I recently had the privilege of joining Darshan Mehta on Getting to Aha! to talk about the lessons I’ve learned in B2G marketing. The following is a summary of our discussion because I’m a big fan of repurposing content. There’s more in the full episode, linked below.

Companies often invest substantial time and capital into developing ground-breaking solutions, only to watch their marketing efforts stall. This is as true in government contracting as in any industry. When messaging fails to connect, teams may assume the content wasn’t clever enough, or the feature list wasn’t thorough enough.

I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and I would argue the problem lies elsewhere: we haven’t understood why the buyer needs the solution.

Effective B2G marketing requires understanding what drives human decision-making in complex buying environments. Know the person behind the procurement process, and you can connect what you offer to the mission, constraints, and concerns.

Why Does Buyer Psychology Matter in Government Marketing?

Early in my consulting career, I learned that buyers bring their own internal stories, unspoken fears, and professional aspirations to every decision. Whether a customer is anxious about impressing leadership or hesitant to launch a program, effective marketing begins by addressing what lies beneath the surface.

Years ago, when I worked on a website for a startup GovCon business, the client kept adding a full list of the states she worked in to the introduction, then deleting it. Over and over.

Eventually, I realized the repeated edits reflected a deeper concern. She was afraid of becoming more visible and of the business growth that might follow. Once I understood that, we could address it and move the project forward.

We also removed the list of states, which never belonged in the intro copy!

That client was a business owner, but the lesson carries over to government marketing. Great communicators learn to bridge the gap between emotional triggers and constructive solutions. Ask what is making someone hesitate. A program manager may be worried about introducing a tool their team cannot support. A technical lead may need evidence that it will work with existing systems. Those concerns deserve a place in your messaging.

What Do Government Buyers Actually Care About?

They want to understand what your solution will help them accomplish and whether they can use it successfully in their environment.

It’s easy to assume prospects share your enthusiasm for a product you’ve spent years developing. But they’re still asking, “What’s in it for me?”

Government buyers are human beings who respond to standard psychological drivers, but they operate within a unique environment constrained by public scrutiny, procurement rules, and strict justification requirements.

Common Misconceptions Vendors Make:

• Assuming decision-makers drive the choice. Vendors often forget that government decision-makers face rigid regulatory boundaries regarding how and whether they can procure a product, regardless of personal preference.
• Overestimating technical understanding. Vendors frequently assume buyers fully grasp technical concepts—such as the full scope of Cloud benefits—when research consistently reveals significant knowledge gaps. Explain the benefit in terms of the work they need to do.
• Leading with jargon and bold claims. Decision-makers quickly tune out marketing buzzwords, exaggerated claims, and contractors who attempt to prescribe solutions without first asking what is needed.

Almost every market research study reveals a clear disconnect between what vendors think drives buyers and what actually motivates them. Vendors default to assumptions that fit their own internal narrative, rather than taking the time to uncover the buyer's true operational realities.

How Do Government Contractors Build Trust?

They build it by doing what they say they will do and communicating honestly when something changes.

Trustworthiness ranked first among the reputation attributes measured in the latest GovExec Reputation Index. Credibility isn't something you can claim in a pitch deck; you must earn it systematically.

How Trust Is Built vs. Destroyed

Actions that build credibility:

1. Communication: Clear, transparent messaging and active listening
2. Execution: Consistent presence and strict operational accountability
3. Partnership: Asking questions and co-creating solutions

Actions that destroy credibility:

1. Communication: Relying on marketing jargon and bold, unsubstantiated claims
2. Execution: Failing to deliver on commitments or promised outcomes
3. Partnership: Assuming complete domain knowledge and dictating terms to buyers

How Can B2G Marketers Tell More Credible Stories?

An informative government case study helps the reader recognize a problem and understand how it was solved.

But storytelling in the government sector carries unique hurdles. Success stories are notoriously difficult to write because agencies frequently restrict the use of their name, leaving case studies stripped of compelling detail. Furthermore, many B2G marketers play it safe, resulting in homogenized messaging across the industry.

To create stories that actually move people, I believe each content piece must:

1. Speak to one specific audience: Tailor the message precisely rather than attempting to appeal to every stakeholder at once. A program manager and a technical evaluator may need different information. Choose whose question this piece will answer.
2. Make one solid point: Avoid cluttering the narrative with secondary features; focus on a singular, high-impact insight.

At its core, effective storytelling succeeds when it makes the audience feel genuinely seen and heard.

B2G Marketing Takeaways

• Lead with what the buyer needs to accomplish.
• Never assume a buyer's baseline technical knowledge or procurement flexibility.
• Build trust through consistency, active listening, and accountability.
• Support your promises with evidence and follow-through.
• Give each content piece one audience and one clear point.
• Avoid perfection paralysis by prioritizing progress and momentum over flawless execution.

For more on buyer motivation, trust, and storytelling, listen to my conversation with Darshan Mehta on Getting to Aha!

Reach out if you’d like more information or to partner with GovExec.

About the Author >

Susan Rose is Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Advisory Services within the Insights and Research Group at GovExec. Every day she “gets to use research” to help tell the stories impacting government most — and share solutions. She leads a team of talented industry analysts who love nothing more than translating data into actionable insights.

Before joining GovExec, she owned Rosebud Communications, where she specialized in thought leadership and partnered with Market Connections for ten years. She is an award-winning copywriter and content marketer with a B.S. in Journalism and an M.S. in Urban and Environmental Policy. She has worked in the private and public sectors, leading result-focused communications campaigns.