Twenty years ago, salespeople were the gatekeepers of information about their companies. Today, numerous digital channels and information sources allow prospects to vet potential vendors independently, dramatically changing the B2G buying process.
Over a decade ago, Google and the Corporate Executive Board conducted a study showing that prospects control the vetting process for large IT purchases. They found that the average B2B consumer had completed 57% of the sales process before ever contacting a company representative. Prospects are qualifying companies, not the other way around.
Today, that percentage is likely even higher, possibly reaching 75% before a prospect reaches out. In such a climate, content marketing is essential. Regular, disciplined creation of high-quality, useful content creates awareness and provides prospects with the information they need to differentiate your solution.
The PESO model is a convenient way to understand the differences in content.
The PESO Model:
Government marketers should:
Owned media is the foundation of your website content, acting as the central hub uniting all your marketing efforts. It offers complete control over your message, unlike relying on reporters to accurately convey your technology and differentiators. This ensures that your audience receives a consistent and precise understanding of your offerings.
In addition to message control, owned media is a critical component of a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. By focusing your content on specific keyword phrases and producing genuinely useful material, you can improve your content’s ranking in organic search listings. While SEO involves other elements like site construction and analysis, it cannot succeed without strong, well-constructed content. Therefore, prioritizing owned media is essential for maximizing your marketing impact.
In their recent Marketing for the Public Sector (M4PS) report, Market Connections/GovExec found that 93% of federal decision-makers consider search engines to be somewhat or very effective channels for delivering content that educates the buying process. If you do not provide that content, your competitors will.
Additionally, companies need owned content to fuel their customer journey/sales funnel process, which includes the stages of Awareness, Consideration, Decision, and Loyalty.
Different types of content are needed at different points in this journey. You want to provide
more purely informative, thought-leadership content at the top of the funnel and then gradually
include more solution-specific content as the prospect moves down the funnel.
Educational, thought-leadership content is the foundation of B2G marketing success. Join
GovCon Ideators and let’s continue the conversation!
