I just visited the SLAS2012 conference and reconnected with some great reps from life science media companies. They reminded me that sometimes there is such a thing as a free lunch, in the form of items you can have published for free to promote your company. Here is the list of our top five freebies for life science marketers, or for anyone who is looking to get exposure.

1. Application notes. Short articles showing your products being used in experiments are a great way to show scientists their real life application. They can be produced quickly and can help with search engine optimization (SEO) on your site. Also, Nature Methods allows you to upload application notes for free! You can also promote them reasonably (see the Nature Sales reps page for more details).
2. Product launches. Several publications have a space where they list new products for free, check on their website or print version. Genetic Engineering News (GEN) has a nice new product section, see their editorial guidelines (PDF) for the details. Of course, be sure to include an image, it helps with visibility, and we’ve also found it makes a difference in life scientist purchase decisions.
3. Press releases. Almost every media rep I talked to indicated that we should send them our press releases for them to forward to their editors. Although the release itself might not be free, several publications will also promote them online for free, often automatically if you use a service like BusinessWire or PR Newswire. You can also upload yours to BioSpace for free and they’ll create a free company profile for you. If your press release includes a personnel change, collect head shots of the employees, write a blurb for each, and submit it to publications like GEN and Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) too.
4. Posters. Scientific posters at conferences have always been the ‘marketer’s little secret’ for getting mileage out of a conference with a small budget. Did you know, though, that you can publish your posters online as well? BioTechniques publishes posters digitally for free, and there are also other ways of publishing them online that are cropping up. Remember to post them on your website as well for your customers’ reference and added SEO.
5. Great content. It was clear from talking to the media that they were VERY interested in those who can write articles for them. GEN has long featured ‘Tutorials’ which are usually articles written by industry folks who put a plug in about their products. The media reps almost universally perked up their ears when blogs were mentioned, as bloggers are not only a source of content, but may have a following which might benefit the publications. In these times of media volatility, great content is appreciated more than ever. Consider the experts you have at your company and reviews they could write that are related to your products, even those that may not feature them explicitly. Exposure for your company through a byline of a well written article is arguably more valuable than a full page print advertisement.

Thanks to George Lui of Nature, Tamlyn Oliver of GEN, and James Secretario of BioTechniques for getting me up to speed on what life science media has to offer us. The best relationships are a give and take however, I hope this post will give their publications some exposure and we hope to be able to spend some money with them this year.

What are your favorite freebies for life science marketing?

You’ve heard that content is king when it comes to improving traffic to your website and generating leads or ‘converting’ visitors to paying customers. Relevant content will bring more people to your site through Google searches, and by engaging them they’re more likely to become customers. That’s great, how do life science companies find the time and material to add to their websites? As we’ve discussed before, life science companies have been generating great content for years, but it’s not always web-friendly. In this post, we list five great ways to add lead-generating content to your life science website. Having a blog is a great ‘catch all’ for this content, but you may find a way to work some of these items into your website without one.

1. Webinars. As we’ve discussed, webinars are a great way to give leads useful information while at the same time introducing them to your capabilities. While you don’t want to give away the secrets to your success, your company has expertise that can be shared, resulting in a useful presentation which may lead some viewers to buy your products or hire you for services.
2. Publication reviews. Many researchers are getting squeezed in different ways these days, two of the biggest are time and money. Reviewing an important publication in your field saves them both of these precious resources, and also shows them that you know the field well. Also, the reviews will be full of words relevant to your products and customer needs, improving search engine optimization (SEO) and bringing new leads to your website.
3. Application notes. These are nothing new to life science companies, application notes show an example of a product being used in an experiment. Here’s an example from GE Healthcare, and note it’s in PDF form, resulting in another step to download it. Think of the researcher looking for information on their smart phone in the cold room–will they take the time to download and view? Make application notes more accessible by converting them to html, and benefit from better SEO, as html is indexed by search engines more readily than PDFs.
4. FAQs. Think about the questions your technical service team answers over and over again, and how many people are also typing the same query into Google. Kill two birds with one stone by putting these online—you’ll answer your customers’ questions as well as bring new leads to your site. A quick Google search shows GE Healthcare’s on top of this as well.
5. Researcher profiles. Looking at independent science blogs can provide ideas for company blogs, and here’s a nice example of a researcher profile from the Protein Wrangler, a biochemist in Texas who we met on Twitter. The podcast he’s created might not be as friendly for SEO and generating leads, but a text transcript could be added. It’s a great way to show your connection to research thought leaders and to help the scientists out as well by highlighting their work.

