Digital communication can be broadly defined as all types of online communication, for example, social media, email, and various digital tools. It helps grow your online presence, increase your visibility, and convey your brand message. It’s an invaluable tool to engage with public sector buyers, which is why it’s essential to guard the integrity of your brand.
An effective digital communications strategy, integrated with a comprehensive digital strategy, is becoming increasingly important as the government moves towards digital-first services. This can be seen in the Government Digital Service Standard, which prioritises user-friendly end-to-end government digital services. The NHS and Ministry of Justice quickly jumped on the bandwagon. However, it appears that other government organisations have adopted a more cautious wait-and-see approach.
That doesn’t mean that government buyers aren’t embracing digital communication. They are, and they use it to research suppliers and assess their credibility on various channels, including LinkedIn and even your own website.
In this post we’re going to look at how you can use digital communication to your advantage in your B2G marketing strategy.
What Is a Digital Communications Strategy?
A digital communications strategy facilitates engagement and fosters connections between people (stakeholders) across online channels. The idea is to extend reach, build supplier/buyer relationships, and distribute messages. In B2G procurement, a digital communications strategy is a structured plan that maps online communications with public sector audiences.
One of the great things about a digital communications strategy is how it fits so comfortably within an overarching marketing campaign. A few tweaks here and there, adjusted objectives, a revised content plan and you’re tackling marketing from a whole different stand point.
Key Elements of a Public Sector Digital Communications Strategy
Every strategy needs a goal, something that is realistically achievable. Typically, marketing and communication channels‘ goals are to raise awareness, promote the brand, establish credibility, and increase your reputation as an authority in your industry.
But how do you know which goals will deliver the most value?
Think SMART.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Time-bound
Think about your audience. Engagement is emphasised under the Procurement Act 2023, so early market engagement might be a good goal.
How would you go about it? Hosting a Q&A webinar might do the trick.
A SMART goal might be a 70% attendance rate (70% of registered users attend the webinar).
Other key elements of an effective digital communications strategy include:
1) Audience mapping
Define your audience; specifically the people you want this particular strategy to target.
Decision-makers are always a good bet, but you should also consider gate-keepers. They’re the ones who allow you access to the inner sanctum; the decision-makers and influencers.
Don’t forget about the people within the department or public sector organisation who will ultimately use or benefit from your product or service. You want them to know that you understand their pain points and can resolve their challenges in ways that specifically work for them.
2) Channel selection
Your message is important, but it’s arguable that your channel selection is even more so. You can’t just publish it in the web’s ether and hope for the best. You must publish it through external communication channels where it will be seen. In the public sector, digital communications channels typically include LinkedIn, email, digital PR sites, and the GOV.UK news and communications page.
3) Messaging & tone
How you say it is as important as what you say. Always use a professional tone, but make sure it’s empathetic. You don’t want to sound cold. Be clear and concise, but not clipped and chopped to within an inch of its life.
Focus on providing value while also aligning with public sector values, including sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and ethical supply chains.
You can use snippets of longer content, including whitepapers, insights, and announcements, to generate interest.
4) Governance & compliance
There are a few behind the scenes things here that are non-negotiable. If they are lacking, you could face financial penalties, or worse, debarment from the public sector itself. So, remember:
- Accessibility: This is how easy your website is to access for those with visual impairments, for example.
- Security: This is cyber security. The very least certification the government will accept is Cyber Essentials. It helps to aim higher with Cyber Essentials Plus.
- GDPR: The UK General Data Protection Regulations is essential to safeguard private and sensitive public sector data.
- Government standards: This includes things like the Procurement Act 2023 and the Social Value Act 2015, as well as “unofficial” standards, like environmental concerns that contribute to net zero.
5) Measurement & reporting
This brings us back to SMART. How do you measure the success of your digital communications strategy?
Quantify objectives like engagement, coverage, and influence on procurement. This can be tricky, but good analytics software will help you interpret data and generate reports to identify strengths and weaknesses, so you know where to focus your efforts for your next campaign.
3 Common Mistakes in Digital Communications – and How to Avoid Them
No strategy is foolproof; you must be ready to learn from mistakes, so you can improve your performance the next time round.
Take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Many agencies make these three common mistakes.
1) Inconsistent messaging across digital channels
Consistency in brand messaging is predictable, and this is a good thing in digital communications. It demonstrates reliability, which is a measure of comfort for risk averse public sector buyers.
Inconsistency conveys exactly the opposite; unpredictability, unreliability, and a risk too great to take.
2) Overuse of jargon or vague buzzwords
Your audience consists of people who are familiar with the product or service you’re pedalling, but they’re not experts. Too much jargon automatically alienates them. Even if your audience is full of experts, too much jargon is off-putting.
We’re not saying you can’t use any jargon. You have to demonstrate at least working knowledge of their challenges and your solutions and that requires a degree of industry language. Just don’t cram them in every second sentence.
3) Treating communications as an afterthought to bidding strategies
Communication should never be an add-on. Something you pay attention to when you have the time. Public sector communications requires a focussed effort for it to play an essential supporting role for marketing and bidding strategies.
B2G Digital Communications Strategies & Your Brand
We’ve seen how important a dedicated digital communications strategy is for suppliers to succeed in public sector procurement. It spreads brand awareness, yes, especially through social media platforms . But it does much, much more than that. It’s essential for long-term visibility and relationship building. It demonstrates compliance with industry and government regulations.
Crucially, it establishes your trustworthiness and continues to support your reputation as a brand to trust.
Contact us for a free consultation or marketing audit and find out how we can help align your communications strategy with public sector buyer expectations.
