The Poor Performance Problem
April 10, 2012
From GovSupervisor, April 11, 2012 If you are ever in a conversation lull at work and need to generate some immediate energy, bring up the topic of federal employee poor performance. The issue is resonant and generates great emotion. We’ve all heard the stories of the sleeping employee, the one who could never complete a simple assignment without asking endless questions and involving the entire department in high drama, or whose products had to be reworked every time. Yet, as we shall see, this issue is widely misunderstood. There’s more to the picture than meets the eye. It is also no small matter. OPM’s ... Read more7 Habits Of Highly Successful Government Contractors
April 10, 2012
From GovPlayers, April 11, 2012 We recently sat down with Jennifer Schaus of Jennifer Schaus & Associates in Washington, DC. The firm provides a full array of government contracting services. Services are typically offered on a part-time or consulting basis and include: sales, marketing, business development, lobbying, GSA Schedule help and more. Ms. Schaus provided some insight on how to win in government contracting. Many firms eagerly enter the government market with great expectations and big dreams but are quickly devastated as they attempt to navigate through the red tape, acronyms, procedures and heavy competition. Some of the most successful companies – ... Read moreService Contractor Magazine Highlights Social Media in the Public Sector Study in Center Spread
April 9, 2012
Obstacles to federal employees’ use of social media for work are declining. According to Market Connections Inc’s new Public Sector Social Media Study released Oct. 18, just 19 percent of agencies surveyed reported they ban access to some or all social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, down sharply from 2010, when 55 percent of agencies banned access. With use becoming more ubiquitous and accepted across the government, vendors need to know the right ways to engage with their federal agency customers. The study found that federal employees are using social media to inform decision making, educate the public, access information and ... Read moreNEW VIDEOS: Real-World Social Media Insight from Corporate and Government Marketers
April 8, 2012
The social media event we hosted in October 2011 with Strategic Communications Group featured an exceptional panel of corporate and government marketers who have ownership of their organization’s social participation. They hailed from Deloitte, Intelsat General, Polycom, General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense. The panel offered advice for marketers who desire to integrate social media into their mix of external communications tactics. Three brief videos provide real-world perspective from panelists to help public sector marketers define a social path for your organization. Advice for an Organization Evaluating Social Media Building Internal Support for Social Media Measuring ROI for Social Media Panelists ... Read moreControlled Social Networking: Like, Comment, Share.
April 7, 2012
From the Federal Blue Print blog, November 4, 2011 This month, Market Connections released its annual report on social media in the public sector. Government employees and contractors are using social media more than ever before, both for personal use and in the course of their job responsibilities. In fact, the most common use of social media sites, particularly blogs, is used for information finding in the decision making process. In 2010 half of all users responded that social media sites were banned in the office, but in 2011 that has dropped to 19%. After hearing these results, we posed the ... Read moreSocial Media in the Public Sector 2011
April 7, 2012
Market Connections, in collaboration with Strategic Communications Group, presented an overview of findings from the 2011 Public Sector Social Media Study to a full house at the Marriott Tysons Corner on October 18, 2011. The overview includes: Who’s using social media and how among government and contractors Top devices and locations for accessing social media Most popular commercial and government-specific social media sites Top tools used to inform decision-making How organizations are measuring social media ROI Key takeaways and recommendations for government contractors using social media Simply click here to download an overview of the study results. Read moreThis Friday, Save Energy and Cut Costs on Power IT Down Day
August 23, 2011
One of the hot topics in federal circles this year is data center consolidation. Seen as a way to control costs and save energy – both admirable goals – consolidation is one of the pillars of the 25-point IT reform plan. As individuals, there are things we too can do to cut costs and control energy. Specifically, we can turn off our office equipment – computers, monitors, printers, etc. – and unplug the wall chargers for our cellphones and tablets at the end of the workday. It might not sound like much, but the ability of individuals to have an impact ... Read moreMarket Connections Partners with Strategic Communications Group to Track the Adoption of Social Media in the Public Sector
August 23, 2011
Market Connections will work with social media marketing consultancy Strategic Communications Group on the second edition of a social media study, which will examine the adoption of social media among government agencies and the companies that serve them. “Our research during the past two years has shown steady growth in the use of social media within the government. We’re looking forward to seeing how public sector agencies and employees have adapted their use and perceptions of social media, and how contractors are using social media to reach their target audiences,” said Market Connections President and CEO Lisa Dezzutti. This year’s study is ... Read moreFCW Announces Rising Star Award Winners
August 15, 2011
Market Connections would like to congratulate William “Jay” Huie, husband to Market Connections’ senior research analyst Molly Huie. Jay recently won an FCW 2011 Rising Star Award for his work at eGlobalTech. Read the full article honoring the 25 up-and-coming employees in the public and private sectors who have made an early — and substantive — mark in the government IT community. Read moreB-to-G Marketers Shift Focus to Digital and Social Channels
August 1, 2011
From Direct Marketing News, August 1, 2011 Business-to-government marketers must beware the bulk. Direct mail no longer headlines the b-to-g marketing mix. These days, print performs as a role player, supplementing a more integrated strategy that pivots on digital channels. Even document management company Xerox Corp. has revisited its traditionally direct mail-oriented approach. Read more