While we’ve listed what we think are ‘easy’ ways to add content to your life science website, it will still require effort. However, the benefits of improved SEO and lead generation are worth it. When updating your website, make sure that you’ve integrated methods to capture the leads wherever possible, but don’t force people to sign up before they can view the content. Additionally, by making your website more informative and web-friendly, you’ll find your sales, technical service, and other teams will appreciate and utilize it as well.

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We’re gearing up to attend ScienceOnline 2012 (#scio12) in North Carolina next week, a place where bloggers, educators, and anyone interested in science communication online meet. The conference is growing due to many factors, including the way the fantastic organizers structure the event and increasing importance of science online for the public, scientists, and companies.

We see great synergies between bloggers and life science companies, something we covered after we attended the conference last year. Bloggers are digital influencers, reaching life scientists with great content and even becoming an important source of news for the area they cover. They require financial support to keep their blogs running and expand. This need represents an opportunity for life science companies, who are often looking for ways to promote their research tools online other than using a banner ad on a crowded news website. We’d like to make connections between bloggers and life science companies as we have broad networks in both areas. We’re meeting with as many bloggers as possible at #scio12, fill out one of the forms below so we can start making connections.

Blogger form
Company form

Also, join the #ls_chat Friday January 13th at 10 a.m. PT to discuss #scio12 and bridging companies and bloggers.

Note: The image is in reference to the Science Ink book and related tattoo parlor tour that will take place at #scio12. We’ll take part (and Mary may come home inked…) and have a fun contest at #scio12, stay tuned!

What’s the news from the biggest healthcare investment conference, JP Morgan, happening this week in San Francisco? We’ve created a Tweet cloud of almost 1800 Twitter status updates tagged with #jpm12. Each word is linked to a Twitter search, and you can also see an archive here. How well do you think the Tweets reflect the news and sentiment at the conference? If you’d like a more in depth analysis, contact us.

Probably like many people in biotech, I’ve had a mixed history with computers, starting with Macs in academia, then moving to PCs at a company. I now find myself gravitating to Mac devices as the phone and tablet options appear to suit my needs better. Moving straight from a PC to an iPad has left me feeling as though I’m missing something, like there are tricks that Mac users have that I don’t know about. After testing different applications, I’ve been able to ‘catch up,’ to some extent, so I’m offering my iPad tips for PC users below. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you have as well, please leave them in the comments below.

