Most companies think branding and marketing applies only to reaching other businesses or the public at large. When you’re dealing with requests for quotes and submitting proposals it is easy to forget that the federal government is run by people and is itself a relationship-based market. The same reasons that make branding effective for reaching out to non-government entities make branding effective in marketing to the federal government.
This blog post by the top notch web-development minds at Woodstreet goes into detail about branding and why it can help businesses reach their goals and increase their presence on the web. But these branding suggestions can help when trying to market to the federal government as well.
By branding and building a section of your website that is tailored specifically to the federal government, you give decision makers the tools they need to make an informed decision about your company and you’ve provided them with compelling reasons to consider awarding the contract.
The federal government is one of the biggest purchasers of goods and services in the world, and if your aim is to contract them, treating them (and the people who make decisions within the government) like any other target audience will help inform your marketing and improve your chances at being seen as a competent and low-risk contractor.
Never forget the human element when contracting – we had one client tell us that their favorite part of working with the federal government was you didn’t have to market yourself like you do to other businesses or individuals. And while a contractor may be successful without doing much marketing, we have found that appealing to the humans who work with contractors at networking events and on your website can have a real impact on the overall perception they have of your company.
Don’t underestimate how you look and appear to those who ultimately make the decisions in contracting, as any advantage you can give yourself over the competition will help you meet the goals you’ve set out to meet.