Why Campaigns Stall in SLED 

If you’ve ever felt like your state, local, or education (SLED) marketing campaign underperformed, you’re not alone. But the problem isn’t usually your ad creative or your webinar content. It’s your audience strategy. 

In commercial B2B, success often comes down to speed. A VP with budget authority can green-light a pilot in weeks. But in SLED, buying power is spread across committees—CIOs, procurement, program leads, legal, and finance. Add fiscal calendars, grants, and compliance rules to the mix, and the difference is clear: broad targeting wastes money. Precision wins. 

 

The 60/30/10 Formula for SLED Success 

We’ve seen the same pattern again and again: 

  • 60% of performance comes from audience clarity (ICP + Personas). 
  • 30% comes from aligning the right offer to the right stage of the buying journey. 
  • 10% comes from creative execution (message, visuals, CTA). 

Most marketers flip this formula—overinvesting in the 10%—when in reality, if you’re “fishing in the wrong lake,” it doesn’t matter how clever your message is. 

Instead, define your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) and personas the SLED way: 

  • Agency type (state, county, city, K-12, higher ed) 
  • Size and complexity (jurisdiction population, program scope) 
  • Budget and tech maturity (where funding is available) 
  • Mandates and triggers (new legislation, compliance deadlines) 

This clarity ensures your campaign dollars land in the right places—with the right people—at the right time. 

 

Because SLED Buys by Committee 

Every buying decision in government is a team sport. CIOs focus on modernization and risk. Procurement cares about compliance and cost. Program leaders want peer examples and measurable outcomes. 

When your message is tailored to each role, it resonates. When it’s generic, it gets ignored. That’s why building personas is more than a marketing exercise—it’s how you build trust across a committee and guide them toward consensus using your Buyer Journey Mapping. 

 

Timing is Everything 

Even when you’ve nailed your ICP and personas, timing can make or break your campaign. In SLED, the fiscal year is the heartbeat of decision-making. 

  • Awareness content that references an upcoming mandate gets opened. 
  • Consideration content that lays out compliant options gets shared. 
  • Decision content that reduces procurement friction gets acted on. 

This isn’t theory—it’s what we see daily across client campaigns. The most successful vendors are those who align content and cadence with the rhythms of SLED. 

 

The Takeaway 

Your campaign isn’t failing because of weak creative or poor channel selection. It’s failing because your audience strategy is broken. When you start with precision—defining ICPs, building personas, and aligning to buyer journeys—you don’t just fill your funnel. You fill it with the right people, ready to move when the timing is right. 

 

Keep Learning: Watch the Webinar + the Full Series 

This blog only scratches the surface. For the complete playbook, watch the full on-demand webinar: Your SLED Campaign Isn’t Failing, Your Audience Strategy Is!

And don’t stop there—this session is part of e.Republic’s 5-part Marketing Mastery Series for gov tech vendors and consultants. Each 30-minute session covers a different piece of the puzzle and you can sign up for all of them at the link above! 

For more information, contact marketing@erepublic.com or your account representative.