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The Internet is the greatest source of information in human history. More than 3.5 billion searches are made on Google every day; and this is just one search engine.1 Whenever someone needs to quickly find information, the Internet is the first place they turn to, whether they are a domestic user, a scientist, or an engineer.
The Internet is a goldmine for scientists. Trawling through academic libraries to find a useful journal has been replaced by a quick search on Google, and many research communities have moved online as a result. With close to 50% of the population between 18 and 49 years old using the Internet as their primary source of information,2 and an already established online science community, its important that scientific equipment manufacturers have easily found and easily digested content online.
The rise of the Internet has revolutionized both the way people find content and the way they consume it. In addition, the attention span of humans in the digital age has decreased;3 meaning lengthy technical documents don’t stand a chance.
Telling Science Stories Online
Instead, content should be written so it can be easily digested, clearly broken down into punchy paragraphs, and spotted with engaging images and data to keep the reader’s attention. Science equipment manufacturers can either make their web content from scratch, or they can simplify their existing white papers to make it more web appropriate. The latter option, being more economical and just as effective is a clever place to start.
AZoInsight: Of the 85 million visitors who visit an AZoNetwork website on an annual basis, approximately 73% found a piece of our content using a search engine.
AZoNetwork can help with this process. We are online marketing experts who regularly convert dry and dusty white papers into web-ready content that is made for a digital audience.
The heavier white paper can then be made available for download to anyone who needs more information - a great opportunity for lead capture.
Weaving a Narrative
Narratives are the backbone of a story, and they can make the difference between good and bad content. While the content on the latest application of a spectrometer is never going to be the next Harry Potter, this doesn’t mean that the story must be told in a dry or uninteresting way.
Before starting work on a piece of content a clear goal should be set.
- What is the target application?
- How will your system make researchers life easier?
- What system features will researchers love the most?
These are all questions that should be answered in the text.
Weaving these elements together around a core application story, where your system is used to solve a problem or provide better data, is a guaranteed way to develop interest.
Content should aim to target pain spots in scientist’s research routines and show them that life could be easier were they to use your system – This is a far more effective way of demonstrating the value of your equipment than a difficult to read journal paper or the bullet-pointed lists of product features frequently seen on product data sheets.
Taking Readers on a Journey
The theory behind online marketing often refers to the sales funnel. The Sales funnel first engages the reader by offering a broad solution to their problem before funneling them to information on a specific solution, i.e. your equipment.
Your articles should aim to guide your readers through this process. Your article content should capture readers at the top of the funnel by providing the solution to a common problem (e.g. how can NMR be used to image brain structure) before guiding them further down the funnel to content which is specific to their research (e.g. using NMR to image brain damage).
Once the attention of the reader (your potential customer) has been sufficiently grabbed and they have reached the bottom of the funnel it is time to introduce them to specific information on your product; at which point they are far more likely to be interested and follow up with a purchase.
AZoTopTip: The content you present online should contain a mix of top, middle and bottom of the funnel information. If you can't offer your readers a logical next step then you are probably missing a piece of content.
Content marketing is a proven method of generating more interest and leads, with companies that produce online content being shown to generate 67% more leads than companies that don’t.3
AZoNetwork are experts at content marketing to a scientific audience – let us help you take your potential customers on a journey that leads them straight to you.
References & Further Reading
- Smart Insights – Search volume per day
- The Content Marketing Institute – Data on search demographics
- BOLD – Attention span in the digital age
About AZoNetwork
Having worked in the Advanced Ceramics industry for over a decade in the 90’s, founder, Dr. Ian Birkby recognized that engineers, designers and scientists often required educating in the potential uses and applications of Advanced Materials before they could utilize them in their products and processes.
This recognition of market demand and the emerging power of the internet led to the launch of our first site, AZoM.com – The A to Z of Materials in 2000.
Although the business has grown significantly to include a range of science, technology, medical and life science platforms, it has always stayed true to its principal aim:
We love telling science, technology and medical stories to people who can make a difference. Everything else follows from that.
Today we tell these stories across all digital platforms to a monthly addressable audience in excess of 5 million unique individuals.
Our customers come from all scientific, technological and medical sectors. Our extensive web footprint and subscriber base allows us to display a measurable return on investment to billion dollar multi-nationals and SME start-ups.
From Content Creation, through targeted distribution to closing the loop with the unique AZoIntel Content Performance analytics platform, AZoNetwork now provides a highly effective Science Marketing Platform based on its own unique Marketing Science.