Avoid these 5 common mistakes in GSA marketing to maximize federal contract opportunities:
- Using Generic Marketing Materials: Federal buyers need compliance-focused, detailed content like pricing, certifications, and past performance.
- Targeting All Agencies: Focus on agencies aligned with your offerings for better results.
- Uncoordinated Team Efforts: Align sales, marketing, and contract teams to avoid inefficiencies.
- Stopping Marketing After Award: Post-award outreach is crucial for securing repeat business and new task orders.
- Ignoring Digital Opportunities: Optimize GSA Advantage listings, engage federal buyers on LinkedIn, and send regular updates.
Why it matters: Federal contracts through GSA Schedules totaled $45 billion in 2023, with many awards receiving just one bid. A strategic approach can help you stand out in this lucrative market.
Tips for Marketing Your MAS Contract
What Makes GSA Marketing Different
Federal projects are often larger and more stable compared to commercial ones. Here’s how they differ:
Key Differences Between GSA and Commercial Marketing
- Competition: Only 4% of small businesses hold GSA Schedules, and 44% of awards receive just one bid. This creates unique opportunities for targeted marketing.
- Contract Size: Federal contracts often involve multi-million-dollar deals, far exceeding the scale of most commercial agreements.
- Pricing: Federal pricing typically involves a one-time negotiation, unlike the recurring discussions common in commercial markets.
- Compliance: Federal projects require extensive documentation and adherence to strict regulations.
- Procurement: The procurement process is streamlined and predictable across agencies.
- Digital Channels: Platforms like GSA eBuy and GSA Advantage are critical for reaching federal buyers.
Importance of Digital Systems
To succeed in GSA marketing, you need to actively use government-focused platforms like GSA eBuy and GSA Advantage. These are the main tools federal buyers rely on to find vendors and make purchases.
With these differences in mind, you’ll be better prepared to steer clear of the five common GSA marketing mistakes covered next.
1. Not Adapting Commercial Marketing Materials
Using generic commercial marketing materials in the federal space can undermine your efforts, especially given the strict compliance requirements of federal procurement. This approach wastes opportunities to fully leverage GSA marketing tools and digital systems.
Why Generic Materials Don’t Work (and What to Do Instead)
Federal procurement officers look for details that go beyond standard business marketing. To meet their needs, your materials should focus on federal-specific content, such as:
- Compliance documentation
- Transparent pricing
- Detailed specifications
- Federal past performance
- Socioeconomic certifications
- GSA Schedule number
- Special Item Numbers (SINs)
- Contract period of performance
Additionally, avoid trying to appeal to too many agencies at once. Instead, concentrate on those whose missions align closely with what you offer.
2. Marketing to All Federal Agencies
Once you’ve refined your materials for federal buyers (as covered in mistake #1), the next step is honing your targeting strategy. Instead of casting a wide net, concentrate on the agencies whose goals and missions align with what you offer. Understand their needs, create tailored messages, and allocate your resources to areas where they can deliver the most impact.
Using GSA Platforms Effectively
Keep a close eye on opportunities posted on GSA eBuy and GSA Advantage – these platforms are exclusively accessible to active Schedule holders.
Additionally, ensure your teams are aligned to deliver consistent and focused outreach efforts. Coordination across departments is key to making the most of these platforms.
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3. Uncoordinated Department Marketing
Once you’ve honed your agency targeting, it’s crucial to align your internal teams. When sales, marketing, and contract management operate in silos, it can lead to confusion and inefficiency, ultimately hurting your GSA Schedule efforts.
Common Coordination Problems
Disjointed efforts often result in:
- Pricing inconsistencies
- Messaging that doesn’t match across teams
- Overlapping outreach efforts
- Conflicting or redundant proposals
To avoid these issues, all teams need to be on the same page, working toward a shared goal.
