The Lichen Blog – Science and Writing Synergy
Get Creative
Go ahead... Dream Big! Having a lot of great content ideas is exciting, don't you think? It means you and your team are in high gear and overflowing with creativity. Oh, the possibilities! Then logistics come to mind. Do you have the bandwidth and budget to complete a white paper with blog posts in an effective timeframe? If your enthusiasm starts to wane at this point, you are not alone. It's a common challenge [...]
Do you like lichens?
Meet our new mascot - the Lichen! The beautiful yellow and blue lichens above are just two of the 15,000+ species of lichen distributed across the globe. Why choose the lichen? Because, as both a scientist and a writer, I offer a unique set of capabilities, just as lichen do. A lichen is formed by a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an algae (or a cyanobacterium, sometimes called a blue-green "algae"). Each contributes specific [...]
Do your technical staff help with content?
A client recently mentioned that he is having trouble getting the scientists in his company to help prepare content for the company's new website. But the company needs their website copy to clearly demonstrate their technical expertise, and these scientists are in the best position to express that, so you can imagine his frustration! Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Perhaps your subject matter experts (SME) are so busy with their [...]
Information your writer needs to know
Have you ever been surprised or even frustrated by a question your writer asks during an initial project discussion? Perhaps some of them seem extraneous and you wonder why she is asking. I get it. I’ve been asked about some of my information-gathering questions. For example, I was recently asked why I needed to know about the client’s legal department participation in the project. It was then that I realized a brief discussion about [...]
Looking for ways to reach more people with your content?
Creating valuable marketing and thought leadership content for the sciences takes insight, skill, and an understanding of the audience you’re trying to reach. Part of that last step is using different formats and communication strategies to reach the different segments of your audience. Here are three strategies to consider to achieve maximum reach. Use Visuals Visuals can be a great icebreaker for readers of complex subject matter like the sciences. For example, you can create [...]
Starting from a draft rather than from scratch?
Have you ever had to bring in a new writer to finish a project begun by someone else? Despite the changing logistics, you need to keep the momentum going, meet deadlines, and create a seamless piece of content. Sound impossible? Nope, it's entirely possible! Next time, before you start hyperventilating, consider a few tips that will help you get a smooth transition and successful outcome. Provide the new writer with the same background information the [...]