A search of news on “federal government” and “social media” brings up lots of headlines. Most stories have to do with security and safety. But one thing is for sure: Government is now using social media, every day.
What does that mean for government contractors? It means that if you’re not doing social media marketing, you’re missing out.
Here are five best practices for engaging with government on social media.
  1. Use the channels they’re using. This sounds obvious, but to make it easy for government leaders to find you, be sure you’re active on the channels they’re visiting most. According to the just-released 2017 Federal Media and Marketing Study from Market Connections, 38 percent of feds spend time on social media daily. The top social media sites for federal executives? Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter.
  2. Share your content. Whenever you create new case studies and white papers, make them accessible on your social media so they can access your educational content. Infographics, video and podcasts are especially welcomed tools.
  3. Be mobile-friendly. These days, its commonplace for people to access social media from their smartphones – even while at work. To stay in the conversation, make sure your content is easy for your community to access, regardless of the device they’re using. This includes images, posts and linked-to content.
  4. Follow the leaders. Connect to thought leaders who are socially active and talking about the subjects you care about the most. If your organization is just getting started with a new capability, spend some time searching on Twitter and LinkedIn to see who is engaged in those discussions. Join LinkedIn groups. Use relevant hashtags. And follow the thought leaders, so you can be part of the conversation.
  5. Tag. Appropriately. As I mentioned in a recent blog, tagging others in social media is a great way to engage in a conversation. So, make a point of routinely sharing content from industry thought leaders (associations, publications, reporters, government leaders) and tagging each entity when you’re sharing their content, to acknowledge their contribution.
Social media is a new way to network and exchange ideas. The general rules of conduct for in-person behavior apply online as well. If you’re respectful, genuine and helpful, you’re more than halfway to getting engaged in the right conversations with government leaders.
If you’re looking for a social media partner, please let us know! We’re always happy to help.