1. Learn how to cut and paste. Just like in kindergarten, this is an important skill to learn on the iPad, and something that will drive you crazy when you first get it. The copying and pasting feature is done solely using the touchscreen and sometimes requires some finesse, I’ll point you to this video to show you the details. One thing that frustrates me to no end is that when I copy passwords from a document a space is sometimes added at the end, and needs to be removed before pasting. I have yet to find a good password solution across different devices other than password protected documents.
2. Let go of the desktop. This ‘feature’ frustrated me to no end at first—there is no file system on the iPad, every file is associated with a program. Is this supposed to simplify our lives, like Apple’s 1-button mouse which they won’t give up? As a result, there is no ‘desktop’ or way to search for or open files without first opening the application. Moreover, if you open a file using different applications, more than one version of it will exist! The only way I know of to get around this is to use cloud-based applications such as Dropbox, and luckily many of the applications sync with it (Note to self: invest in Dropbox). Using Dropbox obviates irritating activities such as file syncing via iTunes, something that takes ages for me. On a minor note, don’t try emailing yourself files from your PC–this rarely works for me, for some reason. One non-desktop problem you won’t get around is that you can’t download or upload files using browser-based apps. So, I was thwarted in my attempt to do Craigslist posting on my iPad, something I thought would be easy, because I couldn’t upload a photo. It is hard to know whether Apple will want us to use individual apps for each of these tasks, or develop a filesystem or workaround.
3. Learn some housekeeping. As a windows user, the ‘ctrl-alt-delete’ keystroke is part of your DNA, or at least your epigenetics. What do you do with no keyboard, HALP! I’m sure even Mac users have been frustrated from time to time. Below are descriptions of how to perform some housekeeping tasks which will hopefully simplify your iPad experience.
   • Kill an application. Double-click the round ‘home’ button, and the running applications will appear at the bottom of the screen. Hold your finger over the application until it begins to waver and has a red circle with a minus sign in the top right corner. Touch this red circle to kill the application.
   • Delete an application. On the home screen, touch the application until it begins to waver and has a black circle with an ‘X’ on the top left. Touch this black circle to delete the application.
   • Reboot the iPad. Press and hold the sleep/wake button (on the side) for a few seconds until the ‘slide to power off’ option appears. If this does not work, press and hold the sleep/wake button and the home button simultaneously for 10 seconds.
   • Find file sizes. I recently filled up my iPad and wanted to delete files. Due to lack of a desktop and the inability to find files (grrr!) I had to go to each application to see their associated file sizes. To find sizes for applications, go to the app store, select ‘purchased’ and choose the application, and the size will be shown on the left.
   • Take a screenshot. Press and hold the home and the sleep/wake button at the same time. You’ll hear a click, then find the file in your photos (linked from an icon at the bottom of the home screen).
   • Group applications on the home screen. Drag one application on top of another and it will become a group. The iPad will choose a name for you, but you can change it if you’d like.
4. Test MS Office apps or emulators and use what suits you. There are many instances in which you need to use Microsoft Office products, and there is no substitute. I’ve heard complaints about the Mac office apps (Numbers, Keynote, etc.) and have yet to have a business colleague expect me to use anything but MS Office. Unfortunately Google Docs may leave you cold, both the mobile and desktop versions leave out important functions and can be laborious to use on the iPad. I’ve tried the Office apps and provide some pros and cons in the table below, and likely you’ll need to try them yourself to see if they meet your needs. Note that I tested the apps with an external keyboard (here’s the one I’m using, I’m happy with it), and you may want to consider getting one to do ‘serious’ business applications, as the on-screen keyboard will be intrusive for many tasks. If you’re going on a business trip, be sure to try the programs beforehand, with and without an internet connection.
   

   Microsoft Office Applications for the iPad

   MS Office Application	Price	Pros	Cons
   QuickOffice	$20	More fully featured than DocsToGo	•Cannot read password protected files •Cannot edit powerpoint 2007 files(Newest version can, April 2012)
   DocsToGo	$10-17	Many features, simple interface	•Powerpoint: can only edit slide text •Not as fully featured as QuickOffice
   CloudOn	?? (currently in beta)	MS Office apps appear fully functional, see screenshot	•Requires internet connection •Initial release–crashes often •Full availability, pricing not known
   GoToMyPC (Portal, not freestanding)	$10/month	Almost completely native control of your computer, access to files	•Requires internet connection and PC to be online •Navigation can be tedious, slow

   
   

5. Keep looking, asking, and testing. Unlike established platforms like the PC, there are no monopolies and application prices are low. However, this means you do need to look around and find apps which will suit your needs. I’ve realized that you get out of the iPad what you put into it. I have a few power Mac users which I consult (@modernscientist and @thecancergeek) and you can also just browse the app store or do Google searches for what you need. For example, I recently switched from the default Safari browser to the Atomic browser and I find it much better–don’t take any crap from your apps, shop around! We’ve also started a Twitter hashtag #scipad to discuss apps and tricks that those in academia or industry have found, whether they be science-related or not, as many of us have to do similar tasks. If you’re looking for life science iPad apps, check out this summary.

