Marketing Secrets for Government Contracts

If you're in government contracting you know how important marketing is. But did you know there are some things you can do to make your marketing work better? In a conversation that I had with Mark Amtower, an expert on government marketing, he shared some great tips.?

How Mark Started in Government Contracting?

Mark's work in government marketing is quite interesting. He started out studying literature and taught college English for a while. But he found his real calling when he began selling IT and management training to big companies and government agencies in the 1980s.

Back then, marketing to the government was mostly done through trade shows, mail, and trying to get press coverage. Mark saw that no one was treating government marketing as its own special area. So he decided to focus on it and started his own company in 1985.

Importance of Relationships

One big thing Mark stressed is how important relationships are in government contracting. He said, “If a client doesn't know you, it's not their fault. It's your fault.” This means you need to work on meeting people and getting your name out there.

Mark shared a cool fact, which is there were over 2.7 MILLION federal employees on LinkedIn at the time of chatting with him. That's a lot of potential connections! He suggests looking up people who work in the agencies you want to do business with. Check out their profiles, see what groups they're in, and find things you have in common.

When you reach out to connect, don't use the standard LinkedIn message. Write something personal that shows you've done your homework. For example, you could say, “I see we're both connected to Jane Smith. I've been working with your agency for several years and would love to chat sometime.”?

Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Mark has some great advice for small businesses who think they don't need to market:

1. Don't only respond to bids you see online. Target specific opportunities that match your skills.
2. Start building relationships with agencies early, before they even put out a bid.
3. Use LinkedIn to research and connect with people in the agencies you want to work with.
4. When reaching out, focus on your skills and what you can do for them, not just your business status.
5. Be patient - building relationships takes time.

Making the Most of Events

Going to events can be a great way to meet people, but only if you plan ahead. He the following strategy that one of his students used:

1. Before the event, research who's going to be there.
2. Reach out to people you want to meet and set up meetings in advance.
3. By the time you get to the event, your schedule should be full of meetings.

When you do this, you won’t find yourself wandering around hoping to bump into the right people.?

The Power of Content

Creating and sharing good content is another important part of marketing. Mark says, you need to make sure people see your content. And in order to do that, recommends that you:?

1. Share your content in LinkedIn groups you belong to.
2. Send it directly to people in your network who may be interested.
3. Use LinkedIn's “feature” option to keep important content at the top of your profile.

Keep in mind that your content should be helpful and educational. If you share useful information, people will want to learn more about you and your company.

If these tips from Mark are helpful for you, then subscribe to my official YouTube channel, for amazing advice on how you can become a GovCon Winner.?

Click here today to subscribe to my YouTube channel. ?

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I’m the author of the newly released book “The GovCon Winners Way: How To Win Government Contracts Faster Than Trying to Do It Alone!” At 28, I was awarded my first 5-figure federal government contract. I own and operate multiple government contracting businesses and have over $50 million in federal government contract awards. Today, I’ve helped my students win over $3M in Federal Government Contracts in less than 6 months, and I’ll help you, too!?

-#EverythingIsPossible