What is the return on your B2G marketing investment?

Every company in the government market faces the same problem regardless of whether they are a novice contractor or among the more experienced: how to get and maintain visibility with primary prospects, people who will buy or influence the buying decision. Large company or small, commodity vendor or service provider, the problem is the same: getting through the labyrinth that is the Federal government to find those particular people who will most likely be interested in what you have to say and what you have to sell.

While it is true the more experienced companies have reputations and relationships in the market which makes it somewhat easier for them to grow, the marketing methods are evolving at such a fast pace that even the most experienced companies may not be maximizing the impact of their marketing dollars.

And if you are a relative novice, how do you know where to spend your precious resources – both time and money – to maximize the return on your investment?

When it comes to marketing to the federal government – Global One – one size does not fit all. You need an experienced guide.

Federal Marketing Audit

The Federal Marketing Audit (FMA) is designed to make certain your company is spending all of its resources, including time and money, in ways the will provide the best return on investment on all aspects of your government sales, marketing and business development efforts. The FMA provides a detailed analysis of each component of your marketing outreach:

• all collateral materials and space ads
• all web activities, including company web site, social networks, blogs, podcasts, etc
• event selection
• support activities for sales and business development
• association and special interest group involvement
• overall marketing schedule

After reviewing all aspects of your marketing program, we then provide recommendations in the form of an action plan and a timeline based on over 25 years experience in the government market to make absolutely certain your marketing is aligned with sales and business development goals, and that a realistic timeframe for execution is in place.

The FMA is predicated on over 25 years of studying what works and what doesn’t work in the government market when it comes to marketing. Mark Amtower (author of Government Marketing Best Practices and 2008 Who’s Who in Marketing from BtoB magazine) created the FMA in the early 1990s as a way of helping companies determine the best marketing strategy and tactics to support their particular programs.

Our FMA has been employed by some of the most successful companies in the government market – large and small, service providers and product vendors – to grow marketshare.  Our clients have included Anteon, CDW-G, Clement Communications, CompUSA, Day-Timer, Dell, Demco, GDIT, Global Knowledge, GTSI, Hello Direct, LanDesk, Learning Tree International, MPC (Micron), MicroWarehouse, Northern Safety, Northern Tool, Northrop Grumman, PestPatrol, Programmers Paradise, Quill Corporation, SurfControl, World Wide Technology and many others – each resulting in much higher market penetration, and in some instances truly radical growth. In some cases, getting our clients in the right event, or making certain they are participating in the right Special Interest Group (SIG) has led to a more rapid growth of marketshare: one small change can make the quantum leap to radical success.

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The FMA is an ever-evolving four-step process:

1: Goal Setting teleconference:

A general discussion of what the Audit will cover, with questions asked by all parties. The overall purpose of the call is to establish realistic expectations.

2: Pre-audit Analysis:

• Establish market potential for your category (product/service niche)
• Determine and rank competition
• Examine sample of your customer database (internal contact/mailing list)
• Review all marketing materials
• Evaluate space ads
• Appraise and rate web site and social media (web 2.0) involvement
• Review your use of response devices in all media
• Assess marketing schedule, including events (trade shows & table tops), space ads
• Conduct a Visibility Rating (web & publication search for your company)

3: On-Site Presentation:

The on-site opens with an overview of what’s happening in the government market as regards your niche, including successful market penetration efforts by dominant and emerging players. It includes the 25,000 foot “bird’s eye” view of the Federal market focusing on your service category. This is a general assessment of where you are. Then we proceed with the presentation of our findings (ground-level view) and recommendations:

• Current customer data analysis & what it shows (about who buyers are & quality of your data)
• Validity of messages in all media targeting government buyers
• Recommendations on event and publication selection
• Recommendations for web, including social networks, blogs and podcasts
• Recommendations on association and SIG membership
• Recommendations on your overall marketing schedule
• Results of the Visibility Rating – where you currently are on the marketing radar screen versus your direct competitors
• Online marketing research - how & where to find  the information you need to succeed, including buyers
• Present tactical action items (long term calendar) and assign internal manager (or external if this is for retainer clients)

The total time for on-site presentation is 4-6 hours. It is best that this occur in a setting that will have minimal interruptions and a working lunch. Three weeks is required for research, so advanced booking is required.

4: Post-audit follow-up:

Thirty days after the event we schedule a 60 minute telephone debrief.

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The Federal Marketing Audit is a consulting service of Amtower & Company, the preeminent authority on B2G marketing. The investment is $9,995.00, prepaid, and reasonable travel fees are billable to the client.

Each FMA is conducted by Mark Amtower and must be booked at least 30 days in advance. The Federal Marketing Audit is used at the beginning of all Amtower retainer relationships.

FMA includes a one-year membership at www.GovernmentMarketMaster.com .

Due to the time necessary to research each client for the Federal Marketing Audit, there are only a limited number available each year – so call today to schedule your FMA.

FMA includes a one-year membership at www.GovernmentMarketMaster.com .

Call Mary Ellen Amtower at 301-854-9493 or email meamtower@comcast.net to schedule your Federal Marketing Audit.