Today,  social media is not just a platform to keep up with family or friends, or to be updated with what’s going on in the world. In fact, social media have gained the reputation of being a powerful business tool. Small and large businesses use it to promote their businesses, get in touch with prospective clients, and maintain relationships with existing customers. Government contractors likewise have also recognized the importance of using social media to connect with government customers.

As a government contractor, there are 3 ways you can start using social media to connect with government customers.

 LinkedIn and Twitter are the two dominant social media platforms that you can tap to connect with government customers and eventually win contracts.

Knowledge Leadership                

 The most common GovCon marketing technique is using social media to develop authority on a particular subject matter. The process involves curating your knowledge on a certain subject, speaking at engagements, being a guest on other blogs/sites, lending your knowledge and expertise to others within the field.

An organization or person that represents themselves as a knowledge expert are employing a marketing tactic to drive government agencies to take notice of their expertise. By using social media to connect with government customers, you are able to use your knowledge and expertise to educate government buyers, build relationships, and become the “go-to company” for particular product/s or service/s.

Connecting Beyond Gate-Keepers

 Back in the day, GovCon’s underwent the exhausting process of talking to 5-6 different people and agencies before they reached the right person.  The best thing about social media is now they are able to connect directly with the decision makers within the government space, eliminating the hassle of going through secretaries and middle men.

Ease of Communication

Another advantage of using social media to connect with government buyers is the ease of communication. No longer will you have to wait in queue, dial the numbers over and over, or literally run after the decision maker. With social media, you can send instant messages and carry out business conversations that can potentially be responded to in a matter of seconds.

Find out more about social media practices that win government contracts.