The federal government and its contractors are increasingly embracing social media as a new way of maintaining relationships.

Given the nature of social media, it’s a natural fit. Networking and personal contacts have long been the lifeblood of the contracting world. Social media don’t replace face-to-face interaction, but they make the detail work of business relationships and communications far easier to maintain.

Virtually every corner of the government can now be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, including places you wouldn’t expect, such as the National Security Agency. Clearly, this new realm is where the government will be operating, along with the rest of the world.

Among the leading proponents of the use of social media by government and contractors is Mark Oliver, the OSDBU director at the Department of the Interior. According to Oliver, there’s more to it than just keeping in touch. He tells Set-Aside Alert that a small contractor’s presence in social media outlets could be key to being included on a prime contractor’s team.

Social media provide a recent history of a company’s activity that’s not always evident on a website—activity that could make or break a deal before anyone even knows there is potential business in the offing. “Quite a few large companies are using social media to get a feel for smaller companies they might sub out to,” says Oliver. “Many check them out this way long before they initially contact them.”

For the federal government, Oliver says social media are an efficient, cost-effective way to build stronger relations with contractors. He points out that although they won’t completely replace events where government officials and potential contractors can meet in person, social media are a highly effective way to include companies that may not have the time or resources to attend in person.

This month’s OSDBU Procurement Conference in Washington is a prime example. The event has its own Facebook page, LinkedIn presence, and Twitter feed so those who can’t attend can follow the proceedings.

Oliver believes it would not only be wasteful, but irresponsible, if the government did not fully utilize social media in this way. “If we’re not providing the services to the small businesses selling to the federal government, who are also taxpayers and the driving engine of our economy, we have failed to execute our responsibilities to the fullest extent possible,” he says.

One organization that has developed a comprehensive social media strategy is the Native American Contractors Association. Its website, www.nativecontractors.org, has links to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flicker, YouTube and a blog. All these social media platforms offer a total networking system so association members and interested parties can get a complete picture of everything the organization is doing.

“Social media is a free and highly effective way to market your organization,” Jennie J. Elias, NACA’s director of external affairs and in-house social media guru, told Set-Aside Alert. “If you’re not with it already, you’re behind.”

Elias explains how it all fits together: Contacts are made via Facebook and LinkedIn, videos of events or presentations are uploaded to YouTube, photos of events are uploaded to Flicker (often in real time via cell phone cameras), news items and calls to action are posted on the blog, and short messages sent out on Twitter call attention to all of it. The result is an ongoing relationship with anyone and everyone NACA needs to connect with, for relatively little effort or cost.

The federal website www.howto.gov has a section dedicated to how government agencies are to use social media systems (www.howto.gov/social-media). Besides the usual legal guidelines and other references, detailed explanations and the reasoning behind social media, as well as specific suggestions on its utilization are included that are applicable for federal agencies and contractors alike.