The Amtower B2G Market Report

The Amtower B2G Market Report
Volume 3, #15, April 12, 2004

(Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.FederalDirect.net and if you like this, please pass this along to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, email me at amtower@erols.com). Past issues available at http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletterarchives.html)

1) Amtower Off-Center Observations
2) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: CMP Moves into Government
3) Government Marketing Best Practices Spring 2004 Road Show
4) One Minute Marketing Clinic: E-communications

Amtower Off-Center Observations

Item: We are one week from April 19. Do you remember what happened 9 years ago?

Item: It is not all IT. Information Technology is hot, it is sexy, but it is NOT all the government buys. In an interview recently with a business marketing publication, I was asked if I only did IT consulting. Simple answer – no. Many of the companies I work with sell commodity products: furniture, audio-visual products, safety products, tools, cleaning supplies, shipping materials and more.

The problems are the same, regardless of the product. Who are the buyers and influencers? How do we find them? And how do we reach them? How are they currently buying these things, and where are they currently buying the products?

I live and breathe this stuff. For me, it is fun. When prospects, clients or reporters call with any of these questions, I often have an answer off the top of my head. I know a lot about it because it is all I do.

But there is always more.

I pick up new stuff every week. I find new sources by looking at the referral sites for my web sites: who is coming to my sites for information and where are they coming from? I found BetterRoads.com (also a publication), a site for contractors in the road maintenance and building market this way. Very cool site, if you happen to be in that market. As this is usually a state or local function, it is an area in which I do not often get involved. It is a resource that will help at least one client. And it will be a great link for GovernmentExpress.com.

There are over 70,000 governments in the U.S. counting the Feds as one, each state as one, and migrating to counties, cities, townships, special district governments, school districts, and on and on. There are many niche publications that focus on the special needs of each functional community.

I get excited when I find new sites with good information.

Am I easily amused? Yes.

It is fun to have answers when people call, or to tell them I will find out and call back.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: CMP MOVES INTO GOVERNMENT

CMP, the publishing company, is making two moves into the government space. One I like and one that may be frivolous.

Government VAR, currently a regular supplement to VAR Business, is a good addition for government vendors. Editorially it is pretty strong, getting articles from industry veterans as well as VAR Business staff writers. It is a good read with some valuable information.

Government Enterprise, on the other hand, still seems to be in the works (see The Amtower B2G Market Report, January 17, 2003: http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletter011703.html). If the plan is the same, Information Week, Network Computing and Optimize will all contribute readers to the publication. If it is poly-bagged into those publications as a supplement, it is a good move. If they decide to position it as a stand-alone, they may take subscribers away from the other books – a bad move by my estimation.

Many tech magazines and other B2B publications have clusters of government readers. This does not mean you have to create a new publication for them. The technical issues are the same, and government IT professionals know this.

I think Government VAR could be a stand-alone publication. I also think it will do fine as a supplement. I think Government Enterprise should stay a supplement.

In a related publishing issue, not related to CMP, Government Executive not only announced a new format, but also an increase in the number of issues. Most months it will now be published twice. Regardless of its stated reasons for this (massive reader demands, etc), it is simply a way to be able to sell more space ads. Which is OK, as I like reading Government Executive. But please, guys, spare me the hype of “We detect the demand for more information” (show me anyone who has more time to read!). Just tell us you want more ad dollars, not that “Life is speeding up” and you are going to help by deforestation, I mean, upping the frequency.

Not that I have an opinion.

LAST CALL! GOVERNMENT MARKETING BEST PRACTICES SPRING 2004 ROAD SHOW

If you like this newsletter, you will love this seminar.

The government marketing man in black is going on the road again, five cities in April, and more this fall. More use-able information in three hours than you get from most multi-day events. No platitudes, but the Amtower attitude, with real information in what works in government marketing - and what does not work. Registrations are coming in and seating is limited at each venue - register today!

Government Marketing Best Practices (version 4.1) will be visiting
Vienna, Virginia, April 14
San Jose April 20
San Antonio April 21
Denver April 28
Chicago April 29

This 3-hour seminar covers proven tactics that work in the government marketplace.

best web site characteristics for attracting Feds
eight tips for successful Federal direct mail and email
tried & true methods for event identification, selection and marketing
identifying, creating and exploiting press opportunities
the role of special interest groups and how to find the best one for your niche
and more - with lots of new examples, and audience interaction.

Once again, this will include new material (version 4.1). Our 2004 sponsors are DM News, the Federal Business Council, Federal Computer Week, Government Security News, Carroll Publishing and the Public Sector Institute. If you have suggestions for city selection for the fall, 2004 Road Show, email me!

Over 700 professionals have attended Government Marketing Best Practices since the first session in March, 2002. Register today and find out why!

Information is available at http://www.federaldirect.net/bestpractices2004.html

ONE MINUTE MARKETING CLINIC: E-COMMUNICATIONS

If you have noticed a better written Amtower B2G Market Report over the past several months, it is because I have three proof readers now, not just one. My in-laws, Mary Ellen’s parents, also read the newsletter before it goes out, thereby making me look a little better, correction by correction.

Market Access sends out LONG emails (sometimes 8 or 9 pages). Then they put in really silly things like having to call an 800 number to get the web address. Hell, boys, you just gave me 8 pages of stuff, what else could there be?

Advantage Consulting also send LONG emails, but at least they include their web address.

Here is a tip, people: 3 pages per email – max. Anything more probably will not be read. Then take them to the web site via a link in the email. Hint to Market Access: if you do not put the web address in the email, fewer people will show up. You have just added an unnecessary step.

In Best Practices I offer more useful information in three hours than most marketing programs give you in a day.

If these long newsletters are an indicator, I think the word-per-idea (WPI) ratio at the events may be a little long for my taste. Though the events may present valuable information, there is a time consideration. Why say in three hours what you can say in a day, or even two days? The wider the WPI ratio, the more likely we have a situation where intellectual flatulence is masquerading as thought. We all know people who like to hear themselves talk. At least I limit it to three hours.

Get someone to proof the newsletter, folks.

**

As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks
Mark Amtower

The Amtower B2G Market Report is published and copyrighted by Amtower & Company. It combines our former newsletters into a single, bi-weekly newsletter for companies targeting the government marketplace. Contact us at Amtower & Company, PO Box 339, Ashton, MD 20861-0339 (301-924-0058). This material is copyrighted and may not be duplicated, reprinted or otherwise replicated without written permission of the publisher. EMAIL subscriptions are free by request: sign up at www.FederalDirect.net.


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