There is a lot of value in the UK's public sector, but it is also complicated to break into.
In contrast to B2B organisations, the public sector often seeks out new suppliers via other channels.
One popular marketing channel for the public sector is email.
But, a small business may find it difficult to find subscribers and pitch to someone within the public arena.
However, the government has announced that it will spend £1 in every £3 with SMEs by the end of 2022 - and plans to involve more SMEs in projects as part of the initiative.
Businesses seeking contract work with the NHS, local governments, or universities are usually required to go through a tendering process in order to win small or large contracts.
For this reason, it may seem limiting to focus your marketing effort on public sector companies.
Tendering is a complex process, often with little expectation for success.
Other than tendering, there is also the option to pitch public sector organisations for smaller contracts, for which these companies have more freedom to choose their suppliers.
It is here that email marketing can prove invaluable.
Using email marketing to reach the public sector
Within the public sector, prospects are constantly being approached by sales reps, and the sales process can take a long time and be unpredictable.
Network building is crucial.
A marketing email can be used to create relaxed, unpressured conversations with decision makers. Over time, this will help you build trust and value.
The key to a good open rate, and building a dedicated email subscriber base, is to remember that you are selling to individuals, not one large entity.
Selecting a market for your product or service
In the public sector, choosing which sectors to target can be challenging for a supplier whose solution fits many areas.
In the same way, if you are new to the public sector, knowing where to begin can be difficult.
Your first task will be to understand what your product or service will offer to any organisation you connect with.
Once you identify the needs of your potential customer, it will be easier to gather public sector data for a mailing list.
You can even break this list down further in order to personalise your emails.
Learn about your target audience
Your most important email marketing tool is your email list.
For your email marketing strategy to succeed, it is crucial to first understand the landscape. That is, what people do, where the decision makers are, and what their roles are.
Additionally, using an email marketing platform or email marketing software to send emails requires a targeted list of prospects.
Since people in the sector tend to move around a lot and sales cycles are generally long, many marketers prefer to find public sector email addresses through trusted data brokers or suppliers.
This will help you to identify the budget holders you need to contact, as well as vital information about their organisation to help you to tailor your email campaigns.
You should also think about what prospects might find valuable from a promotional email, welcome email or transactional email.
Any marketer will tell you, the more closely you pay attention to the bones of your strategy, the better your sender reputation and campaign will fare over time.
Looking at your existing customer base and their motivations may be helpful.
Think long term with your email marketing campaign
More Than Words Marketing's team organises email marketing campaigns for our clients over a 12-month period.
As a partner, we are dedicated to making sure that our clients achieve the maximum return on any investment.
We believe they are unlikely to see real results from a single email automation, content marketing or digital marketing campaign.
The public sector has an extended buying cycle, higher tender values, and greater scrutiny over purchases made with public money.
Any email marketing to the public sector needs to establish familiarity and trust.
A regular email newsletter is much more effective for building a relationship with public sector decision makers.
Get in touch to learn more about our marketing to the public sector. We're available on 0330 010 8300.
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