B2G: To Blog or Not to Blog?

A fellow marketer recently asked me what I think of the current state of business-to-government technology (B2G) blogging. For those of you who are not familiar with B2G, there exists an entire subculture of government contractors in the DC area that are serving a $70 billion plus federal IT budget. This sub-marketplace has its own unique culture, including publications, meetings, best practices, and marketing agencies. It has become very secluded to subject matter experts, because there are so many nuances to it. Experience matters here.

As usual, the B2G technology marketplace is the last to adopt innovative marketing tactics. The market is so risk adverse, so afraid to say the wrong thing that this actually inhibits blog marketing. This is because of the amount of black eyes government takes from the national media anytime an IT project goes wrong. No one wants to put their reputation on the line (Unfortunately, we don’t hold the private sector to the same scrutiny or else we would see better results than 70% success rates in software development). You have to be willing to state your opinion in a blog because it’s a dialogue, and as such B2Gers are deathly afraid to blog.

The so-called current B2G blog initiatives are mostly publication driven; i.e. FCW Insider, other 1105 blogs, and Government Executive blogs. As a “real blogger” and someone who has helped several companies with blog strategies in the past six months, I don’t consider magazine or newspaper blogs to be real as the entries tend to be short news bursts, and lack opinion or personality. In essence, because they are published under the masthead, they must adhere to the masthead’s journalistic standards.

A blog is not a professional journal. Chris Dorobek’s FCW Insider is close to the real deal, and I like his willingness to let us into his life a bit. If only the B2G journalist blogs would go out on a limb about some topic like integrators who fail, or the ravaging of the middle market integrators to feed Wall Street-hungry top-tier stocks. Then we might have something to talk about.

These starter blogs may inspire an innovator to take the plunge. It’s inevitable that someone with enough “chutzpah,” someone that has enough of a maverick streak to them, will start the first real successful B2G blog. An Amtower or a CDWG will come along and do this, and they will be wildly successful and hailed as brilliant marketers.

They will be successful because the target audience that has made blogs and social networking successful work in government and associated contractors, too. Namely, anyone mid thirties or younger, and most folks 45 or younger in technology businesses. This audience will welcome a real B2G blog, and the first one to do it successfully will gain an extremely strong and loyal customer base.

Brief LComm Notes

There’s very little work this weekend, and that’s a great relief. I’m very tired after having worked the past six to seven weekends, and need to get my self some rest. This is a welcome break. You have to have some balance or perspective slips by…

I actually bought some business clothes yesterday, a new suit and shoes. These are the first major wardrobe buys since lance summer prior to the flood. Very needed. You have to look the part. It’s not enough to assume it. You have to look it, feel it, and believe it. I felt like it was time. We are rapidly evolving out of the bootstrap phase.

The Hoyas lost yesterday. As an alum, this was a big disappointment, but perhaps the cup should be looked at as half full. They got further than most expected, and certainly declared the program returned. I just hope at least Hibbert will stay for another year. Green’s probably going pro. OK, no more sports mania until the Nats start tearing up the division or the World Series (my prediction is the latter comes first).

OK, Monday’s quotes:

• “Costly thy habit [dress] as thy purse can buy; But not express in fancy – rich, not gaudy. For the apparel oft proclaims the man.” Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, scene iii.
• “The difference between a man of sense and a fop is that the fop values himself upon his dress; and the man of sense laughs at it, at the same time he knows he must not neglect it,” Lord Chesterfield.
• “I knew if I really believed and made it happen, well then that would be nothing short of magic,” Bret Maverick (form the movie, Maverick).