If you’re in the B2G market, you know that content is king.

Businesses looking to beat the RFP churn out content left and right in hopes it will resonate, validate, and gain some traction.

But the truth of the matter is - if B2G content is too shallow, it’ll be ignored. If it’s too dense, it’ll lack engagement. If it’s published a week too late, it’s lost relevance.

B2G content needs to be just right.

Government problems are unique and intricate, which helps to explain why B2G content must be just right to work.

Keep reading to learn exactly why government buyers prefer certain types of content over others - the reasons may surprise you.

To create content a government buyer actually wants to read, you first need to understand why they need it.

Let’s turn to the data.

Paid market research tells us that industry contractors and vendors are in the top three most relied upon content sources for federal, state and local and education decision makers. 

Governments rely on vendor content to learn about the market, make business decisions and implement solutions.

Data also tells us the most important content to the public sector features original data and research. Valued, relevant content details product specifications and provides examples of past performances.

In short, it’s factual, reliable and relevant. 

To make your content useful to the government buyer, let’s explore what the buyer wants, and, more importantly, why it’s so impactful to them. 

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B2G content for when your buyer needs it.

Overall, successful government marketing campaigns lean heavily on facts and data, and aim to educate the government buyer as much as persuade them. 

Likewise, government buyers place the most value on research reports, white papers, and product demos, and less on specific content like podcasts or webinars. 

But the types of content government buyers need may change depending on the buying cycle. Even within a single project timeline, decision makers prioritize different content at different stages. 

For example, when government buyers are getting an initial grasp of a challenge facing an organization, starting to brainstorm potential solutions, or researching market solutions, case studies and articles become more important. 

As the government buyer enters into a final vendor evaluations and selections, they are more likely to request a product demo or trial, which allows them to validate previous research and eliminate any potential red flags. 

The B2G market is vast, and government customers bring different values, challenges, structures, and expectations to the table. It makes sense then, that these unique challenges and needs will influence how content is valued. 

While there’s no magic bullet, understanding what government buyers have in common can explain existing content trends and help you develop a curated B2G marketing strategy hinged on desirable content. 

Why public sector buyers prefer some content types over others. 

We know B2G content can help government buyers navigate through a challenging problem, and we know their need for high-quality content can depend on their unique values and timelines.

But what does quality B2G content actually look like?

Federal, state and local government employees say the content that’s worthy of their time and attention share three core attributes:

1. The content is comprehensive.

2. It’s concise and brief. 

3. It’s relevant and specific to the user’s challenges. 

Content can come in many forms depending on your government decision maker’s schedule, informational preferences, organizational role, stage in the project timeline, and more. 

But these three values - relevance, conciseness, and specificity - remain constant because of the following truisms about public servants. Understand the “why” behind your content strategy, and the tactical decisions will come naturally. 

Here’s why government buyers prefer some content types over others:

1. Data-based content empowers data-based decision making. 

In this blog post, we discussed Melody Barnes and Paul Schmitz’ piece for the Stanford Social Innovation Review. They claim government decision makers are in the midst of a data-driven revolution. Simply put, programs with data to support outcomes get more funding, especially at the local level. 

The folks who will eventually become your buyer champions are leading this revolution. They’re the ones identifying well-exhibited challenges and researching data-based solutions rooted in empirical evidence. 

Government workers are relying on vendor content to gather information and make key decisions. They’re more likely to respond to content that details relevant empirical findings, prioritizing the challenges they exhibit on a daily basis. 

You can get ahead of the competition by offering content that empowers them to make data-based decisions throughout the project’s timeline, from vendor research and selection to implementation. 

2. Government generalists specialize in succinctness. 

It’s important for you to understand the greatest strengths of your direct audience. You may not be working with a subject matter expert in whatever good or service you offer, but public servants are smart folks who have a practiced knack for simplifying complex concepts into digestible bites for people on the executive level - the mayor, city manager, or even department head. They specialize in succinctness. 

