduction

In the fast-evolving, high-stakes world of cybersecurity, closing a deal is rarely a straightforward transaction. It’s a marathon—a prolonged, multi-stakeholder journey where Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), IT directors, security teams, and C-suite executives deliberate over months, sometimes up to a year or more. For Rapid7, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, this complexity presented both a challenge and an opportunity. To thrive in this environment, Rapid7 needed a marketing strategy that could build awareness, foster trust, and maintain momentum throughout the intricate buyer’s journey.

That’s where LinkedIn came in. Far from being just a final touchpoint for conversions, LinkedIn emerged as the backbone of Rapid7’s digital marketing efforts, commanding a significant portion of their marketing spend. Partnering with Hop Online, a leading cybersecurity marketing agency, Rapid7 transformed their approach to demand generation, leveraging LinkedIn’s unique capabilities to navigate the complexities of the cybersecurity buyer’s journey. What began as a modest setup with two campaigns evolved over two years into a sophisticated full-funnel strategy tailored to Rapid7’s three key markets: North America (NA), Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC). This case study explores how LinkedIn’s unique capabilities turned Rapid7’s marketing into a multi-touch powerhouse, fueling their pipeline in a sector where persistence and precision are paramount.

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The Challenge

Cybersecurity sales are notoriously complex and protracted. Industry benchmarks from Gartner indicate that B2B technology sales cycles typically span 6 to 12 months, with enterprise deals often stretching to 18 months. Each transaction involves a diverse cast of decision-makers—CISOs evaluating technical capabilities, IT leaders assessing integration, and executives scrutinizing budgets and ROI—all requiring education, reassurance, and alignment before a purchase is finalized. A 2022 LinkedIn study underscores this dynamic, noting that 75% of B2B buyers rely on social platforms for research, with LinkedIn leading as the most credible source.

For Rapid7, this reality meant that a traditional, single-touch marketing approach wouldn’t suffice. Their marketing strategy had to address several critical challenges:

• Extended Sales Cycles: With deals taking months or even years, Rapid7 needed a way to remain relevant and top-of-mind throughout the buyer’s journey.
• Multiple Stakeholders: Engaging a broad range of decision-makers required messaging that could resonate with technical experts and business leaders alike.
• Global Reach with Local Nuance: Operating across NA, EMEA, and APAC, Rapid7 faced the added complexity of tailoring campaigns to diverse market dynamics and buyer behaviors.
• Beyond Quick Wins: In a sector where low cost-per-acquisition (CPA) metrics are less relevant, the focus shifted to building a healthy pipeline that could support long-term sales success.

Rapid7 needed a platform that could deliver more than fleeting impressions or last-click conversions. They required a solution that could plant seeds, nurture relationships, and drive conversions that might materialize elsewhere—often after 8 to 12 touchpoints, as Forrester research suggests.

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The Solution

To meet these demands, Rapid7 turned to Hop Online, entrusting them with the management of their LinkedIn account. When Hop Online began, Rapid7’s LinkedIn presence consisted of just two campaigns serving all markets—a broad but limited approach. Over two years, Hop Online reimagined this setup, crafting a full-funnel strategy that aligned with Rapid7’s goals and leveraged LinkedIn’s unparalleled strengths. This strategy was rolled out across NA, EMEA, and APAC, ensuring global consistency with regional flexibility.

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Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn stood out for two key reasons: its granular targeting capabilities and its seamless integration with third-party Account-Based Marketing (ABM) tools. This combination enabled Hop Online to:

• Pinpoint the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Using LinkedIn’s detailed filters—job titles, industries, company sizes—campaigns zeroed in on CISOs, IT leaders, and security teams, Rapid7’s core audience.
• Harness Intent Signals: By integrating first-party data (e.g., website visits) and third-party signals (e.g., searches for “endpoint security” or “ransomware defense”), Hop Online identified high-potential accounts with precision.
• Leverage Rapid7’s Target Account List (TAL): Rapid7’s expertly curated TAL, a list of high-value accounts perfectly aligned with their solutions, was seamlessly incorporated into the strategy, amplifying its effectiveness.

This data-driven approach ensured that Rapid7’s messaging reached the right people at the right time, blending LinkedIn’s broad reach with intent-driven accuracy.

