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The New B2G Lead Generation Paradigm

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Posted by John Beveridge on Nov 9, 2015 10:00:00 PM

The New B2G Lead Generation Paradigm


The big misconception about B2G (Business to Government) lead generation is that your targets don't use the same tools for research as everyone else. For the most part, they really do use the same tools – social media, search, industry blogs – as consumers and B2B buyers. The difference comes in how they use those tools, and the type of content that they are seeking out.

You won't be surprised to learn that government buyers value hard data, and limited fluff. They're content priorities align much more with a private-sector corporate executive than they do with the average consumer. We've got you covered on how to reach them, with the tactics you need for an effective, repeatable B2G lead generation process.


Grow Your Business by Understanding the New B2G Lead Generation Paradigm

The differences between B2C, B2B, and B2G are really a matter of degree. No matter what, your buyers are using the same internet as the rest of us. The differences come in where you place your focus, and which channels you prioritize. As you'll soon see, search and content marketing will be your best tools for reaching B2G buyers.

  • Search Is King – For research, your buyers will likely turn to search results before anything else. It's about efficiency. They're looking for specific information, and usually have the skills to find it. SEO is important, but it's about more than putting the right keywords in the right places. Ultimately, it's the quality of your content that makes the difference.

  • But Social Matters – B2G buyers are less likely to seek content on Facebook and Twitter, but they still use social media. YouTube is popular, because you can fit a ton of useful content into a short video. LinkedIn ranks fairly well, but recent data show that Google+ is actually the most popular “traditional” social media for B2G buyers.

  • Build Your Blog – Blogging is a great way to establish relationships with your buyers, and not just from the content you produce. By setting a regular blogging schedule, sticking to it, and engaging in the comments, you demonstrate the reliability and responsiveness that people can expect when doing business with you. Your blog should also provide plenty of opportunities to boost your SEO.

  • Embrace Long-Form – Your blog is a great entry point for your prospects, but you'll often need a little more meat to make the conversion. B2G buyers love long-form content like whitepapers, eBooks, and case studies based on well-sourced data. Creating this type of content requires a bit more effort, but it should be one of the main pillars of your B2G outreach.

  • Make It Share-able – Government professionals have personal social pages like the rest of us, and will use those accounts to share useful content with others in their industry. If you want your content to be share-worthy, start with statistical insights. If you can package those insights into infographic form, your content has an even better chance of being shared.

  • Be Relevant – More than anything else, B2G buyers use social media, search, and content to stay on top of the latest trends. As a group, these people consume a tremendous amount of news online and elsewhere. So your content needs to be current and relevant if you want to cut through the noise.

  • Be Accessible – Your content is important, but it's also the first step in a larger conversation. Ideally, the next step is to engage the people who consume your content. Look for opportunities to reach out, and be responsive on any channel that you use for marketing. Remember that even though you might be engaging someone directly for the first time, your content has already helped establish your knowledge and professionalism.


Even within this framework, there's still plenty of room for customization in your B2G lead generation. Experiment with different tactics to see what works best for your business, and your buyers. The main constant is that B2G buyers prefer focused content and hard data to marketing gloss. Your outreach can certainly still show off your company culture, as long as it's backed up by the type of data that wins deals.


 

 

Topics: Government Contractors

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