How to Market to the US Federal Government

 Have you ever wondered how businesses can market themselves to the federal government? Well, you can hire a Government marketing agency to carry out hassle free government marketing. Federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars purchasing services and goods from such firms.

Federal is the largest buyer that purchases everything from architectural services to zoological microscopes. It's the market that nearly all politicians think must be expanded to get us out of this deep recession. For instance, environmental industries alone are pushing for approval of more than $400 billion in federal projects.

So you've always heard that you had to bribe someone to get a government contract...that it takes forever to get paid...that the paperwork is nightmarish...and that you have to cut your costs to the bone to get approved as the lowest bidder. All of that has surely been true at times, and some of it still is, but the government marketing and procurement process is mostly rational and fair. And let's face it, with business slowing in the private sector, it makes sense to explore government contracts.

Government marketing is no different from marketing to the private sector. In fact, a major portion of government disbursements are actually subcontracts you get from other private firms. That means you could be providing goods and services to a large "prime" contractor who has already gotten the government project and needs help fulfilling it.

Public Relations Works Wonder

Whether you are marketing directly to an agency or to a prime contractor, you will need to communicate your firm's competencies. Many of the same methods you use in the private sector will apply. After all, government officials read.

There are many publications designed to help government officials better understand how to do their jobs, what companies can best help them fulfil programs and who are the most reliable providers in the marketplace. That's where public relations services come in. It works just like the private sector. B2G publications have editors and reporters. In fact, most of these publications are owned by private companies and focus their editorial content on government workers and others in the B2G ecosystem.

So the same effective PR rules apply. These agencies can help you research and write story pitches or news releases and get your firm publicity in publications read by government officials and managers of prime contracts, which makes government marketing easy & effortless. It is also helpful for you to make speeches, attending conferences and serve on panels covered by journalists.

Other government marketing tools are useful, such as direct mail, ads, Web and online marketing, seminars, sponsorships, etc. Government officials are just another distinct market segment. The messaging will vary some, and there is much more accountability stressed in the government market. Attention to details in serving the government is paramount. But government officials buy goods and services much like the rest of us. They are responsible for quality, performance and price. And they want to know which firms can best provide services and products to government.

Final Thoughts

So the next time you read that the government just allocated a hundred billion dollars for something called 'infrastructure," find out what that is. It might involve something you're selling. And, your government marketing strategy starts right from there.