Top 10 Content Marketing Strategies for Biotech

Competing against the industry Goliaths that dominate the health and biotech industries can seem like an impossible task for a company in its infancy.

Fortunately, small businesses and startups can build a competitive edge by combining innovation with an organized content marketing campaign. Small business owners simply need to be aware of the key challenges they face and combat those challenges through a strategic content marketing campaign aimed at health and biotech customers.  

Identifying Key Challenges for Startups in the Biotech and Health Arenas  

Breaking into the biotech or healthcare industry requires a small business owner to recognize the barriers they face as a small fish in an ocean of large sharks. Not surprisingly, many of these challenges related to difficulties earning the trust of prospective customers:  

  • Establishing trust among customers who are unfamiliar with your brand
  • Demonstrating your commitment to product quality
  • Figuring out how to bring energy to cold, lifeless products such as pills and technology
  • Breaking down complicated product properties into successful selling points

The Top 10 Content Marketing Strategies for Health and Biotech Startups  

Fortunately for small business owners, content marketing has the power to enable your business to thrive in spite of its small size and limited resources. The key is to use content marketing to humanize your business and earn customer trust.  

1. Give a face to your company.

Let’s face it – health and biotech products are cold, complicated, and lifeless without the people who design them and sell them. Your 'About Us' page is often one of the first pages customers will visit when they arrive at your site. This is often because customers instinctively want to feel comfortable and safe with their biotech provider. Follow these steps to help build trust among new customers:   

  • Make sure your 'About Us' page is robust and regularly updated
  • Post photos and curriculum vitae on your site
  • Spotlight a member of your team in each e-blast you send
  • Include your team photo in your catalogue

2. Focus on your product quality.

Your competitors may have you beat when it comes to company size and industry experience. But that does not mean that their quality of product is superior to yours. In fact, the quality of product manufactured by small companies is often superior because company resources are not divided among dozens of products.

3. Create a trade show calendar.

Participation in trade shows is one of the best ways for health and biotech companies to solidify their presence in the healthcare industry. Health and biotech trade shows such as Arab Health attract thousands of companies from over 70 countries and give your company an opportunity to:

  • Showcase your new products
  • Expand your customer base
  • Personally meet geographically remote customers
  • Keep tabs on your competitors

A trade show calendar that lists the upcoming trade shows where your company will be exhibiting will show that your company is a serious player in the healthcare arena. Additionally, your customers are able to plan to attend if possible. Post your trade show calendar on your website and social media pages to maximize impact.  

4. Feature case studies of your products in action.

Whether your company specializes in pharmaceuticals or healthcare devices, you need to show prospective buyers the benefits of your products. Case studies are effective because they illustrate how your biotech products can impact the lives of medical professionals and the patients they treat.  

  • Name and location of the customer using your product
  • Photos of the product(s) in use at the customer’s healthcare facility
  • Key benefits of your product as verbalized by the client    

5. Showcase your industry certifications.

Is your company registered with the U.S. FDA, ISO, CE or other well-known agency? If so, then you know the level of effort and time required for your company to earn that distinction. Fortunately, industry certifications often give prospective customers a sense of security and comfort with your products. List your company’s industry certifications and approvals as advised:  

  • On your company’s landing page
  • Within your product inserts
  • On technical specification sheets

6. Use videos to bring products to life.

Sometimes it can be a challenge for customers to visualize exactly how a biomedical device or biotech drug functions. Many people are visual learners who respond more favorably to images and demonstrations than written instructions. Creating videos for your products is a strategy that serves three purposes:  

  • Videos keep customers engaged
  • Customers can learn exactly how your products function
  • Videos that feature staff members will help build trust and humanize your company  

7. Invite customers to visit your facility.

Healthcare practitioners, purchasing agents, distributors, and other potential buyers are often suspicious of healthcare products offered by an emerging company. Strive to erase any concerns right out of the gate by extending a warm welcome to prospective customers to see your operations in action:  

  • Visits enable customers to witness your quality of product preparation firsthand
  • Customers can meet your team of professionals in person
  • A visit enables customers to see supply chain activity and product packaging  

8. Spotlight new products.

Every product is new and exciting when your company is in the early startup phase. As your company begins to gain traction in the market, you need to maintain your customers’ interest and loyalty. Introducing them to your newest product line is a great way to maintain their interest, especially if you do the following:  

  • Start building anticipation before you release a new product by sending a “sneak peek” or preview of the benefits
  • Give your newest product(s) a prime location on your website
  • Feature your newest products at the next industry trade show  

9. Highlight your affordable prices.

Pricing is similar to quality when drawing comparisons between small healthcare companies and industry giants. As a small business owner of a health or biotech firm, you can usually dictate your own pricing structure.

Owners of startups can often afford to offer the most competitive pricing because their overhead is relatively low compared to larger companies. There is less money spent on employee salaries and office space while more money is devoted to enhancing product quality.

These points are often appreciated by professionals in the health and biotech areas.  

10. Use bullet points to highlight top product features.

New biotech products are often complicated for many people to understand. Sometimes the most critical features can get lost in a lengthy product description. In other cases, prospective buyers become bored staring at a wall of run-on sentences and move on to another more eye-catching product.

Remember the following suggestions when using bullet points to highlight top product features:  

  • Avoid using a paragraph format and divide key benefits into succinct bullet points
  • List benefits in priority order, starting with the most significant benefit
  • Do not ignore product risks; use the same bullet point format to describe risks or precautions

Your Best Path to a Successful Content Marketing Campaign  

The shortest, clearest path to outstanding content for your startup is to enlist the guidance of a trusted partner. Find content marketing strategists who specialize in designing comprehensive campaigns for startups and small businesses in the biotech and health industries.