Washington DC Marketing Agency

DC
MARKETING
AGENCY

Digital marketing for associations, government contractors, advocacy organizations, and mission-driven organizations in the nation's capital. We help you grow membership, win contracts, and advance your cause.

LET'S TALK
2,300+
Trade Associations in DC
$755B
Federal Contracts (FY24)
$4.5B
Lobbying Spend (2024)
24%
Federal Contracts in DC Metro
DC Office
601 13th St NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone
Email
Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

DC MARKETING IS A DIFFERENT GAME

What Doesn't Work Here
  • Consumer marketing tactics applied to B2B and membership audiences
  • Agencies that don't understand GovCon, associations, or advocacy
  • Generic SEO that ignores DC's unique competitive landscape
  • Marketing that prioritizes awareness over member acquisition
  • Creative that looks like it belongs in Nashville, not the Beltway
  • Vanity metrics that don't connect to revenue or mission impact
What Actually Works Here
  • Understanding the unique buying cycles of federal procurement
  • Member acquisition strategies built for association economics
  • Thought leadership campaigns that establish policy credibility
  • LinkedIn and paid media targeting decision-makers, not the public
  • Content that demonstrates expertise to sophisticated audiences
  • Marketing tied to contract wins, member growth, and policy outcomes

BUILT FOR DC'S UNIQUE MARKET

Washington isn't like other markets. Your buyers are different. Your sales cycles are different. Your success metrics are different. We get it—and we've built our practice around it.

01
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Member acquisition, retention campaigns, event marketing, and thought leadership content. We help associations demonstrate value and grow membership in competitive markets.

02
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS

Pipeline development, capability marketing, proposal support, and brand positioning. We help GovCon firms stand out in a $755 billion federal marketplace.

03
ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS

Grassroots mobilization, digital campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and coalition building. We help advocacy groups move policy and build movements.

04
NONPROFITS & FOUNDATIONS

Donor acquisition, awareness campaigns, and impact communications. We help mission-driven organizations expand their reach and increase support.

05
THINK TANKS & RESEARCH

Thought leadership positioning, report launches, media relations support, and audience development. We help ideas reach the people who can act on them.

06
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Law firms, consulting practices, and B2B service providers competing for DC's sophisticated clients. We help you stand out in a crowded market.

THE DC INFLUENCE ECONOMY

Washington DC is the epicenter of a massive influence economy. Over 2,300 trade associations call the DC metro home, generating $12 billion in annual revenue. The federal government awarded $755 billion in contracts in FY2024, with the DC metro area capturing roughly 24% of total federal contract spend.

2,357
Trade Associations (DC Metro)
$12B
Association Revenue
$755B
Federal Contracts (FY2024)
$4.5B
Lobbying Spend (2024)

Sources: Cause IQ, GAO, OpenSecrets, Bloomberg Government (2024)

Meanwhile, lobbying expenditures hit a record $4.5 billion in 2024. The health sector alone spent $744 million influencing federal policy. This is an economy built on relationships, expertise, and credibility—not impulse purchases or viral content. Marketing in DC requires understanding how decisions actually get made.

Whether you're a GovCon firm chasing a contract vehicle, an association competing for members, or an advocacy organization building a coalition, your marketing needs to speak the language of DC. Generic campaigns don't cut it here. You need a team that understands your world.

WHAT WE DO FOR DC CLIENTS

01
MEMBER ACQUISITION

For associations: targeted campaigns that reach the right professionals, demonstrate member value, and convert prospects into dues-paying members. We optimize the full funnel from awareness to renewal.

02
GOVCON MARKETING

For government contractors: capability marketing, past performance positioning, and pipeline development. We help you get on the radar of agency decision-makers and prime contractors before the RFP drops.

03
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Content strategy, report launches, policy communications, and executive positioning. We help you establish credibility with the audiences who matter most to your mission.

04
DIGITAL ADVERTISING

LinkedIn, Google, programmatic, and account-based marketing. Precision targeting that reaches federal employees, Hill staffers, association executives, and other DC decision-makers.

05
SEO & CONTENT

Technical SEO, keyword strategy, and content creation optimized for DC's competitive landscape. We help you rank for the searches that matter to your business.

06
WEBSITE & BRAND

Websites and brand systems that establish credibility with sophisticated DC audiences. No templates—custom design that reflects your organization's stature and expertise.

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

They actually understand how DC works. Most agencies try to apply consumer marketing tactics to our membership model—Long Drive built a strategy that makes sense for associations.

Sarah M.
Association Executive

Our GovCon pipeline was unpredictable before we started working together. Now we have consistent visibility with agency decision-makers and primes. The ROI speaks for itself.

James T.
GovCon CEO

The transparency is what sold us. We know exactly where our budget goes, what's working, and what we need to adjust. No black box nonsense.

R. Patterson
Nonprofit Director

They rebuilt our digital presence and thought leadership strategy from scratch. Our report downloads tripled and we're getting calls from Hill offices.

Michael K.
Think Tank VP

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you specialize in DC clients?
Yes. We have a dedicated practice for associations, government contractors, advocacy organizations, and other mission-driven organizations in the DC market. We understand the unique dynamics of influence marketing, membership economics, and federal procurement—and we've built our services around them.
How much does marketing for DC organizations cost?
Monthly retainers typically range from $3,500-$15,000+ depending on scope, channels, and complexity. Association member acquisition campaigns, GovCon pipeline programs, and multi-channel advocacy efforts are on the higher end. We'll give you a straight answer about what you actually need during our first conversation.
Can you help government contractors with marketing?
Absolutely. We help GovCon firms with capability marketing, pipeline development, past performance positioning, and brand visibility with agency decision-makers and prime contractors. The federal marketplace is enormous ($755B in FY2024), but winning requires being known before the RFP drops. We help you build that visibility.
Do you work with associations on member acquisition?
Yes—this is one of our core competencies. We build full-funnel member acquisition campaigns that target the right professionals, demonstrate member value, and convert prospects into dues-paying members. We also help with retention and engagement strategies to reduce churn.
What makes DC marketing different from other markets?
DC is a relationship and credibility market, not an impulse market. Buying cycles are longer. Decision-makers are more sophisticated. Success metrics are different (contracts won, members acquired, policy outcomes) than consumer marketing (clicks, followers, impressions). Effective DC marketing requires understanding how influence actually works in this town.
Do you do lobbying or government affairs?
No—we're a marketing agency, not a lobbying firm. We help organizations with their marketing, communications, and digital strategy. We often work alongside government affairs teams to support their efforts with digital campaigns, thought leadership, and stakeholder communications, but we don't lobby.

LET'S TALK

No pitch deck. No pressure. Just a conversation about your organization and whether we're the right fit.

SCHEDULE A CALL

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