The latest news, tips and insights from science and marketing

Last month, we discussed how repurposing content can increase marketing ROI in the life science industry (while reducing costs). This week, we’re taking a deeper dive into the topic of repurposing by describing 12 tried and tested approaches we’ve taken in the past to maximise the lifetime, impact and results of the content marketing programmes that we manage for our clients. Check out our list if you are looking for creative ways to get more from your content marketing investment.

Well, that’s the end of Inbound 2020 (an annual conference discussing the latest trends in marketing, sales and customer service). Was it the same as jetting off to Boston to hang out with many of our best industry friends and colleagues? Certainly not. But it was probably the best online conference many of us have attended so far, thanks to a combination of robust technology (that worked most of the time), and a strong balance between “traditional presentations” and a variety of other session formats.

Question: What do you do if you have an awesome idea for a blog post that will capture the interests of one of your life science buyer personas, but you are struggling to get started with your copy, structure your story or ensure you transmit your message effectively?

Answer: You choose one of the five common structural templates below and use it as inspiration to help you quickly and easily frame your story – so that you can deliver your insights in a way your readers will love!

An effective content marketing approach puts the customer at the heart of your marketing strategy, but if you want to rise above the noise and truly capture the attention of prospects, then repetition and consistency are key. However, this puts great strain on marketing teams, who must produce and publish an ongoing stream of high-quality content.

Fortunately, an effective content repurposing strategy can help overcome this challenge, by ensuring you get the most out of every single piece of content you create. This saves time and money, while also ensuring that the information and messages you share are consistent.

Here is a quick rundown on what life science content repurposing entails, why you should do it, and how to get started!

Nowadays, prospects find out about your company, products and services by looking at online reviews, blogs, application notes, eBooks, buying guides, demo videos and by asking their peers (often long before they engage with your sales team).

Inbound marketing draws prospects in with content they care about and that interests them. By providing such content, you can raise awareness of your products/services and earn the trust of prospects before they make purchasing decisions.

LinkedIn can be a powerful channel for reaching potential customers, especially when you utilise its suite of paid promotional tools. But how can you ensure your programmes will successfully reach the right people in the life science sector, at the lowest possible pay-per-click?

Problem-solving is at the heart of many scientific disciplines, so it’s hardly surprising that scientists question new information. When it comes to their buying behaviours, the same thinking applies—scientific researchers tend to analyse their options and base their purchase decisions on data, as well as peer recommendations. To engage with these audiences, marketers need to align with their research-driven nature.

Inbound marketing uses relevant and valuable content in a structured way to naturally attract prospects to your website. Through provision of this high-quality content, you can increase website visitors, generate more leads and increase your revenue in the life sciences sector. We showcase how effective Aptuit, a contract research organisation (CRO), found this approach.

When it comes to influencing prospective customers in the life science sector, outbound marketing approaches such as cold calling, banner ads and unsolicited emails are no longer delivering a return on investment like they used to. Poorly targeted and relatively expensive, these once tried-and-tested tactics are increasingly delivering disappointing results. As marketers, if we want to continue to engage with modern scientific audiences, it’s vital that we adapt to be successful. Here, we look at how buyer behaviour has evolved, and why updating your marketing strategy using an inbound approach could deliver better results.

Life after university… it's a challenge every graduate has to face! And something that really sneaks up on you as you approach the end of your bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree. After all, choosing the right vocation is a big step, and a predicament we all face at the end of our studies. It’s certainly something I experienced at the end of my PhD.

At that point, all I knew was that I loved science and wanted it to be the basis of my career, but I did not see myself becoming a lab-based scientist in either industry or academia.

So, I asked myself, "what are my options? What’s out there for someone who wants to apply their scientific knowledge and skill, but perhaps not in the lab?" From a kaleidoscope of advice, thoughts and feedback, I whittled down my focus to specific areas within the commercial side of the life science industry.

At some point in their career, every scientist must decide whether to continue in academia, or to step outside the confines of the lab and make a scientific difference in another role. For me, when I finished my PhD, I knew that I'd completed my academic journey, and wanted to use the skills I had developed in another environment.

A career in science writing had always appealed to me, as learning and communicating about new and exciting science was my favourite thing about my studies. However, I had many questions about what being a science writer would actually involve, and wanted to know if I had the right skillset and experience to become one. 

Since I joined life science marketing specialists BioStrata, I’ve been lucky enough to learn about a wide range of interesting scientific topics (and I get to tell the world about it every day through my writing). This experience hopefully also puts me in a more-informed position to answer some of the questions I had before I started down this career path. So, if you’re thinking about a science writing career, I hope this blog will help clear up some queries that you may have!