Believe it or not, we still run into life science companies who haven’t drunk the social media Kool-Aid. In other words, they don’t think their customers use the applications and are not ready to commit to spending resources on them. My answer to them? Everyone Googles. New media has a profound affect on the results from the tool that most of us use daily to get everything from news to recipes. Life scientists are no different, and find technical information, publications, and information about products using Google. Here, we’ll show you 5 ways to capitalize on the pervasiveness of Google drive more traffic to your website and to make broader improvements to your marketing process.

1. Simple Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There is a lot of low hanging fruit that we see many life science companies missing out of in terms of SEO. Surprisingly, it is left off of many web development projects. The web is full of quick guides, and here are our recommendations:
   • Do keyword research and find the top terms people are searching for.
   • Use the top keywords in the titles, content, and SEO summaries of each page. Always write for humans, not the search robots, as no robot will ever purchase a product from you.
   • Submit your website changes directly to Google so that it is always up to date on your content (this can be done automatically via programs that create and submit XML site maps).
2. Create a dynamic website. I like to think of Google as imitating a human in some ways. If you visit a website a few times, and it never changes, you assume you know everything that it contains, and there isn’t really a reason to keep returning. Google assumes the same, and that the converse is also true—it assumes sites with changing content are worth visiting and ranks them higher. Of course, there are many websites that try to game the SEO system, so random content is not acceptable, but as long as you’re writing real content for humans, you’ll do well. Examples include blogs, forums, and FAQs. We’ve also covered how making these changes won’t just improve SEO, they can also affect your bottom line. Running your website using a content management system (CMS) will help the marketing team make more regular updates.
3. Use Google Tools. The best things in life are (mostly) free, Google proves this with myriad applications available for improving your website and driving traffic to it. We could write a whole blog post on their tools, here is the short version of the applications we recommend:
   • Google Analytics. A no-brainer. Install a snippet of code on the pages you want to monitor, and get a wealth of information about traffic, keywords, conversions, and more.
   • Google Adwords. Drive traffic to your website and do research on keywords and Ad copy at the same time, and you can even look at what your competitors are doing. Get real time feedback on your customers’ interests with any size budget.
   • Google Webmaster Tools. This resource is a bit less well known and it is unclear to me why it is separate from Google Analytics. The two are intertwined, and by logging into Webmaster Tools, and installing the code on your website, you can access more features such as seeing how many/which websites link to your site (important for SEO). Also, you can set your site up to submit XML sitemaps to Google here as well.
4. Use Social Media. Google loves dynamic websites and it is becoming enamored with social media too. Why? Because with social media Google can take advantage of human brains to filter the increasing amount of information on the internet, much of it designed to fool search engines. Very few spammers can convince hundreds of people to ‘like’ or share their content, but a post that appeals to humans will be amplified in these ways. ‘Social search‘ is the term used to describe the augmentation of search engine results from a person’s online social network, it aims to give you suggestions based on what your friends and colleagues like. It is currently just a part of SEO algorithms, which we don’t have access to as they are proprietary, but this post shows some convincing data regarding its importance. Indeed, 60% of the results on the first page for a Google search of ‘Comprendia’ are from social media applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, showing the importance of content and activity on these applications. Google+, a social network from the search giant, launched in June 2011 and Search, Plus Your World was announced January 2012. Now, Google+ users will get Google search results that their contacts have recommended. We’ll admit that we haven’t taken to Google+ as much as we thought we would, but this change has big implications. As a company, you could directly influence the search results of everyone who has connected to your Google+ brand page (hint: get one now…). Now, while not everyone is sold on Google+, many have Gmail, and it is tempting to speculate that Google will someday leverage these 350 million users. Also, Google owns so much of our online lives that it is not inconceivable that they’ll find other ways to sneak into our search with acquisitions, etc.
5. Analyze and repeat. Here is the fun part. Everything mentioned in this post can be directly measured quickly, so you can track your progress and repeat what works. Here are analysis examples that also track ROI:
   • Track keyword performance and conversions, adjust and move into new keyword areas as necessary.
   • Determine how many people are clicking to your site and converting from social media.
   • Track the ranking of your site with keywords, your traffic, and determine whether it’s leading to more conversions.

   These are just a few possibilities, and in the process you’ll surely come up with new and relevant metrics to track and utilize.

There are many ways life science companies can leverage researchers’ online activities to help them and improve their bottom line. Also, we think you’ll find that by doing so you’ll get more feedback and ideas for directions to take with your product line and online activities. The costs for all the tactics we described are scalable and can be very modest. What are you waiting for? C’mon, everyone’s doing it…

The image for this blog post is based on a children’s book you may have heard of and it was created by my daughter, an aspiring graphic designer!