Therefore, it follows that government buyers value succinctness in vendors as well. It’s not that they’re unable to manage complexity; rather, that’s a huge, time-consuming part of their already overwhelming job. 

In the eyes of your potential buyer, brief, succinct, yet highly substantive content from you transforms the relationship to one between a vendor and a buyer to one between partners. 

But take note! Too often, succinctness gives way to simplicity. Good content reads effortlessly but is not effortless. Simply cutting your word count amounts to cutting corners. Your content should not sacrifice substance in the name of being succinct. 

3. Public servants consider everything a learning opportunity. 

According to state and local government respondents, only about 16 percent of work content they consume contains information specific to their vertical. This tells us that when public servants consume content at work, they’re learning rather than delving more deeply into their existing area of specialty. 

This confirms a truth about the work of government generalists: every project is an opportunity to learn about a different niche of their field. During the Great Resignation, professional development has become increasingly important to employees as they bolster their resumes and explore career advancement. Still, MissionSquare’s annual survey revealed that in 2021 only 60 percent of employers even offered funds for employee development programs.

Due to a combination of these factors, government employees are open to learning but often lack formal professional development opportunities, and instead seek out content that provides built-in learning opportunities.

4. Resources and time are limited for government buyers. 

Public servants are famously overworked and overbooked, and more than likely lack the time, funding, and human capital to spend on leisurely fact finding and brainstorming. Government buyers want content that is maximally relevant for the longest period of time, so that they can plug it into their process at their convenience. On average, case studies, research reports, eBooks and white papers have the longest shelf life, according to your public sector client. 

Receiving content with a longer shelf life allows government buyers to get more bang for their buck, something that’s always on the minds of project managers on a local and state level. Alternatively, a majority of public sector respondents say that if content is no longer current, it is of absolutely no use to them. 

To your benefit, content with a long shelf life allows you to stay on the radar, and on the calendars, of busy public officials for a more sustained period of time. The longer your content appears relevant to their project timeline, the more touch points you have to make a connection with the buyer. 

5. Government security is tight - and getting tighter. 

Due to increasing threats to cybersecurity, governments (particularly local governments, a more common target of hacking) are bolstering their protection. This is certainly something to be celebrated. But it also makes it more challenging to make a first touch via cold-emailing, earned media, or paid social media advertisements. Even some reputable news and networking sites are blocked under strict security protocols. 

Public sector employees listed the top barriers to accessing vendor content as strict spam filters, blocked news sites, and blocked media sites. This leaves your site, stocked with unique, downloadable content, as a safe option for government users. 

Ultimately, public sector decision makers are most likely to vouch for your legitimacy once you’ve established a consistent, working relationship with them. Entice them with short form content, like articles or quick case studies. Then, leverage your more bespoke white papers, reports, or even webinars to build a thriving email or telephone correspondence. This way, you can safely comply with security protocols without sacrificing any touch points. 

Delivering on the promise of quality content requires investments in your government marketing strategy. 

Ultimately, the public sector values content that is comprehensive, succinct and aligned with their interests. Building lasting, meaningful relationships, however, relies on understanding why public servants feel this way and how to deliver on these preferences. 

It’s not the first time the “why” and the “how” have been more important than the “what,” in marketing. 

With limited time, funding and staffing, public servants are tasked with impactful, life changing tasks concerning infrastructure, human services, economic development, children’s welfare, and more. It’s no wonder that they have little tolerance for any content that isn’t relevant to their needs, whether in its topic, shelf life, or details. 

To meet the needs of government buyers, your content has to be immediately relevant, detailed and well-written. These are foundational beliefs that should not only inform your overall government marketing strategy but also impact your tactical decision making: market research is vital to creating hyper-focused content, and skilled copywriting is key to substantive, succinct messaging.

Regardless of the identity of your potential buyer, the challenges they face, or the solution you have to offer, they’re valid in preferring curated, quality content. With the appropriate time, research and care invested, you can deliver on their preference for quality content and build a lasting loyalty. 

Need help churning out quality B2G content your public sector audience will love? You’ve come to the right place. Follow me!