Whether you are a marketing decision-maker for a private sector business or a government agency (Fed or SLED), the task of finding a government marketing agency partner is daunting but doable. Make the wrong decision and 6 months (and likely six figures) will be gone in the blink of an eye, leaving you farther behind than when you started. Make the right decision and you will be off to the races and out of blocks faster than Usain Bolt.

Step 1: Know what you are looking for

And since you are probably looking for more than one thing, be willing to set priorities. Here is a short list to get you started:

• An agency with government exposure and experience.
• An agency with solid strategic and creative marketing credentials.
• An agency that is service agnostic, focusing on solutions to your challenges.
• An agency that is smart, agile, responsive and adaptive.
• An agency that understands effectiveness and efficiency.
• An agency that has experience in your world, whether it is software, cybersecurity, health services, financial programs or tech solutions.
• An agency team with the right culture and chemistry.
• An agency that delivers value (affordability and results).
• An agency that has experience in research, branding, thought leadership, lead generation or whatever service you think you might need.

Step 2: Know how to look for an agency partner

Follow the path you are most comfortable with and be willing to do your homework. Shortcuts taken at this stage will bite you in the backside down the road.

• Seek referrals from trusted partners and colleagues, but vet referrals anyway.
• Look at successful “competitors” and see who their marketing partners are.
• Conduct Internet searches, but be thoughtful about your search phrases and be willing to vet multiple agencies.
• Post an RFP and invite qualifying agencies to participate.

Step 3: Choose the right partner

Understand that you can meet with 10 agencies who claim to know know government marketing and all or none of them might be the right partner. Refer back to Step 1 and make sure your priority needs are being addressed. If more than one agency looks good, let them offer competing proposals. If none of the agencies look good, keep looking.

• Check out landing pages and websites, social pages and capabilities statements.
• Conduct introductory meetings to get a first impression; learn about the agency, its experience, approach, personality, etc. If you are interested, keep going or schedule a follow-up meeting. Ask for references and case studies.
• Conduct follow-up discovery meetings to go deeper, sharing your challenges and opportunities and discussing preliminary strategies. Learn how the agency thinks and experience the chemistry.
• Ask for a proposal (not a strategic marketing plan) that acknowledges target audiences and objectives, and suggests next steps, timelines and costs.
• Hire the agency, test the agency or walk away. If it feels right, get started. If it feels close to perfect, but you are unsure, hire the agency to handle a project. If your uncertainty is strong, just walk away.

Step 4: Stay actively engaged with the agency for the first couple months

Even if you feel very comfortable with your choice, it is important to keep learning about the agency’s capabilities, its team, its approach, its processes, its responsiveness and more.

• In the beginning, conduct weekly check-in meetings that can eventually shift to monthly then quarterly meetings.
• Keep asking questions about what else the agency does and can do.
• Review work closely to ensure it is high quality, timely and on-target.
• Assess results in real time and be willing to pivot if things are not going the way you expected.
• Give honest feedback on every aspect of the relationship in the quest to make it better.

At Sweeney, our priority mission is to help companies win government contracts and government agencies to win over their constituents by building strong brands, creating integrated marketing plans, achieving digital engagement, leveraging content, establishing thought leadership, documenting success stories, developing strategic partnerships, engaging in targeted outreach with traditional and social media, generating leads… and more.

 Call or email us today for a no-cost introductory/discovery meeting with our advanced government marketing team to learn how we can partner with you and supercharge your marketing efforts.