How to Market Your Small Business to the Federal Government

Each year, the U.S. federal government acquires about $550 billion in goods and services from the private sector and sets aside 23% of its contracts for small businesses. This opens up a window of opportunity to win contracts. You can become a federal contractor! But how? It takes a bit more than merely becoming SAM Registered, and SBA certified — although these are essential first steps. But how can you start marketing yourself to the federal government once you’ve received your SBA certification? Keep reading to learn how to market your small business to the federal government.

Do Your Research

Before you can start marketing your small business to the federal government, it’s important to do adequate research and answer the following questions:

• How does selling to the government fit into your overall business strategy?
• What sets you apart from the competition?
• What’s your output?
• Who is your target customer/government agency?

The answers to the above questions can also help you fine-tune your pitch and bids for government contracts and create a powerful capability statement to showcase your business’s strengths.

Create a Government Marketing Plan

Once you’ve done your research and have a good understanding of your target customer and what you can offer them, it’s time to create a government marketing plan.

The government buying cycle is very predictable, and spending is heavily skewed toward the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. This gives you the benefit of planning a strategic campaign up to 12 months ahead of time.

During the first quarter, focus on raising awareness and building relationships. A critical component of this is fine-tuning your marketing message online, and on any print materials you may use to promote your business. Attend as many industry day events and webinars as possible to spread the word about your business and meet valuable contacts.

During the second and third quarters, focus on amping up your lead generation campaigns to expand your reach as much as possible.

In the fourth quarter, it’s time to seal the deal. Ensure your capability statement is ready to go, and your bids have been prepared and are ready to place. Set up in-person meetings with your target customers and “wow” them, so they choose to sign with you.

Throughout the year, you should engage in monthly outreach activities like newsletters, blog posts, and social media to keep your business in front of your target customers.

Build a Website and Online Presence 

In 2022 and beyond, no business can thrive without a professional website and strong online presence, and government contractors are no different.

Use your professionally signed business-to-government (B2G) capabilities website to propel your marketing strategy forward. Here are some key elements to include on your website:

• Your company name and logo
• Optimized for mobile devices
• Search engine optimized (SEO)
• Testimonials and case studies
• Available products and services
• Relevant past performance
• Contracting vehicles
• Technical
• Easy-to-find contact information

To expand your reach and grow your online presence even further, don’t forget to take advantage of social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing.

Getting in front of key Procurement Decision Makers (PDMs)

Your offline presence is just as important as your online presence. So, it’s important to get in front of decision-makers — those who make the buying decisions and will ultimately sign on the dotted line to do business with you.

Here are ideas on how to connect with these decision-makers:

• Attend trade shows.
• Attend agency events.
• Attend pre-bid conferences.
• Attend networking events.
• Call their offices and schedule in-person meetings.
• Hire an experienced government consulting firm.

Promote Your Contracting Brand the Rafael Marrero & Company way!

Join Rafael Marrero & Company to achieve your federal branding goals and make the connections you need to land contracts with the federal government. Whether it be web, print, email, or video, we have plans able to put your business in the best position to land government contracts and stand out in the specialized and competitive $550 billion federal marketplace. Discover how our team of bilingual professionals at Rafael Marrero & Company can work with your small business. Connect with our professionals today to create achievable branding and marketing goals.