We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” In the GovTech market, this is doubly true. The public sector market is huge, but well-connected. Relationships and references within that network are the foundation of success for marketers. They can provide a strategic advantage, build trust, and are the foundation of high value, repeatable marketing campaigns.
This blogs reviews the various relationships that exist in the government vertical market, and how you can leverage them to accelerate your public sector business results.
Your GovBuyer is the foundation for focused, repeatable marketing
One of the biggest advantages of cultivating a good relationship with a government customer is their ability to act as an internal or external champion. Government agencies are constantly looking to learn from their peers. They want to understand what works, why and how. Reviewing references and peer adoption is an important step in their GovBuyer’s Journey™. You can help. If your solution has been successful elsewhere, they are more likely to consider it. If your solution has a proven track record in one agency, it can unlock doors to new opportunities with other agencies.
However, securing a government success story isn’t always easy or straightforward. In the private sector, where customer testimonials are often freely shared. But government agencies are bound by strict rules that prevent them from appearing to endorse one vendor over another. This means that any success story must undergo a formal approval process, often involving the agency’s public affairs officer. A strong relationship with a government customer makes all the difference in navigating through agency ranks and signoffs.
The process takes time, but the payoff is well worth the wait. Once approved, the success story becomes a powerful marketing asset that can help your government customer take the next step in their GovBuyer’s Journey and help your sales team close deals more effectively.
Leverage integrator partnerships to expand your marketing reach
Cultivating a good rapport with system integrators can provide a significant advantage in your marketing efforts. Partners bring domain expertise and additional credibility in areas you may not have. They can also help fill in gaps in your solution offering, enabling you to tell a more comprehensive story to potential GovBuyers.
Scaling through aggregators
In addition to making it easier for government customers to purchase your products, working with aggregators can help scale your marketing efforts across a broader segment of the government community. In the GovTech market, an aggregator is a type of partner that consolidates products, services, or data from multiple providers into a single source for government agencies to access. Aggregators streamline the procurement process by offering a wide variety of solutions on common government contract vehicles. This enables agencies to efficiently discover, compare, and acquire technologies that meet their specific needs.
So aggregators have the reach, contracts, and capabilities to introduce your solution to new buyers you may not have been able to reach on your own. And, top tier aggregators will have knowledgeable, expert marketing and sales teams that can help brainstorm ideas and concepts, and amplify your message and campaigns.
Better together: Meet the hybrid demand with other tech vendors
Today’s government agencies are relying on commercial technology to meet their mission needs. They want to avoid the high costs and long timelines associated with custom-coded solutions, opting instead for hybrid technology workflows. These workflows typically involve integrating multiple commercial products into a cohesive solution that meets the agency’s requirements.
However, with over 9,000 technology vendors in the GovTech market, it can be difficult for agencies to know which products will work well together. This is where co-marketing with technology partners can make a significant impact. Demonstrating a workflow compatibility will help the agency buyers understand the strengths and benefits of your solution in their hybrid agency tech stack.
As you’re building your strategies and campaigns, consider collaborating with other partners or participating in alliance co-marketing. You can create joint marketing campaigns that showcase how your combined solutions deliver greater value to government customers. You’ll also highlight the compatibility of your solution with others in the market, showing that your solution fits seamlessly into a hybrid environment. And, you’ll emphasize the added value that comes from working with a broader ecosystem of technology providers.
Building the future of GovTech marketing
In the GovTech market, success isn’t just about having the right product—it’s about building strategic relationships that boost your reach, credibility, and influence. These relationships are the cornerstone of scalable, repeatable marketing efforts.
By leveraging these alliances, you can navigate the complexities of the government buying process, expand your market presence, and deliver impactful, co-branded solutions that meet the growing demand for hybrid technologies. Strong connections unlock new opportunities and drive lasting success in the public sector.
Remember, it’s not just about what you know, but who you know—and how you use those relationships to craft compelling marketing stories that deliver rapid, meaningful results for you and your government customers.