Marketing Your Government Website: Free or Low-cost Ways You Can Bring Customers to Your Site and Keep Them Coming Back

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Marketing Your Government WebsiteFree or
Low-cost Ways You Can Bring Customersto Your
Site and Keep Them Coming Back

• Allison Soussi-Tanani
• NOAA Research CIO Office
• Web Shop 2002 - August 8, 2002

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Know Your Public and Your Product

• Research
• Customer Segments
• Focus Groups
• Branding
• Improvements
• Plain Language
• Timely Updates
• Comment/Feedback
• Customer Quotes (as testimonials)

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Use the Internet to Market

• Internet News Services
• Links/Barter
• Multipliers ListServs and Online Discussion
  Groups
• Responses to visitors auto-response and
  personalized)
• Send Page to a Friend
• Free Subscription
• FirstGov Common Subscription Service/cross-agency
  Leveraging
• Top Web Picks pages
• Second page registration on top search engines
• Keywords in metatags

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Traditional Marketing

• Media Relationships (not just Media Relations)
• Earned Media
• Speakers Bureau (Include stakeholders and
  advocates)
• PowerPoint Presentationsfew lines is enough
• Exhibits/Handouts (share and piggyback)
• Demo site at exhibit
• 5-minute usability test
• Trade and Association Media
• Public Awareness Campaigns - Print, Broadcast,
  Targeted Mailings
• Federal Supply Schedule Resources (get marketing
  firms on FSS)
• Site business cards (like FirstGov and
  FedStats.gov)
• Graphics on envelopes
• Award applications

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Enlist/Inform/Teach

• Tell employees first (agency, cross-agency teams,
  all government)
• Network everywhere
• Federal Executive Boards
• Libraries and Community Groups
• Schools and Colleges
• Associations with related interests

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Measure Everything, Especially Results

• Put measures into your marketing plan
• Put marketing plan into agency's strategic plan
• Chart and compare outreach efforts against site
  traffic statistics

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Government Specific Web Sites

• FirstGov (www.firstgov.gov)FirstGov is the
  portal to all of government - federal, state, and
  local. The site has three customer channels -
  citizens, business, and government. FirstGov
  wants to hear from you when you have new features
  and services on your site. Write to "Suggest a
  Link" or to "Contact Us" on FirstGov.gov.
  beverly.godwin_at_gsa.gov
• AOL's GovernmentGuide (http//www.usgovnow.com/fed
  /) James Vaughn, Manager of GovernmentGuide.com,
  wants to hear from you when you have new web
  features or other offerings. Contact him at
  vaughnj99_at_aol.com.
• Usability.gov (www.usability.gov) This helpful
  site was developed by the National Cancer
  Institute communications staff to share what
  they learned in developing usable, useful, and
  accessible web sites and user interfaces. These
  experts on usability are available to run
  usability tests for your agency for reasonable
  fees. The content has gone through the NIH review
  process, therefore, a good source for
  scientifically based information.

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General Marketing Web Sites

• The Write Markethttp//www.thewritemarket.com
• Guerrilla Marketinghttp//www.gmarketing.com/cgi-
  bin/main.pl
• Idea Café Marketinghttp//www.businessownerside
  acafe.com/business/marketing.php

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EXPERTS in the Biz

• Bill GoodwillPSAs, Distribution, Packaging,
  EvaluationGoodwill Communicationshttp//www.good
  willcommunications.com Ask for e-mail and print
  newsletters.Public Service Advertising Research
  Centerhttp//www.psaresearch.com
• David StarckAdvertising, PSAs, and Promotional
  MaterialsBoard Member, Federal Communicators
  NetworkAdvising Manager, Marketing OfficeBureau
  of the Public Debt, Department of
  Treasurywww.savingsbonds.gov david.starck_at_bpd.t
  reas.gov [phone]
• George MatyjewiczInternet News ServiceChief
  Marketing OfficerGAP Enterprises,
  Ltd.http//www.gapent.com - Georgem_at_gapent.com(
  770) 752-9767
• Marci HiltBoard Member, Federal Communicators
  NetworkPublic Affairs SpecialistUS Department
  of AgricultureProject Leader, Communicators
  Guide(202) 720-3088 Marci.hilt_at_usda.gov