Building a Unified Strategy
Designate a GSA marketing coordinator to centralize efforts and ensure everyone stays aligned. This person should oversee:
- Use of approved GSA price lists across all departments
- Marketing materials that align with contract terms and capabilities
- Consistent customer relationship management practices
- High-quality, accurate proposal submissions
- Contract managers staying informed on GSA compliance
- Marketing teams creating relevant materials
- Sales representatives effectively engaging federal buyers
- Proposal writers crafting bids that meet requirements
- Messaging that aligns with your GSA contract
- Easy access to GSA price lists for all team members
- A shared database of federal buyer contacts
- Centralized records of federal contract performance
This centralized approach ensures consistent use of tools like GSA eBuy and GSA Advantage, streamlining your efforts and improving results.
4. Neglecting Marketing After Contract Award
Winning a GSA Schedule is just the beginning. To secure repeat business and new task orders, it’s crucial to maintain your marketing efforts even after the contract is awarded. Many contractors make the mistake of pulling back, missing out on valuable opportunities to grow their federal market presence.
Your GSA marketing coordinator should take charge of post-award campaigns to ensure a seamless transition from pre-award efforts. This includes tasks like:
- Updating GSA Advantage listings within 30 days to reflect new offerings
- Highlighting past performance in GSA eBuy responses
- Reaching out quarterly to agency contacts to stay top-of-mind
Keep a close eye on metrics like win rates, inquiry volume, and task order success. These numbers can help you pinpoint high-performing agencies and replicate strategies that work. Regularly analyzing performance data ensures you stay competitive and continue to improve your federal market reach.
Up next, learn how to leverage digital channels that your competitors might be overlooking.
5. Missing Digital Marketing Opportunities
Post-award outreach isn’t just about maintaining your contract – it’s also a chance to expand your reach through digital marketing. These strategies help you connect with new agency audiences without needing to bid on additional contracts.
Think of it this way: Just as you keep an eye on GSA eBuy opportunities, maintaining a strong digital presence across federal platforms is equally important. Platforms like GSA Advantage, agency websites, and LinkedIn are key spaces where procurement officers search for vendors. Each platform serves a unique role – GSA Advantage for direct purchasing and LinkedIn for building relationships.
Here are a few ways to make the most of these channels:
- Optimize your GSA Advantage listings: Use relevant keywords and include clear, detailed specifications.
- Engage on LinkedIn: Run targeted outreach campaigns aimed at procurement officers.
- Send regular updates: Quarterly emails to agency contacts can highlight contract updates and keep your business top of mind.
How GSA Focus Solves These Challenges
Partnering with GSA Focus can transform these lessons into measurable growth.
GSA Focus provides a comprehensive solution for acquiring and managing GSA Schedule contracts. They handle 95% of the paperwork, complete acquisitions 4–6× faster than doing it yourself, and maintain a 98% success rate. On average, their services deliver an 87× ROI – adding approximately $927,000 to clients’ annual revenue with just three hours of client involvement.
By tackling paperwork issues, refining targeting, improving coordination, addressing post-award outreach, and closing digital gaps, GSA Focus helps you sidestep common challenges.
Here’s what they offer:
- Prepare all necessary documents and submissions
- Ensure full compliance with GSA requirements
- Represent you during contract negotiations
- Provide guidance on effective marketing strategies
"We guarantee your success with the GSA Program – or you don’t pay a cent." – Josh Ladick, Founder
Next, find out how to get started with GSA Focus.
Next Steps
Now that you’ve tackled common GSA marketing mistakes, it’s time to focus on three key actions to make the most of your Schedule:
- Check your marketing materials: Ensure they’re fully compliant with GSA standards to avoid unnecessary delays.
- Target the right federal agencies: Identify agencies that align with your strengths and capabilities.
- Create a post-award marketing plan: Build a clear strategy to win new task orders and grow your business.
Consider working with GSA Focus to secure and manage your GSA Schedule effectively. On average, clients see an 87× return on investment in annual revenue.
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- Common GSA Compliance Mistakes And Fixes
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- How to Promote GSA Contracts to Agencies
