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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Do you know the history and branches of biotechnology? Q: What is biotechnology? A: Check dictionaries and technical references, and you find various definitions of the term. A general explanation of biotechnology is the use of living organisms and systems to make products and processes useful to humankind. Q: When was biotechnology first used? A: Humans have used biotechnology for thousands of years: to breed and domesticate beneficial plants and animals, produce food (cheese, [...]
How is your 2021 marketing planning coming along? Are you noticing any differences in your approach or assumptions compared to past years? 2020 has certainly taught us to be more flexible and innovative in many areas of life, and that is probably showing up in business and marketing planning as well. As you consider how your company can help alleviate customer pain points, reserve a bit of energy to consider your work pain points. After [...]
Ever had a last-minute request come in for written content and it's needed pronto? Or perhaps you spot a great opportunity that you need to address immediately. The panic that often comes with a sudden need like this can make it difficult to think and write clearly. When there's no time to get your writer involved, try this easy approach to speed writing! Brainstorm your message and jot down what comes to mind in the [...]
How would you describe a white paper? What is its purpose, voice, and length? How promotional should it be? I find there are nearly as many different answers to these questions as there are people to ask. And yet, there are a few qualities that a majority of marketers, including experienced white paper users and writers, use to describe them: An in-depth discussion on a specific topic Authoritative and fact-based Informative and useful, not sales-y [...]