As the federal market continues to modernize its technology, it’s turning to public sector partners to do so. This has opened up new opportunities for technology vendors both big and small.
But, many private companies are finding that the hardest part of these deals is getting in the door. That’s where comms come in.
Selling to the federal market isn’t only about setting up sales meetings, but about raising awareness for the problems your company is solving for federal stakeholders. This is often harder than it sounds because of the intricacies of the federal market and media landscape. Here’s what you need to consider when building a federal public relations program.
Develop a successful thought leadership program
When beginning your public sector PR program it’s important to start with thought leadership. But, you need to ensure you have the right spokesperson in place.
Many federal reporters aren’t interested in covering vendor news and instead look for sources that can provide in-depth insights into government regulations and decisions. That’s why it’s important to identify a spokesperson with a federal background. This showcases your business's understanding of government practices and provides reporters with insider knowledge of how the system works.
Once your spokesperson is in place it’s time to start sharing unique and genuine perspectives on the state of the federal landscape. There is no accounting for the number of reporters who have shared direct feedback with us that some of the commentary and perspectives they receive are either too promotional or overly general. So when cultivating your thought leadership POV, you should ask yourself: Have I addressed the question the larger market has and am I providing a unique perspective based on my background?
Offer research around what your organization and customers are witnessing in the landscape
Another point of interest: data, data, data.
Research is a key element within a top-notch public sector program. With reporters already skeptical that vendors are too self-promotional data can help your organization stand out. Through data, you can showcase the problems your organization is solving from the perspective reporters care about.
In an industry where a lot of surveys are being thrown at reporters, here are the key things to keep in mind when pitching data:
- Focus on survey respondents within the public sector because reporters want to see federal stakeholders' pain points
- Ensure you have a significant number of responses to illustrate a wider trend
- Leverage first-party data. Often reporters are more interested in seeing what companies are hearing from their customers so by pulling platform data you can showcase no-biased third-party trends
Ensure united federal messaging across your organization
One thing we’ve observed among our own clients is that the public sector messaging can be left behind. As a result, key PR and marketing initiatives don’t speak to the public sector buyer and awareness in the market is lost.
The best way to amplify your organization’s public program is to ensure that public sector messaging is carried throughout all key marketing and PR activities and that there’s a unified front on how the company is supporting federal customers.
Invest in your digital campaign program
One final element of a comprehensive public sector program is the integration of digital. While elevating your organization’s voice through earned media and thought leadership opportunities is an essential component, digital campaigns can take it a step further by promoting your organization as a whole.
Methods you can integrate digital into already existing public sector PR programs is:
- Event Promotion: Social amplification on your organization’s and executives’ social media platforms can increase in-person and virtual attendance, providing opportunities to network and promote your specific services and solutions.
- Webinar Promotion: Spread awareness of upcoming webinars and product demonstrations so that they reach a larger audience beyond your immediate followers. Brands can also leverage content from the webinar for post-promotion targeted as a key group to extend the life of a campaign.
- Performance PR: Earned media is great but performance PR can make it even more impactful. Through Performance PR brands can take earned content and put paid social behind the story targeted at a key audience to get more eyes on the story.
Ready to elevate your public sector story?
Creating a public sector PR program isn’t easy. There are a number of components to account and plan for. It can be an overwhelming task for many. But, we hope you found this guide to be helpful in setting you up for social media success.
If you would like to discuss how Highwire can support your public sector program, please reach out. We’d love to chat.