Note: My inspiration for this post is my Dad, as he just got an iPad for my Mom and himself. He started me on my first Texas Instruments computer when I was around twelve years old. He is a classic lifelong learner and I hope to be just like him when I grow up!

Image courtesy of Photobucket user Tsevis.

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Yes, in fact, we are obsessed with Twitter hashtags, terms that are added to status updates surrounding a topic, event, or chat. They give insights into the discussions and trends by anyone on Twitter who wants to join in, and allow us to discover new people and ideas. We track all the life science hashtags we’ve found, with a bent towards the research tools area (e.g., non-FDA regulated products). We’ve analyzed the utilization of all hashtags in our compilation and have identified the top 10 in 2011 based on the number of Twitter status updates tagged with them. We’re also enamored with word clouds and have displayed them in a clickable image below linked to a Twitter search of the term, the largest words indicating the top hashtags in 2011 (note Twitter searches go back only 8 days, some links may give no results).

We’ve listed the top ten in the table below. Note that this list is by no means perfect, we’ve tried our best to find all the life science hashtags, but may have missed a few, be sure to comment below if you’d like us to track others. Additionally, some topics may extend outside of life science, such as #phdchat. The top ten indicate the versatility of hashtags to discuss topics, events, or to have a targeted chat. It is interesting also to note the prevalence of open access themes, and the influence of the ‘BlogFather‘ Bora Zivkovic who is heavily involved with three of the top 10: #openaccess, #scio12, and #sciamblogs. It shows how digital influencers can impact the landscape of an ecosystem. Two ‘traditional’ conferences made the list, #sfn11 and #bio2011. There are no life science company hashtags in the list, which is of course a big opportunity. A Twitter user recently started a meme with the hashtag #chemistrythemovie, generating 800 Tweets in a few days, something that should make life science companies drool.

Outside of hashtags, life science terms can also be tracked to pick up trends and find influencers, let us know if we can help you with a Social Media Compass analysis.

ScienceOnline 2012, the premier meeting spot for science bloggers and digital influencers, is a month away (follow on Twitter via hashtag #scio12)! Here is the word cloud from almost 1800 Twitter status updates over the past month, with the largest words indicating the most popular. (Note: #scio12 organizers’ Twitter handles were removed from the word cloud). Each word is linked to a Twitter search of the #scio12 hashtag and the term (Note: the Twitter search only extends back 8 days and thus some links will not work). In case you haven’t been following, the word ‘tattoo’ appears because there will be a group of people visiting a tattoo parlor (and some getting tattoos!) at the meeting, inspired by Carl Zimmer’s new book ‘Science Ink’. We’ll have a fun contest at #scio12 related to this subject. We’re also happy that the word ‘art’ is prominent, as we think that an appreciation of the two leads to better science communication.

We’ll be at #scio12 talking to bloggers about acquiring company sponsorships for blogs or networks, contact us if you’re on ‘either side’!

We monitor the Twitter status updates for every life science conference, and noticed something very curious about the number of these so-called Tweets for two recent conferences, the American Society for Cell Biology conference (ASCB) and the British Society for Immunology Congress (BSI). We found that although the ASCB meeting had about 8 times the number of attendees as BSI, the number of Tweets from the former is only slightly larger (~20% more for ASCB). Further analysis of the BSI Tweets showed a great effort by a life science company which generated a lot of buzz and more Twitter activity. Their campaign demonstrates five elements necessary to successfully engage life scientists at a conference and generate new leads, and we detail them below.

