Content marketing will be bigger than ever in 2014, so we’ve pulled together 10 content ideas to help ensure your institutional website is a robust marketing machine.

Today’s Mad Men know that mass marketing through traditional channels like TV and radio isn’t enough. And for brands that need to reach very specific audiences, this new era in marketing presents many opportunities. Yes, biomedical brands this means you.

Brands that publish valuable content regularly online (i.e. content marketing) to a specific audience will continue to generate more qualified leads, earn trust and build greater brand loyalty in 2014. And regardless of which content marketing channel you are using, the most effective campaigns connect readers back to your institutional website.

According to Forbes Magazine, content marketing is the #1 online marketing trend for 2014.

Content marketing allows your biomedical institution to steadily establish authority in specific disease areas, and build a trusted rapport with audience members where they spend time. Whether you are connecting with fellow researchers, donors, potential students or employees, industry partners or publishers, typical content marketing channels for biomedical brands may include your blog, eNewsletters, videos, social media, trade journals and organic search, to name a few. Done well, each piece connects readers to the most important component of your content marketing strategy – your institutional website.

To follow are ten ways to ensure your biomedical institution’s website is a robust content marketing machine:

1) Publish and update essential FAQ’s regularly
FAQs include your institutional facts and figures as well as those that relate to individual products, services, courses and conferences. Here’s a simple example FAQ page from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

2) Include more video – YouTube is #2 search engine today
Testimonial-style videos from key donors and trustees go a long way towards establishing credibility for your institution and help you gain trust from other investors. JAX trustee emeritus Dan Tishman talks here about why biomedical research is so important.

Product video tutorials can help drive sales and alleviate service calls like this one highlighting the efficiency of Lonza’s Flash Gel System. Global life science corporations like Lonza also use video to offer greater connectivity between employees, and, of course, to showcase their facilities and capabilities. 

Thanks to sites like Youtube and Vimeo, video content is easily sharable which is good for new biomedical ventures like Novo Biosciences. Here, co-founder and CSO Voot Yin, Ph.D. introduces a breakthrough compound, ZF143. In doing so, he tells viewers first-hand why his work is important. This testimonial offers a personal connection to their work which builds trust and also helps translate research complexities into real world solutions.

3) Package new or existing programs into online content
Video or pod-cast based programs like Sloan Kettering’s Cancer Smart Talks make your events and content accessible to the world, and help your institution establish a leadership position in a specific area of research.

4) Host a webinar in a particular area of research
Webinars allow your institution to serve as an authority in a specific area and connect others that share your space.

5) Update your events, courses and conferences monthly
Be sure your events are current and provide links to online content from past events. (Publish video recordings, media coverage, etc. for enhanced SEO.) Tip: when you have a lull in events or lack of content, post simple news articles covering your most recent happenings to keep this section fresh.

6) Create a podcast
Sound alone helps listeners develop a deeper connection with your group and your research. Here’s a series from JAX® Mice and Services.

7) Publish important publications online
Post your printed publications, such as newsletters, annual reports, case statements, etc on your website and in a place that is easy for users to find from your home page. PDFs contribute to search and they also make your materials available to a wider audience when available online. Again, be sure they are obvious. For in-depth materials, certainly dynamic publications offer added value online, but a PDF flipbook will contribute to search and creating one is a quick and inexpensive alternative. Check out the latest issue of Connections from Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory.

8) Review key articles in your industry
This is one of the simplest ways to start building a relationship with writers and others at key publications where you may want to have your work featured – which leads us to #8…

9) Invite and encourage guest participation
Invite a key member of your industry to co-write a blog post around a critical topic. You’ll both benefit from the process and gain additional online exposure to a qualified audience.

10) Showcase the significance of a location
This in-depth virtual tour of Genzyme Center was a simple way for the Cambridge-based company to highlight their headquarters, commitment to sustainability and support public tours. The independent website connects to their corporate Sanofi site, and uses still imagery and text to detail important facts.

For biomedical brands that are new to content marketing, or have limited social and online marketing budgets start with the small stuff here. If you are a veteran content marketer, we’d love to hear from you. Post below or email me your thoughts, a success story or an item from your 2014 strategy.

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