Too Cringe, Didn’t Read: Creating Content That Government Actually Wants
Picture this: You've just spent three weeks crafting the perfect white paper about your AI solution. It's got flashy graphics, punchy headlines about "revolutionizing workflows," and enough buzzwords to make a govtech executive weep with joy. You ship it off to that state agency contact you've been courting for months, and then... crickets.
Meanwhile, your competitor just landed a meeting with the same agency using what looks like a Word document from 2003 with a title as exciting as "Technical Capabilities Assessment for Data Processing Systems." What gives?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Most tech companies are creating content for an audience that doesn't exist in government. We're writing for the mythical CTO who makes snap decisions based on sleek marketing materials, when we should be writing for Janet from IT who needs to present three options to a procurement committee next Tuesday.
This week, I wanted to write a bit about how to create government content that actually gets read, shared, and referenced during procurement processes—content that helps you win deals instead of collecting digital dust.
Lesson #1: Content Resonance Changes with Agency Type
As with pretty much everything in marketing tech to public sector agencies, the strategies here vary by the segment you’re trying to target. Here’s a brief rundown of my segment-specific advice:
State and Local Government (SLG) buyers are intensely practical. They want implementation timelines, staff training requirements, and integration details for their existing (often legacy) systems. They consume content that shows exactly how your solution works in real-world municipal or state environments—think "how-to" guides and step-by-step implementation roadmaps.
Federal (FED) buyers are the research powerhouses. They'll read your entire 47-page security assessment, technical architecture documentation, and compliance matrices. They want exhaustive technical specifications, detailed security protocols, and comprehensive vendor capability statements. If it exists, they want to see it documented.
Higher Education (HED) buyers love forward-thinking content about emerging technologies and their applications in academic settings. They need content that helps them articulate technology value to diverse stakeholders—from faculty senate committees to budget administrators. Think thought leadership pieces, trend analysis, and educational technology case studies.
K-12 Education (K12) buyers focus heavily on student outcomes and educator impact. They want content that clearly connects technology to learning improvements, classroom efficiency, and administrative simplification. They're particularly interested in implementation stories from similar districts and content addressing parent/community concerns about student privacy and digital equity.
I’ve found the above guidelines to be pretty true, but as always, your specific agency may differ.
Lesson #2: Use the Right Language
Government agencies operate in a fundamentally different linguistic environment than private companies. They think in terms of public service, stewardship, and accountability rather than growth, disruption, and competitive advantage.
Instead of corporate-speak like "leverage synergies," government agencies "collaborate across departments." Rather than seeking "disruptive innovation," they want "proven solutions that enhance existing capabilities." They don't "optimize human capital"—they "maintain essential services during staff shortages while ensuring fair treatment of employees."
More Translation Examples:
"Maximize ROI" becomes "achieve better outcomes for residents with existing budgets"
"Streamline operations" becomes "improve service delivery and reduce wait times"
"Scale rapidly" becomes "expand services sustainably while maintaining quality"
"Capture market share" becomes "serve more constituents effectively"
"Drive revenue growth" becomes "increase program effectiveness and community impact"
"Competitive advantage" becomes "enhanced capability to fulfill our mission"
Before writing any government content, ask yourself: "How does this help the agency better serve its constituents or fulfill its public mission?" Then restructure your language around that outcome.
For example: "Our platform increases processing speed by 50%" becomes "Residents receive services 50% faster, reducing wait times and improving their experience with government."
Lesson #3: Find the Technical Sweet Spot
One of the trickiest aspects of government content marketing is hitting the right level of technical depth. You're writing for an audience that includes both the IT director who eats technical specifications for breakfast and the department head who just wants to know if this thing will solve their problem.
The secret is building content like a pyramid. Start with the high-level benefit that everyone can understand, then provide progressively more technical detail for those who need it. Think of it like those cooking shows—they give you the recipe overview first, then dive into knife techniques and temperature science for the culinary nerds.