1. Planning. At first we thought the large number of Tweets (per attendee) for the BSI conference might be a result of the conference organizers promoting Twitter, for example displaying the hashtag prominently on the website (the hashtag is a text identifier that begins with “#” appended to status updates related to the conference, e.g., #ASCB2011). However, we found that both the BSI and ASCB organizers did equally poorly in this aspect (sorry, the truth may hurt, they could learn a lot from the ACS or our guide). However, Life Technologies (LIFE) picked up the slack by Tweeting the hashtag early and creating a video featuring the hashtag and announcing their presence at the conference. Planning ahead not only generates anticipation for the event, but allows researchers to come to the conference ready to participate in social media. Conversely, no company took the lead for ASCB, and the request by President Sandy Schmid to Tweet more during the first day of the conference likely fell mostly on deaf ears. Life scientists, if they do Tweet, are much less likely to get started in the throes of a conference than if they plan ahead by setting up the hashtag search, making sure they have access to the internet, bringing a charged smart phone, etc. (and we won’t bring up ASCB’s little incident in 2009, because they rectified it quickly).
2. Creativity. LIFE came up with a campaign for the BSI conference which included wristbands and small gifts which they gave out to anyone who Tweeted with the hashtag #giftfromlife. These items, along with the video they created, were likely inexpensive but they got a lot of mileage out of them such as retweeting by scientists with pictures, which spread the message. Perhaps contrary to our comments in #1 regarding new Twitterers at conferences, these free gifts actually motivated two attendees to Tweet for the first time! Yes, scientists swoon over freebies, and it was clear that the buzz was so strong that even non-Twitterers heard about it.
3. Fun. This ‘buzz contagion’ was likely due to the tone that LIFE set from the beginning video, calling the ‘stars’ of it ‘Tweethearts’ and warmly welcoming people to meet them. It was clear that they cared about the scientists, enjoyed using social media to connect, and their jobs as well, leading to a fun atmosphere. With budgets tightening, and all the information that is freely available on the web, conference and exhibit attendance is waning. This ‘joie de vivre’ is what is needed to attract life scientists back into exhibit halls where they can interact with the tool providers which aim to help them, and we commend LIFE for their efforts.
4. Engagement. Comparing the Tweets of each conference it was clear that at BSI there was more of a friendly vibe between scientists and companies, while at ASCB one life scientist commented that 50 ‘random vendors’ were Tweeting, indicating a disconnect. We have noticed that some companies think that it is acceptable to schedule all Tweets ahead of the conference, and don’t engage with scientists at all during the event! Contrary to this, LIFE staff Tweeted a lot during the BSI meeting, even responding to the wifi issue. Additionally, they did a great job of introducing themselves virtually via pictures and IRL (in real life), as one BSI attendee commented.
5. 24/7. It was also clear from LIFE’s tweets that they didn’t just ramp up Tweets for the conference, they have been involved with the community and likely knew some of the Twitter-savvy attendees before going in. This not only led to a seamless transition to Tweeting from the conference, but also helped them plan their strategy as they know what works. It is clear to us that some life science companies start Tweeting at a conference and expect results. As we’ve talked about before, companies need to work on social media 24/7, not just when you want results (but there are also ways you can easily work it into your daily routine.)

We didn’t work with LIFE on this campaign, but know one of its leaders through our interactions on Twitter, Nicol Watson, Regional Market Development Manager at Life Technologies in Paisley, UK. Nicol told me that he actually initiated the #BSI2011 hashtag a few months ago, and he shares our aim to encourage life science hashtag utilization. He added “We wanted to improve the BSI 2011 conference experience for everyone and make researchers feel special. When a researcher used the #giftfromlife hashtag, we personalized a gift for them, and we really made some great connections at the conference.” The #giftfromlife hashtag was used 107 times and even ‘transmogrified’ into #giftforlife!

Clearly, the LIFE team created a buzz and likely got many great leads from their efforts (sometimes difficult from Twitter or Facebook), for what seems like a modest budget. If you want to achieve this at your next event, start now and let us know how we can help, we can also provide in depth analyses of any 2011 life science conference social media activities through our Social Media Compass reports.

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