3 B2G Marketing Strategies that Deliver Results

Businesses that market to government agencies (B2G) are familiar with the unique challenges and niche audience they’re targeting. The B2G marketing thought process we see tends to be on what channels best reach the right government officials, which is definitely important. Still, there is also the need to focus on what content will resonate with the government audiences. We’ve been working with B2G businesses for decades and where we have seen success is: 1) utilize storytelling, 2) implement thought leadership, and 3) showcase the people behind the brand. Below, we share how these three strategies can strengthen your B2G marketing results.

 

Utilizing Storytelling

If you know your government audience, then you know they’re short on the most valuable resource of all – time. So, when you’re trying to market your product or service to a government decision-maker, you may think you shouldn’t waste time on your brand’s backstory and just send product-focused messaging instead.

Well, government decision-makers are people, just like the rest of us – and what do humans connect with the most? Stories. A brand may tell its story in video form, in articles, through website copy, or by featuring case studies. However you tell it, the story needs to answer a couple of questions: 1) Why should a government agency do business with you? And 2) What could you accomplish together? In other words, how are you going to help the government agency you are targeting achieve their critical mission?

 

Implementing a Thought Leadership Strategy

Thought leadership allows your business and leaders to gain visibility in an organic, nonpromotional way. Positioning your leaders as industry experts is a great way to offer knowledge that offers solutions to your target audience. The best part is, they haven’t even asked for help yet. But when they do, you’ll already have gained their trust and built credibility. Government agencies will know who to ask for help because you’re a recognized expert in the field.

There are many ways to implement a thought leadership strategy. You’ll want to make sure that you’re posting or publishing helpful content in relevant places and where it will be seen. Having your thought leaders post on LinkedIn, or better yet, repost content from your business page with their own thoughts, is an excellent way to build credibility and gives your business access to analytics.

Traditional media relations is another way to get in front of your government audience – just make sure you’re getting published in the right places. Hosting webinars or Q&As are other great ways to build thought leadership. Write articles or whitepapers, but however you do it, speak directly to the target audience and address their needs and pain points. Your business will be a go-to resource for government agencies when they need support.

 

Showcasing the People Behind the Brand

Often, B2G businesses are concerned with making their people visible, and for various (and valid) reasons. But the people are what make the brand. Showcasing your people can be a combination of storytelling and thought leadership. The point is to humanize your brand and let government decision-makers know who they are.

Most of all, making the people behind the brand visible is an act of transparency – a highly valued principle in the B2G space. Your leaders can showcase their areas of expertise, which can be crucial in highly specialized fields. This is also a great opportunity to showcase diversity on your team as DEI&B continues to be important.

 

Tying it All Together

These three tactics, because of their time-consuming nature, are often overlooked. But, when utilized, adding these tactics to your B2G marketing strategy will be game changers. You’ve got to use storytelling to implement thought leadership effectively, and you’ve got to showcase your people to have thought leaders. A holistic approach using these three best practices will ensure that your marketing strategy – and ultimately your brand – is greater than the sum of its parts. Government agencies will know who to call upon for help because they’ll already know who the experts are and how you can help them achieve their mission.

Victoria Kendrick

Account Executive

Victoria joined Sweeney as an Associate Account Executive in 2023. A graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington's communication studies department, Victoria brings to the team a strong writing skillset and an aptitude to dive deep into media relations and communications strategy, as well as learning new MarTech that will drive the future of marketing.