The biotech industry is growing rapidly. Working with freelance content writers qualified in biotech or related scientific disciplines can help you effectively communicate your product or service to your target audience and translate into business growth.
Writing content is hard. Writing effective, authoritative, compelling content is even harder. Content writers form the backbone of the biotech, pharma and the life science industry. Large organizations have in-house writers who can not just write technical content such as research papers and clinical trial protocols but also marketing content writers who can communicate the product to the target audience. In an age where digital content drives growth, biotech firms need to publish blog articles, white papers, press releases, and more, to stay ahead of the competition.
Life science research organizations need to work with writers with a strong scientific background or understanding to ensure they are able to communicate effectively to all stakeholders. Advances in data science and automation are also expanding the biotech industry into “non-core” companies, such as:
- Companies supplying to the biotech industry, like suppliers of research kits and reagents
- Data-science or NLP based text analysis tools to help with secondary research
- Tools for clinical and genome/DNA-seq data analysis
- AI-powered platforms to select the right reagents and tools
- AI-based tools for drug discovery and development
High-quality content can help these companies communicate the value of their product or service to other businesses, researchers, labs, and possibly the general public. Here are the benefits of working with a qualified freelance content writer or a life science writer.
1. Technical expertise
Writers with a science or research background understand the complexity of a topic. Having relevant subject matter expertise is highly beneficial, as you can be assured of reliable content. If the content is being written for a website or blog, it’s even more essential to work with an expert as Google’s search algorithm rewards expertise and authority based on author credentials.
Many core biotech and life science companies are likely to have in-house experts who can help with communicating research, developing educational content, developing marketing material etc. However, the non-core companies listed above are unlikely to have genomics content writers or drug discovery specialists in-house. Outsourcing this work to freelance science writers can help them access scientific expertise on demand.
The advantage of working with scientific content writers is also that they are likely to have strong analytical and research skills. Someone with a PhD is likely to have gone through the gruelling process of conducting experiments and communicating the results effectively. Scientists are also likely to be skilled at literature search, which involves studying all the available literature on a specific topic. This is especially useful for companies looking to launch novel products who may need supporting documents.
2. Positioning a product or service
B2B companies make up a large part of the biotech market share. A large reagent supplier like Abcam, for example, would need to have a team or network of scientific writers and content writers, who can develop technically-accurate, compelling content for their buyers (R&D labs). A new company or startup may lack the resources needed to position their product or service effectively in the market, something that requires a mix of scientific knowledge and good communication skills.
Thanks to the freelance revolution, several qualified researchers, including PhD, are sharing their expertise through on-demand platforms. They are likely to understand and highlight the benefits of your product or service, especially as they may form a part of the target audience themselves. They may have used competing products, software or equipment during their own research. They can help you define (and refine) your value propositions. A freelance science content writer understands your product and the target audience, and can work with words to connect the gap.
3. Content tailored to scientific audiences
While taking a product to market, companies need to provide a list of technical documents that supports the benefits of the product. This could be a comprehensive list of clinical trials conducted, systematic reviews, instruction manuals, risk and assessment documents and more. Typically, technical writers are hired for this kind of content.
However, in many cases, the marketing material created for that product or service also requires a similar level of expertise. For example:
- Writing product descriptions for biotech products (such as reagents or immunoassay kits)
- Placing “branded content” in high-quality journals such as Nature
- Writing articles and preparing brochures for novel biotech products, drugs, and services
If you’re writing for a group of researchers or scientists, you might look for a freelance scientific writer who can not only write compelling copy but also write content that’s technically sound.
4. Creative flair & marketing experience
To effectively channel potential customers into the marketing funnel, you need writers who can generate awareness for your brand and eventually prompt users to take action. This could be in the form of integrated ad campaigns, inbound marketing, blog content writing, PR, and more. Working with someone who can develop a creative communications campaign can help pharma/biotech organizations leverage that much needed skill for better awareness and visibility.
Biotech SMEs may need to work with more than one person to get the right kind of skills sets needed for effective communication. Hiring freelancers or working with a remote team can help you access all the skills you need without having to compromise on quality. Several organizations may have a one-off or recurring need for writers, but not enough to hire someone full-time.
Read also: How a freelance medical copywriter can boost your business
5. SEO content
SEO content writing is more important than ever in a world in which search engine ranking can define the growth of your business. Matching keywords to search queries can help you put your product or service in front of customers who are looking for you. Working with content writers who can weave the keyword seamlessly into their copy without making it seem like keyword-stuffing or overly promotional is an investment that can be rewarding in the long run. A quick search for “Next Generation Sequencing” on Google shows up Illumina on the first page of the search results, along with highly-reputed scientific journals. Working with qualified scientific content writers who can create SEO-optimized content improves your chances of a higher ranking in search results.
How much does it cost to hire a life science content writer?
The cost of hiring a biotech/life science content writer depends on the complexity of the task, urgency of the requirement and the specific expertise required to complete the project. However, here are some indicative costs based on previous projects on Kolabtree and freelancers’ hourly rates.
Blog post: Typically, an expert-sourced blog article of about 1200-1600 words costs USD 400-800. Per hour, scientific content writers charge between USD 30 and 50.
White paper: A 6-8 page white paper typically costs USD 500-1500 for a general audience and upwards of USD 3000 for a scientific or niche audience.
Clinical trial documents: The average hourly rate of a clinical case study report writer or a clinical trial protocol is USD 50-80 an hour.
News or media article: Science content writers developing content for a news publication typically charge between USD 40 and USD 60 per hour. However if this involves a high level of research or specialist expertise, it can cost over USD 100 per hour.
Kolabtree has over 3,000 PhD-qualified scientific writers on board who can help you create compelling and authoritative content. It’s free to post your project and get quotes. View our experts now>>
Related experts:
Scientific writers Freelance medical writers White paper writers Manuscript writers Grant writers
Regulatory writers Protocol writers Technical writers Life science content writers
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