In the vast, multifaceted world of marketing, few sectors present as unique a set of challenges and opportunities as the public sector.
Spanning all publicly-owned services (including schools, government agencies and the NHS), the public sector demands a deep understanding of its values, decision-making processes and communication channels when it comes to marketing.
More Than Words Marketing specialises in marketing to public sector organisations. With our team’s experience and skill in communicating with and connecting to decision-makers within this sphere, we believe we have the best possible standing to offer this comprehensive guide to mastering your marketing efforts.
The landscape of public sector organisations in the UK
Organisations are categorised as Public Sector if they receive funding directly from a Central Government department or through Local Authorities and the NHS.
For simplicity, we have broken down the different public sector organisations into the following categories:
Central Government: Government departments and agencies
Local Government: Councils, Police, Fire and Local Authorities
NHS: Hospital Trusts, GP Surgeries, Integrated Care Board
Schools: LEA controlled, Academies, Independent
Further & Higher Education: Universities, Colleges (post 16 education establishments)
How public sector organisations buy goods and services
Before starting any Public Sector Marketing it is important that you understand how the NHS, Local Councils and other public sector organisations purchase goods and services. In some instances they will advertise their requirements through various contract/tender portals.
In addition there are also a number of approved supplier lists that companies can join which would pre-qualify your business as being a suitable public sector supplier. Approved supplier lists are also called Frameworks and are normally specific to a particular public sector department or industry type.
A little known route is Direct Purchasing, which will still require some scrutiny of suppliers, but not necessarily to the same extent as a purchase through Tenders or Frameworks. Below are some examples of when Direct Purchasing could be used:
- Lower Value of products/services
- There is an immediate requirement to purchase
- Ad Hoc purchases such as Training, Events, Conferences, Advertising, Maintenance
Understanding your audience
The next step to effective public sector marketing is to understand who you need to approach in your marketing campaign. The structure and how the sector operates is very different to Privately owned businesses.
Having the right Public Sector data records will determine the success of your sales and marketing activity, quite simply even the best well created sales and marketing messages will fail if they don’t reach the right audience.
Work with a specialist Public Sector Data supplier, such as More Than Words Marketing who can assist and advise based upon the products and services you offer which contacts to purchase for a public sector marketing campaign.
Whether it’s marketing to schools, NHS, Local Authorities or the broader public sector entities, a one-size-fits-all approach rarely succeeds. This means knowing the individuals in your target audience as well as you do the sector as a whole.
Insider strategies for public sector marketing
- Research and compliance: Thorough research and an understanding of the laws around public sector marketing are fundamental to your campaigns. It is important to understand the environment into which you are sending messages, not only to stay on the right side of the law, but also to improve the likelihood of your messages reaching the right people.
- Building relationships: Long-term relationships are based on trust and mutual benefit in every sector, and this is especially true within the public sector. Networking, attending public sector events and engaging with sector-specific groups on platforms like LinkedIn can open doors and foster valuable connections.
- Content marketing: Content that educates and informs, rather than overtly sells, resonates well within the public sector. Whitepapers, case studies, and webinars that address sector-specific challenges and solutions can help to position your business as a thought leader within your niche.
- Digital presence: A strong, accessible online presence helps in making your solutions easily discoverable by public sector decision-makers. This includes a user-friendly website, active social media profiles, and engagement in relevant online forums.
- Feedback loops: When businesses use feedback from customers, employees and other businesses to directly affect their ongoing strategy, this is called a feedback loop. Understanding the impact of your products or services directly from public sector clients can guide future marketing efforts and product development.
Challenges and how to overcome them
Marketing to the public sector comes with its set of hurdles, including:
- lengthy procurement processes,
- budget constraints, and
- a need for extensive stakeholder consultations.
Patience, persistence, and creating highly tailored proposals that clearly demonstrate value and ROI can mitigate these challenges.
Conclusion
The best way to build trust and long-term relationships with high-value decision-makers in the public sector is to demonstrate your understanding of the unique needs and constraints of both the organisation and the wider sphere they are operating within.
A single marketing channel will rarely achieve a high ROI, therefore it is essential that companies use a variety of marketing channels, including Direct Mail, Email Marketing, Telephone Marketing and Market Research.
Effective public sector marketing is not just about overcoming challenges, it’s about seizing opportunities to contribute positively to major organisations across the UK.
As a supplier to the public sector businesses enjoy a higher profile in their niche, as well as enhancing their ability to serve the community.