To share this post, cut and paste: Everyone Googles: How To Leverage The Tool All Life Scientists Use http://bit.ly/GJN718

To share this post easily cut and paste: #ls_chat 9/28/2011: Life Science Websites & Mobile Apps Discussion http://bit.ly/pbRx3b

You may have seen our announcement a few months ago here about the web 2.0 application we built with New England Biolabs (NEB). We formally announced it with them today, check out the press release for more information and contact us with any questions. NEB is a fantastic company to work with and we are getting great traction on EpiExperts, please check it out and let us know what you think!

Here’s our most recent playlist of links and tips for life science marketing and social media:

1. Sigma updates website.

   Sigma Adrich has updated their website. It looks nice (except I think they need to be consistent with the red–it’s too light at the top) and time will tell whether life science researchers find it easier to use. The video about the new site shows 4-5 staff members describing the changes and excitement they have for it (frankly I’d rather just see the updates). The video is a bit over the top–did they really work with the ‘top designers in the world’? From the web 2.0 standpoint, they now have favorites and product reviews, which is great, and it looks to be iPad compatible. Social media is not prominently displayed–links are in gray at the bottom right. They indicate that it is the ‘first stage in their digital evolution.’ The sophisticated video makes me think of this post about every company needing to be a media company now. Is your company expanding its video production team?

2. Tineye image search.

   This is cool. Ever see an image in an Ad, or get sent an image that someone in your group wants to use in some marketing materials, but don’t know where it’s from? Enter Tineye–upload an image from your computer or give the original web address and the application will try to locate it on the web so you can purchase it, etc. It has saved me many times!

3. Millipore creates iPad app.

   Millipore, now EMD Millipore, has launched an iPad application which helps researchers map histone modifications, and lists publications and their products that are related. This app can be seen to extend the tools they have on the web, such as clickable pathways and a GPCR and kinase profiling tool. They have a very content rich, and web 2.0 site in several ways (interface and layout), but their social media presence is not very engaging, which is a shame. The iPad app is a nice addition, it will be interesting to see how popular it is.

4. Life Technologies launches Invitrogen and Applied BioSystems Facebook pages.

   OK this move confuses me. LIFE has been very active in social media, creating an overall corporate presence and ‘personalities’ for different product lines (e.g., Everyday Cloning). They’ve recently launched Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems Facebook pages. In our workshops and training, we talk about the fact that life scientists need to find value to participate in social media–what is the value in following a broad product line? To me, it muddies the identity of LIFE as a brand. An additional complication is that Facebook has organization pages for each of these sub brands (example), which the company has no control over. Whatever happens, you can follow all of LIFE social media via the RSS or email alert we’ve created.

The soundbytes tag on Delicious contains all links mentioned, as well as others we think are useful. Sign up for Comprendia blog email updates to get our playlists delivered to your inbox.

To share this post easily cut and paste: Sound Bytes: Links and Tips For Life Science Marketing & Social Media 5/26/2011 http://bit.ly/soundbytes05_26

We’re very excited about our recent beta launch of a new web 2.0 resource for life science researchers at the American Association for Cancer Research Meeting (AACR) this week. Engaging Epigenetics Experts (E3) is being developed with New England Biolabs (NEB), leading provider of molecular biology solutions. We built the application using our STIR Social Media™ system to ensure that it will meet the needs of life science researchers and thus be adopted by them and grow. Epigenetics is a fast-growing, interdisciplinary field studying the way environment changes genetic information, and we created a Social Media Charter™ for NEB, working closely with them and benefiting from their knowledge of their customers and the science.

In meeting the needs of epigenetics researchers, NEB will better be better positioned in this competitive market, and they’ll also gain from getting product development feedback from the researchers. We applaud NEB for having a long-range view of these new applications, and know that they will pay off soon. Our Social Media for Life Science and Biotechnology Workshop April 14th will describe the STIR Social Media system in detail, helping you to learn how to leverage these new tools effectively.

To share this post easily cut and paste: Beta Launch of Engaging Epigenetics Experts at American Association for Cancer Research Meeting #aacr http://bit.ly/epi_lau

CC Loren Javier on Flickr

If you’ve been following Comprendia via our writing or actions, you know that one of our major goals is facilitating communication between life scientists and the companies that serve them. With today’s tools, and the media landscape, more communication and collaboration is not only possible, but necessary. We also hear interest from both sides in working together. What form will this take, and how can you set up your blog or web 2.0 site to help it grow?

We ran two surveys to help bridge the gap between life science companies and researchers and will present the results at the ScienceOnline conference this weekend. We’d like to focus on these questions, and we’ll also be asking you during discussions leading up to the session:

What is your ‘big dream’ for your blog or website, and could you achieve it with help from sponsors?

