In this article:
-
- Why journal publications alone limit research visibility
-
- What technical content is in life sciences marketing
-
- Examples of technical content formats (application notes, white papers, etc.)
-
- The benefits of promoting scientific research beyond journals
-
- How technical content supports collaboration and commercial growth
Why publishing in journals is not enough for visibility
For scientists working in the Life Sciences industry, publishing in journals such as Nature Reviews, The Lancet or Cell opens many professional doors. It can lead to solidifying personal scientific reputations and broadening individuals’ industry networking and collaboration opportunities. This in turn can raise the profile of the company employing active scientific communicators as well as the business’s credibility within the scientific community. However, we know that unless the research has a significant global impact or is considered “media-worthy”, the work will typically remain seen only by those with similar research interests, rarely being promoted outside of those circles.
Creating accessible technical content can increase the visibility, transparency and impact of the research. For scientists working in industry, generating content outside of the standard journal system makes their company’s research accessible to a wider audience, broadening the scope for recognition and acknowledgement. It allows fellow scientists in similar and adjacent research fields to see the value in their company’s work, opening opportunities for future collaborative discoveries.
What is technical content in Life Sciences marketing?
Technical content in Life Sciences marketing refers to scientifically accurate, accessible materials—such as application notes, white papers, and case studies—that communicate research findings to a broader audience beyond academic journals.
Technical content can also strengthen the credibility of a science-led company’s research. By generating clear and transparent collateral that demonstrates performance, reliability and robustness of scientific findings, other Life Science companies and research institutions can quickly see the potential of these discoveries. This reinforces their confidence in the company’s talent and integrity, further helping set up future collaborative partnerships. All these marketing-driven outputs can continue to be directly aligned with any comprehensive studies a business may choose to publish in an academic publication.
The format of market-friendly technical content is not restricted to that of a journal and can be customised to a business’s scientific audience.
Types of technical content for Life Sciences companies
-
- Application notes: Structured similarly to journal articles, used to demonstrate experimental methods and results.
-
- White papers and case studies: Show real-world applications of scientific research.
-
- Technical flyers: Concise summaries of complex scientific concepts.
-
- Pitch decks: Visual formats to communicate research to partners and stakeholders.
-
- Digital and social content: Short-form formats that increase reach and visibility.
For scientists working in the Life Science, MedTech and Biotech sectors, it is common knowledge that publishing peer-reviewed articles is an essential requirement of the research process, and that having work accepted into reputable, high impact-factor journals plays a critical role in promoting a successful science-led company and scientific career.
The prestige of a journal correlates directly with the acclaim received. Yet, while the traditional article-format is ideal for those wishing to publish their company’s findings in established journals, this high-level content will typically remain inaccessible to others. Hence, it can be beneficial to complement classical scientific publications with various forms of technical marketing communication.
Why should Life Sciences companies promote their research?
By having your company’s scientific findings translated into a more accessible format, those within the broader scientific community will not only have a greater understanding of the type of research your company is focused on, but they will quickly recognize the value of your business’s vision and possibly identify a new way to apply your research.
Benefits of promoting scientific research via technical content
1. Your research will resonate with individuals beyond your company’s specialized domain
By having your company’s scientific findings translated into a more accessible format, those within the broader scientific community will not only have a greater understanding of the type of research your company is focused on, but they will quickly recognize the value of your business’s vision and possibly identify a new way to apply your research.
2. Easy access and understanding for participants of events through concise content
Having bite-size pieces of content to deliver at scientific events will allow other key players in the industry to easily gather the take-home messages of your company’s research and quickly see the correlation with their own business goals.
3. Marketing collateral amplifies the impact of your company’s scientific achievements
It is a myth that scientific messaging will be lost in any marketing language. Clear, direct and transparent content will elevate your company’s research, allowing the broader scientific community and the wider industry easy understanding of your company’s scientific discoveries and its applications.
4. Boosting your company’s research profile could attract media outlets’ attention identifying your business as one for note-worthy discoveries, with the possibility of leading to wider recognition
In this digital age, we all know the power of effective, online communication. Having clear, communicable outputs from your work which can be easily shared across many different digital platforms will allow your company’s scientific endeavours to be potentially picked up by media outlets, with the possibility of further elevation in recognition.
5. Your company’s research will be accessible beyond peer-reviewed publication databases
Academic journals typically restrict physical access to published articles, often requiring a one-off payment or a subscription fee. By generating marketing content, you can continue to publicize your businesses’ research outside the confines of the publications system, allowing a wider audience access to your company’s scientific achievements.
6. You can promote your research groups’ work whilst the full-data set is still being generated
During the process of data generation, there are times when there is a finding of significance, but there is insufficient data to warrant a fully published paper. A short, marketing-driven piece which can be easily generated and circulated will ensure that your company can concurrently promote their work whilst continuing to build on the data-set.
Expert insight: why technical content accelerates research visibility
Hi, I’m Farah. My background is in academia and public health, so I am well versed in the painstaking time and effort required to put together a paper for peer-review. The story behind your company’s research should be relevant to the field, the data needs to be robust, and the conclusions need to be novel but sound. When creating such content for your scientific audience, remember to allow considerable time in your plans for sourcing other reputable published works to supplement and support findings, and finally, for the review process itself. However, even for those research groups and businesses with multiple papers published in high impact-factor journals, global recognition is not guaranteed. Therefore, quickly generating impactful technical content is an effective method of promoting your company’s valuable work within a short time frame and in multiple output formats.
How technical content supports scientific marketing and growth
Businesses with the most recognition tend to be more financially successful, enjoying more collaborative opportunities with several prestigious private companies, academic institutes, and their high-profile research groups. Therefore, raising the profile of your company’s scientific achievements via thorough, accurate, digestible, but powerful technical communications, will allow for your company’s research to be easily accessed and understood. Creation of any marketing content can easily run in parallel with the peer-reviewed publication process, to help your business gain traction in the wider scientific community and beyond, raising its profile, and therefore the success of your company’s scientific endeavours. Technical content can be produced and distributed within weeks, compared to the months required for peer-reviewed publication.
Key takeaways:
-
- Publishing in journals alone limits the visibility of scientific research
-
- Technical content makes research accessible beyond academic audiences
-
- Formats such as white papers, application notes, and case studies increase reach
-
- Clear scientific communication improves credibility and collaboration opportunities
-
- Technical marketing content can run alongside peer-reviewed publication processes
Should you wish to find out more about how to elevate your company’s scientific research, please contact us at hello@qincade.com. Our team of marketing experts, talented collateral designers and highly-skilled technical writers can work closely with you to maintain the integrity and scientific accuracy of your company’s work whilst promoting your findings through clear and descriptive content, in the format of your choice.
By: Farah Aladin-Foster, Qincade Advisory Board Member