• George SelbyMember, Federal Communicators
  NetworkSupervisory Marketing SpecialistMarketing
  Services Office, U.S. Census Bureau301-457-3110
  george.selby_at_census.gov
• Chris McFerreneMail Distribution ListsGeneral
  Services AdministrationChris.mcferren_at_gsa.gov
• June MalinaMarketing expert, workshop
  speakerMember, Federal Communicators
  NetworkRetired (U.S. Government Printing
  Office)Jmalina_at_erols.com
• Brant TurnerMailing Lists American Database
  Marketingwww.admlists.com Toll Free (888)
  565-7724Fax Toll Free [phone]
• Gary PriceLibrarian, Internet Research
  SpecialistResourceShelfhttp//resourceshelf.free
  pint.com/ Web Search Buffet Presentation
  http//www.freepint.com/gary/fedweb02.html

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Federal Organizations/Contacts

• Federal Supply Service
• Federal Supply Schedule Communications
• General Services Administration
• Janis Freeman - [phone]
• Ask for marketing portfolio. Many marketing,
  graphics, and communications vendors are on the
  schedule, which means you can get their services
  quickly.
• Federal Executive Boards
• There are 20 federal executive boards (FEBs) and
  about 100 federal executive associations (FEA)
  that coordinate and cooperate across agency lines
  on programs and initiatives.
• Paula Bridgham - Director for Federal Executive
  Board OperationsOffice of Personnel Management,
  Washington, DC http//www.feb.gov (202)
  606-1001 plbridgh_at_opm.gov

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Federal Organizations/Contacts

• Federal Communicators Network
• http //www.fcn.gov
• To join online, go to http//www.fcn.gov/members/
  join.htm
• FCN has more than 900 members from almost every
  agency all across the country.
• A small coordinating committee provides direction
  and plans events and services.
• Most workshops and activities are free, thanks to
  the support of government agencies, as well as
  private sector and nonprofit organizations.
• FCN members connect and share information through
  an e-mail distribution list.
• To subscribe, go to listserv_at_listsrv.gsa.gov
• In the body of the message (not the subject
  line), type SUBSCRIBE COMMET- L YOUR NAME (no
  period).
• For more information, contact pat.wood_at_gsa.gov.
• Federal Multi-media Group-BOPSAT (Bunch of
  People Sitting Around Talking)
• BOPSAT, a recent offshoot of the Federal
  Communicators Network, is doing a lot more than
  sitting around talking. It is committed to
  sharing multi-media information and resources
  across agency lines.
• Launched by the Social Security Administration,
  its coordinator is Art Dormer 703-305-5476
  Donner.Art_at_epamail.epa.gov

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Other Organizations/Resources

• American Marketing Association / Marketing
  Power.com
• http//www.ama.org or http//www.marketingpower.
  com
• Direct Marketing Association
• http//www.the-dma.org
• Communicators Guide
• You may download the guide in pdf at
  http//www.publicforuminstitute.org/activities/200
  2/fcn/commguide.htm
• How to OrderCopies are available for 6 each
  plus shipping and handling fromIFAS/Extension
  Boookstore, Building 440, Mowry Rd., PO Box
  110011, Gainesville, FL 32611.Or call (352)
  382-1764 or [phone].
• For people with disAbilities, copies of the guide
  are also available on audiotape for people with
  visual or cognitive disabilities. You can request
  tapes from the USDA Target Center at (202)
  720-2600.

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Strategies from Other .govs

• Business card for website Include URL on
  business card
• Include URL in e-mail auto-signature
• Use html e-mail to attach graphical site
• Physical site roll out balloons, banners, etc.
• Advertise new site page on popular page
• Strategically place with creative wording
• Advertise on gossip / society page Intranet
• Distribute photos as screensavers backgrounds
• Add to training programs
• Include in new employee orientation
• Ask, Whats your opinion

• Trade show demonstrations
• Tell your librarians use local library
• Bookmarks with site info
• Create pens and other giveaways with URL
• Create bi/multi lingual site
• Button for Make this page your home page
• Create a good slogan or tag line and use it when
  marketing the site
• Use a physical marketing campaign in well
  traveled areas, like the cafeteria or break area
• Publish survey results and changes made per
  survey findings
• Tap into professional meetings and events

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How do you Market the Web?

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The End

• Credits
• The inspiration and resources for this
  presentation were borrowed, with permission, from
  Pat Wood (pat.wood_at_gsa.gov) of the Office of
  FirstGov, General Services Administration.
  Portions of the presentation were covered at the
  FedWeb 2002 Spring Conference, May 22, 2002