Skip to content

What Does Science Teach Us About Content Marketing?

I was really impressed with David Chapin’s work on comparing content marketing to life sciences. So much so, that I asked him to submit a guest post about it.  Thanks to David for putting this together.

Content marketing is a hot trend in marketing circles. This trend may be hot but it is
not new.

Science has been using a form of content marketing since the 18th century, when peer-reviewed articles first began to be published. Though the titles are different, the mechanism and the benefits are similar.

Peer-reviewed publishing works like this: A scientist gives away information (such as the description and results of an experiment) that the audience finds useful and relevant. The audience responds by noticing the information, by paying attention to the source of the information, by seeing the source as differentiated, by trusting them and eventually by “raising their hands” to interact with them (e.g., “Could you please come present your paper at this conference?”). The scientist’s reputation is enhanced, which helps them get funding for the next experiment.

Substitute the word “company” for “scientist” in the paragraph above, and you describe content marketing: A company gives away information that the audience finds useful and relevant. The audience responds by noticing the information, by paying attention to the source of the information, by seeing the source as differentiated, by trusting the source and eventually by “raising their hands” to interact with the source. The company’s reputation is enhanced.

Here are some key differences between the two:

This content marketing illustration depicts the similarities and differences between peer-review publishing and content marketing.

The benefits of peer-review publishing and content marketing are the same: so you can be found (out of the sea of information), so you can be differentiated from your competition, so you can be chosen as a relevant source, and so you can become trusted – all with the goal of with your audience (prospects).

Aren’t these the goals of marketing?

David Chapin is the CEO of Forma Life Science Marketing, a leading marketing firm for life science, biotech and pharma companies. Forma distills and communicates complex messages into compelling communications for sophisticated audiences.

David authors a newsletter: The Marketing of Science which covers topics of interest in marketing life science companies; it is
published by Forma Life Science Marketing approximately ten times per year. For subscription information, go here.