Would a matchmaking site that would allow bloggers and companies to find each other help, and if so what would it look like?

Per unconference ‘rules’, this session will be light on presentations and heavy on discussion and action after. We’d love to start a dialog that leads to the development of infrastructure that will help you achieve your website’s goals. We’ll have a representative from the bloggers, Brian Krueger (@labspaces), companies Kristy Meyer (@kristy3m) and myself (@comprendia) Sunday at 2 p.m. in session E! If you can’t make it, track us down and/or look for us to post more information on how you can get involved soon, even if you’re not at the conference. If you work at a company, look for us to publish the research report soon or contact us with questions.

Here is our latest collection of links and tips for life science marketing and social media:

1. Cool online biotech stuff.

   We can’t help but notice how many people are starting cool biotech websites. Check out BetterBio, a community-run organization that promises better biotech communication. I love this new spirit of the web where asking for donations is OK and even inspiring. Also check out ConnectingSF, a portal to help those traveling to San Francisco for the big JP Morgan Healthcare conference to connect. The conference is notorious for its large attendance and paucity of online resources, so the site is a welcome addition. Finally, we saw an article in Xconomy about Relay Technology Management, who have a cool app which facilitates partnering with a sophisticated database of drug-related scientific discoveries. It looks like it may be difficult to get a free test drive, but check out this video which shows some of the features. All these sites are harbingers of the next wave of what we’ll be able to do with ‘life science 2.0′ on the web.

2. Mind Maps.

   We think a lot about ways to organize content on the web and social media and our related strategies and tactics, because the format is often non-standard. One tool we’re using is Mind Maps, visualizations in which ideas are organized and expanded upon in a free form fashion. You begin with a core concept and attach ideas–it reminds me of the ‘post-its on the wall’ approaches to software development I’ve seen. A picture is worth a thousand words, so check out this kinase assay social media mind map we created, getting some inspiration from this blog post. As you can see, it’s a great way to organize ideas for areas in which your company might not have a template, including social media. Mind Map aficionados have all sorts of cool ideas for them. You can also embed them in sites, something useful for internal planning. The apps we’ve found most useful are MindMeister (web-based), FreeMind (standalone), and there’s even a droid app which can save files in a compatible format. Your management will likely love these types of diagrams, don’t you think?

3. ScienceOnline 2011.

   We’re really excited to attend the ScienceOnline 2011 conference next week in North Carolina. We get interest from both life science marketers and researchers in working together more in the web 2.0 environment. We’re doing two surveys, one for life science marketers and one for researchers, to help facilitate these interactions. We’ll present the results next week and those who participate will get the results sent to them, so please take the survey soon. Note that the conference will be live streamed, and we’ll post instructions here on how to view, and we’ll be tweeting from it as well.

The soundbytes tag on Delicious contains all links mentioned, as well as others we think are useful. Sign up for Comprendia blog email updates to get our mix tapes delivered to your inbox.
To share this post easily, cut and paste: Sound Bytes: Links and Tips For Life Science Marketing & Social Media 1/07/2010 http://bit.ly/soundbytes0107

Here is our latest collection of links and tips for life science marketing and social media:

1. Science Online 2011 Conference

The fifth annual conference for science bloggers will take place in North Carolina January 13-15th. Science blogging is an exploding area, and learning more about and sponsoring the conference is a great way to reach these increasingly important thought leaders in life science. The conference sold out in 45 minutes, but you can still sponsor and I think it’s a great opportunity to show your support and get exposure for any online campaigns. I’ll be in attendance as well, let me know if you have questions or want any specific information about the conference.

2. Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2010 Meeting had 550+ Tweeters!

I attended SfN this week and made an archive of the tweets. Currently the summary lists 572 people tweeting with the #sfn10 hashtag, and I estimate that 80-90% of these were actually at the conference. With 30,000+ scientists at the conference, this is still only 1-2%, which is a low number, but I was able to find at least one exhibitor at the conference (Jove) who said they got good results from their tweets. Also, I think the number is growing as more life scientists discover it’s a great way to get the buzz of what’s going on. You can even watch what’s going on in real time via applications such as visible tweets (and note that people are still talking about the conference after it’s over!). Tip–if you’re looking for life science researchers to follow, search for conference hashtags (e.g. #sfn10) or check out and follow our Twitter List of SfN 2010 attendees.

3. fluorXchange launches

At SfN we did a soft launch of a new application for fluorescence researchers called fluorXchange which we developed with 89 North. It’s a web 2.0 application which integrates research publications, a wiki, forum, blog and has community features. We plan to write up more details on how we designed the application soon, for now check it out and let us know what you think!