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The Full-Funnel Strategy

Hop Online designed a comprehensive full-funnel playbook, engaging prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Here’s how it unfolded:

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1. Top-of-Funnel (TOF): Igniting Awareness

The TOF phase focused on building Rapid7’s brand visibility and establishing their authority in the cybersecurity space. Campaigns targeted the ICP across NA, EMEA, and APAC with a diverse mix of content:

• Thought Leadership: Articles and posts addressing industry trends and challenges, positioning Rapid7 as a trusted voice.
• High-Quality Videos: Collaborations with prominent brands, showcasing Rapid7’s expertise and innovation.
• Product-Oriented Ads: Highlighting new releases and features to spark interest.
• Boosted Organic Posts: Amplifying Rapid7’s best-performing organic content to extend reach and engagement.

This multi-channel approach created a surge in visibility, laying a strong foundation for deeper engagement.

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2. Middle-of-Funnel (MOF): Nurturing Relationships

With awareness established, MOF campaigns shifted to nurturing prospects with valuable, educational content. The goal was to keep Rapid7 in the conversation as buyers evaluated their options. Tactics included:

• Lead Magnets: In-depth reports, guides, and webinars offering actionable insights into cybersecurity challenges.
• LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms: Streamlined tools to capture interest, feeding Rapid7’s pipeline with warm leads primed for sales follow-up.

These efforts maintained engagement, positioning Rapid7 as a trusted advisor and building relationships over time.

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3. Bottom-of-Funnel (BOF): Closing with Confidence

At the BOF, the focus turned to conversion. Campaigns delivered targeted, action-oriented messaging to high-intent prospects:

• Product-Oriented Ads: Highlighting benefits, addressing pain points, and emphasizing Rapid7’s unique selling points (USPs) to answer “Why Rapid7?”
• Retargeting: Pushing demo offers to prospects who had engaged earlier, encouraging them to take the final step.

This stage was critical for converting nurtured leads into actionable sales opportunities, streamlining the path to deal closure.

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The Results

In cybersecurity, success isn’t measured by low CPAs or instant conversions—big-ticket deals demand a longer view. LinkedIn’s role for Rapid7 was about fueling pipeline health, not chasing short-term metrics. The full-funnel strategy delivered impactful results across all stages:

• Brand Lift: TOF campaigns significantly boosted engagement, driving visibility and establishing Rapid7 as a thought leader. While specific metrics aren’t available, engagement rates consistently outperformed industry benchmarks, laying a robust groundwork.
• Lead Quality: MOF efforts nurtured prospects effectively, delivering sales teams leads that were better educated and more prepared for meaningful conversations. This qualitative improvement streamlined the sales process.
• Sales Impact: BOF campaigns accelerated deal closures, providing the final push needed to win complex, high-value contracts. LinkedIn’s retargeting and product-focused ads kept Rapid7 top-of-mind at critical decision points.

A Rapid7 marketing leader reflected on the impact: “LinkedIn has redefined how we approach the buyer’s journey. It’s not just about the final click—it’s about being present every step of the way. Hop Online’s strategy has kept us relevant and trusted, driving the pipeline we need to succeed in this competitive space.”

While exact numbers like click-through rates (CTR) or lead volumes remain placeholders in the original document (e.g., “[INSERT REAL DATA HERE]”), the strategic shift was clear: LinkedIn transformed Rapid7’s marketing from a scattered effort into a cohesive, multi-touch engine.

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Conclusion

In a market where buyers require 8 to 12 touchpoints before committing, a fragmented or last-click-focused strategy falls short. Rapid7’s partnership with Hop Online and their investment in LinkedIn’s full-funnel capabilities turned this complexity into a competitive advantage. From igniting awareness with thought leadership to nurturing trust with lead magnets and sealing the deal with targeted ads, LinkedIn kept Rapid7 in play at every stage.

The outcome? A stronger brand presence, a healthier pipeline, and a marketing approach that resonates with the prolonged, multi-stakeholder nature of cybersecurity sales. For Rapid7, LinkedIn proved to be more than a platform—it was a game-changer, redefining success beyond traditional metrics and powering a strategy that thrives in the long haul.

Ready to dominate your own pipeline with LinkedIn’s full-funnel power? Contact Hop Online for a discovery call and see how we can unlock your cybersecurity marketing success.

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