As with most strategies in public sector content marketing, start with your audience stakeholder map. Different roles in government procurement need dramatically different depths of technical information. The executive who approves the budget cares about high-level benefits and cost impact. The department head wants to understand user experience and training requirements. The IT director needs architecture details and integration specifications. The procurement officer focuses on compliance and vendor qualifications.
Content Layering Strategy
I usually structure government content in three distinct layers:
The executive summary gets read by everyone, so it focuses on mission impact, high-level capabilities, implementation timeline, and budget considerations.
The operational details section targets department heads and implementers with user workflow changes, training requirements, and performance metrics.
The technical specifications dive deep for IT and security teams with system architecture, security protocols, and performance benchmarks.
The trick is making sure each layer connects to the others without being redundant. Each section should provide value independently while building toward a comprehensive understanding for readers who want to go deeper.
The best government content blends these layers expertly—comprehensive enough for technical evaluation, accessible enough for budget approval, and practical enough for implementation planning. It's not easy, but when you get it right, your content becomes the resource that procurement committees actually reference during their decision-making process.
Lesson #4: Make Compliance Compelling
Government buyers live in a world of regulations and security requirements that would make enterprise IT leaders dizzy. Your content needs to address these concerns directly, not as an afterthought.
For example, don't just list certifications—explain how they solve real problems. Instead of "We are FedRAMP authorized", try "Our FedRAMP authorization means your data stays secure in the cloud while meeting federal security standards"
Security content needs to be specific and substantive. Government buyers want to know about your encryption standards, incident response procedures, and vulnerability management processes. They need this information for RFP responses and internal approvals.
Pro tip: Compliance capabilities can be a major differentiator. If you've solved compliance challenges that competitors struggle with, that's worth highlighting.
Lesson #5: Use Content Types That Win
Not all content is created equal in government markets. Here are the formats that I’ve found consistently perform, ranked roughly by how often I use them:
Educational content: Explain emerging technologies like AI or zero trust security in the context of government use cases.
One-pagers: Concise summaries that buyers can easily share with colleagues and reference during procurement processes.
Case studies: Focus on measurable results like improved response times, reduced processing costs, or enhanced resident satisfaction (even when you can't name specific agencies). Bonus if your case study is from a neighboring community.
Lesson #6: Use the Right Distribution Channels
Creating great government content is only half the battle—you need to get it in front of the right audiences through channels where they actually look for information.
Agency-specific channels: Each agency has preferred information sources, trade publications, and professional associations. Based on your market research, you should have a good idea of where to target (don’t guess!!).
Partner amplification: System integrators and consulting firms can help distribute your content to relevant audiences with established credibility. Again, different segments work with different integrators - do NOT spray and pray here, but instead be deliberate with who you’re partnering with.
Optimize for government search patterns: Buyers search for specific, technical solutions rather than general problems. Target long-tail keywords like "FedRAMP compliant data analytics" instead of broader terms.
Don't forget offline: Government buyers still value conferences, professional associations, and face-to-face networking. This one is huge - selling to the public sector is still largely a face-to-face, relationship-driven business.
Your Public Sector Content Action Plan
Ready to transform your content strategy? Here's how to get started:
Before publishing, ask yourself:
Does this help a government buyer build a case for your solution?
Does it address specific government concerns and requirements?
Can it be easily shared with colleagues and used in procurement processes?
Does it focus on mission outcomes rather than technical features?
Is compliance information specific and substantive?
Of course, there’s still plenty of groundwork you can do in the background:
Audit your existing content using the checklist above
Identify your highest-value government content types based on your buyer research (the research is important - remember, it’s the cornerstone for everything!)
Create mission-aligned messaging that speaks to agency priorities
Optimize distribution through government-specific channels
Government buyers are hungry for good content—they just want content that serves their needs rather than your marketing goals. Focus on substantive value, clear communication, and practical outcomes, and you'll create content that not only gets read but actually drives results.
Want to learn more about succeeding in the public sector market? Download our comprehensive guide: "Decoding Public Sector Marketing: A Field Guide for Technology Companies."