4. Comprendia’s Social Media for Life Science and Biotechnology Workshop 4: Webinar December 9th

We’ve heard from many of you that you need help in three areas with traditional and new media marketing: integrating, measuring, and adapting. In this four hour webinar, we’ll show you how to make the impact of your efforts more than the sum of the parts. We’ll cover metrics, return on investment/relationship (ROI/ROR), engagement, social media monitoring/sentiment analysis, search engine optimization, and inbound marketing. Of course, we’re also always open to your suggestions, feel free to contact us.

The soundbytes tag on Delicious contains all links mentioned, as well as others we think are useful. Sign up for Comprendia blog email updates to get our mix tapes delivered to your inbox.
To share this post easily, cut and paste: Sound Bytes: Links and Tips For Life Science Marketing & Social Media 11/18/2010 http://bit.ly/soundbytes1118

Almost every life science company we talk to about web 2.0 and social media has the same question: what’s the return on investment (ROI)? We’ve discussed that the ROI equation for social media strategies and tactics is the same, but that the ‘expense’ and ‘payback’ calculations will likely be different. In this post, we’ll discuss two reports which show that web 2.0 sites have increased traffic and engagement, and that customers who are engaged buy more. Together, they present a strong argument that adding web 2.0 features can directly and positively impact a company’s sales.

Web 2.0 sites are dynamic and interactive, and include sites which the user can add content to such as blogs, forums, and wikis. The first report we’ll discuss is titled ‘Traffic metrics and Web 2.0-ness‘ and it was published in Online Information Review from a group in Taiwan. They surveyed the online habits of about 1000 people and correlated metrics such as sites visited, page views per site, and duration per page on site with the degree of ‘Web 2.0-ness’ a website had.

The researchers found a positive correlation between the Web 2.0-ness of a site and users’ understanding of its content and the number of visitors to the site. In other words, adding web 2.0 elements and more content leads to stronger user engagement with the site and a related increased traffic to the site. One interesting corollary they discuss is the ‘double jeopardy’ small companies face: fewer products=fewer pages=less engagement. We definitely see this with smaller life science and biotech companies we talk to, and we have many ideas to help them overcome this issue.

You may be asking yourself, does increased engagement mean more sales? The second report is from Gallup and is titled ‘Customer Engagement–What’s Your Engagement Ratio?’ (Note: the report is a bit of an ‘infomercial’ but has good information). Gallup first looked at what they call ‘World Class’ companies, which rank in their 90th percentile, to determine whether they engage their customers more than the others. The result was shocking–the ratio of ‘Fully Engaged’ to ‘Actively Disengaged’ customers was ten-fold more for the World Class companies compared to the others. So, top performing companies have a higher ‘engagement ratio’–is this directly related to improved sales? Gallup has found through many examples and industries that emotionally engaged customers spend more and are retained more easily. Moreover, they’ve seen that companies can improve their business performance by increasing their engagement ratio. See the report for more details, as some of the details behind the statistics are not given and thus hard to summarize, but Gallup is a highly respected company and I’m sure more can be learned from them if you need more information.

Taken together, these two reports show that adding more web 2.0 features to your life science company website will lead directly to increased sales. What may be more exciting is that life science and biotechnology offers many interesting ways to add content to your site, and we’ve discussed that you may be closer than you think to making these changes.

Want to learn how to get there even faster? Attend our Social Media for Life Science and Biotechnology Workshop 2: The 4 B’s of First Party Applications interactive webinar. We’ll talk about web 2.0, blogs, forums, and wikis, and how to generate engaging content for life scientists. Also, check out our Social Media for Life Science and Biotechnology Training page, we offer training and workshops on almost every topic, contact us if you don’t see what you need!

To share this post easily, cut and paste: How Does Web 2.0 Increase Life Science Product Sales? http://bit.ly/axKFaY

Comprendia is dedicated to improving communication in life science and biotechnology, and towards that end we are big proponents of social media. Our Social Media for Life Science and Biotechnology Workshop 2: The 4 B’s of First Party Applications interactive webinar will take place July 28th from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Pacific Time. During this four hour workshop, you’ll learn how to build web 2.0 applications including blogs, forums, wikis, and how to generate meaningful content for life scientists. For each strategy or application, you’ll learn the 4 B’s crucial to attracting scientists and achieving a good ROI: the Basics, Benefits, Best Practices, and Biotech Examples. Register here or contact us if you’re interested in a private or customized version of the workshop.

We also offer training for social media applications such as Twitter, WordPress, LinkedIn, and Facebook, check out our Social Media Training and Workshops page for more information. We can also customize the training for your business, contact us for more information.