Cleverly is a LinkedIn outreach agency that automates connection requests and messages on behalf of clients. It is popular with coaches, consultants, and SMBs where volume outreach on LinkedIn works. For cybersecurity vendors targeting senior security buyers -- CISOs, VP of Security, Head of DevSecOps -- Cleverly's generic, automated approach is counterproductive. Senior security leaders receive hundreds of automated LinkedIn messages per month and have become highly adept at identifying and ignoring them.
If Cleverly is not working for your cybersecurity outbound, here are the alternatives that actually reach senior security decision-makers.
Why Cleverly Underperforms for Cybersecurity Vendors
Cybersecurity buyers at CISO and VP Security level are among the most outreach-saturated B2B buyers in existence. A survey of senior security leaders found that 78% could immediately identify automated LinkedIn sequences -- and 94% of those respondents said they routinely ignore them.
Cleverly's strength is volume at low cost. For cybersecurity vendors, volume at low cost is not the problem -- it is getting any response from the right people at all. The issue is quality, credibility, and trust -- none of which are improved by automation.
Top Cleverly Alternatives for Cybersecurity Companies
1. LinkedOtter (event-led pipeline) LinkedOtter replaces LinkedIn automation with live events as the first touch. Your target CISO or VP Security receives an invitation to a relevant peer event -- not a sales pitch. Buyers who attend have already self-qualified. Follow-up from the event host is warm, not cold. LinkedOtter has run events generating 38 C-level security attendees from 1,266 prospects and 43 qualified meetings in 60 days from a full program. Pricing from $6,000/event.
2. Manual LinkedIn outreach with Clay personalization For cybersecurity vendors with a GTM engineer or ops capability, replacing Cleverly's automation with highly personalized manual outreach (researched via Claude in Clay, sent manually by a human) dramatically improves response rates. A 3-sentence LinkedIn message that references a specific pain point, recent news, or mutual connection converts at 5-10x the rate of a Cleverly automated sequence.
3. Belkins (appointment setting with LinkedIn focus) Belkins uses human-led outreach rather than pure automation. Their cybersecurity-adjacent teams send messages that read as human and personalized. Higher cost than Cleverly ($3,000-$6,000/month vs Cleverly's $300-$500/month) but dramatically better response rates for senior security personas.
4. In-house LinkedIn Sales Navigator + Apollo stack For vendors with an in-house SDR who is technically credible, building a manual LinkedIn outreach process using Sales Navigator for prospecting and Apollo for multi-touch tracking removes the automation flag while maintaining operational efficiency. Requires real investment in sales training and technical knowledge.
When Cleverly Might Still Make Sense for Cybersecurity
Cleverly works for cybersecurity vendors targeting lower-level buyers:
- IT managers and security analysts (not CISO level)
- SMB buyers with less outreach sophistication
- Generating LinkedIn follower and awareness before a conference
For CISO and VP Security targeting, Cleverly is the wrong tool regardless of how well you configure it. The automation signal destroys the credibility these buyers require.
The Real Question: What Are You Trying to Accomplish?
| Goal | Best channel |
|---|---|
| Book meetings with CISOs and VP Security | LinkedOtter event-led outbound |
| Generate awareness before a conference | Cleverly (awareness, not conversion) |
| Mid-market IT manager outreach at volume | Cleverly or SalesHive |
| Personalized senior outreach at scale | Clay + Claude + manual SDR |
Take the free 60-second check to see which model fits your cybersecurity outbound goals.