Knowing the government marketing strategy and how to effectively advertise to the government is one of the most underappreciated aspects of doing business with the government.
Simply said, advertising to the government is different (and I mean marketing in the sense of the strategies and tactics you employ to place your product or service in the hands of potential customers). When the government makes purchases, it does it in a different way than the private sector does. It has different goals and uses different language.
To help them gain their fair share of government business, many companies are not only into government marketing strategy but also resort to specialized firms and seasoned government marketing professionals—a luxury that few small business owners can afford.
Therefore, to succeed when doing business with the government, a clever government marketer must adapt traditional government marketing strategy and outreach techniques to fit the norms of this highly profitable sector.
To help you get started, here are some fundamental pointers on government marketing strategy:
1) One Of The First Government Marketing Strategy Is To Recognize Your Target Audience
There are three types of government customers that you should concentrate your marketing efforts on.
a) Procurers –Those who can choose the techniques of procurement and carry out the procurement, such as contracting officers. They have a significant impact on the purchasing process but are also guided by "influencers," for whom they frequently act as "gatekeepers."
b) Influencers– These are the high-level decision-makers and program managers who create the need for a good or service.
c) End Users - This group has a significant impact on whether the best contractor is included in a bid or is awarded a pertinent contract.
They will all be interested in different aspects of your service, but they all want to know the advantages of doing business with you, your pricing strategy, and the procurement channels or contracts you have in place.
2) As A Government Marketing Strategy Create A Government Marketing Plan Rather Than Simply Tagging The Government On Your Business Plan.
Government expenditure is strongly skewed toward the latter quarter of the fiscal year and the purchase cycle is very predictable (Sept 30 is the last day of the federal fiscal year, for state and local government it is the end of May or June). Marketers may now prepare a strategic campaign six or even twelve months in advance thanks to this.
The first quarter should be concentrated on relationship development and awareness raising. Develop strategies to spread your marketing message both in print and online. The use of events and webinars is very effective for this. Focus on smaller agency-sponsored table tops and seminars instead of larger trade exhibitions, which can be costly for small businesses. Consider doing a small "brown bag" lunch and learn meeting on-site if you have connections within a specific agency to showcase your most recent offering and its advantages.
When it comes to kicking off lead generation efforts, you should particularly concentrate on the second and third quarters of the fiscal year for the government (use multiple integrated tactics to ensure maximum outreach). As agencies scramble to employ their last remaining budget dollars, the last quarter is frequently focused on last-minute deals and awareness efforts to help your organization secure its share of "busy season" buying.
And don't forget to keep your company brand in front of your government clients and prospects through monthly outreach efforts like newsletters and social media (blogs, etc.).
3) ‘Governmentize’ Your Message- The Experimented Government Marketing Strategy
Many businesses make the error of presenting their marketing materials and commercial messaging to government authorities in the hopes that it will be effective. Not at all!
The needs, demands, and goals (or missions) of the government are very different from those of a private customer. Consider the missions, objectives, and challenges of the agency, rework your message to address these, and choose your words carefully. When creating your messaging, take into account the following:
What unique requirements and challenges does an agency have? In your collateral, reiterate these.
What goals does the government support with your product or service?
Has your offer been used by anyone else in government? Tell us more.
The government shouldn't purchase from you, why? On all printed materials and websites, mention your contract cars and small business status or certification.
What steps does your business take to facilitate purchases from the government? Highlight your experience in contracting and be upfront if your company employs former government officials.
Are you using the language of the government? Validate your messaging for official language: Replace any commercial vocabulary or words like "your company can" or "raise your earnings" with something more government-oriented like "meet your agency's mandates" or "address constituent demands more effectively."
Former government contractors who understand government marketing strategy and today's challenges and want to see you thrive formed our organisation. We speak the language and understand how the government functions and do their government marketing strategy.
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