Grabbing Scientists’ Attention — and Purchasing Power — With eNewsletter Ads

Originally posted back in 2015, this post is one of our most popular – and still holds true! Keep reading to catch up with eNewsletter strategies.

Your company is launching an innovative new product that will simplify the job of a very specific group of scientists. How do you promote your product to the right ones?

Content marketing is certainly an avenue to consider, as are social media campaigns. But another, often more precise area to focus your efforts are eNewsletters and e-TOCS (table of content summaries).

Many science organizations are turning to eNewsletter ads for generating both leads and awareness. Campaign Monitor has compiled an impressive list of statistics that back up the viability of email marketing, which includes eNewsletters and e-TOCS. Among some of the most convincing stats are that 90 percent of people who choose to receive updates from a company opt to do so through an eNewsletter, rather than Facebook. Additionally, 57 percent of email subscribers spend 10 to 60 minutes browsing marketing emails during the week.

But perhaps eNewsletters greatest strength? Precision. Publications and other organizations that send eNewsletters take ample care in building targeted distribution lists. That means more of the right people will see your message. Especially in niche industries, such as specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals, eNewsletters from relevant publications serve as a key source for business news.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning an eNewsletter or e-TOCS ad campaign aimed at scientists.

1. Support claims with hard data. Scientists critically analyze everything and are drawn to data, so use statistics. But here’s the key to effectively leveraging numbers in your ads: do so sparingly. Try building your ad around a single statistic — maybe two — that emphasizes the main advantages of your product or services over other players in the field. And be specific. Select the most powerful, hard-hitting number you have in your arsenal.

Example: Our digital imaging system offers greater sensitivity than X-ray film, picking up 40 percent more low-intensity signals.

In 2013, more emails were opened for the first time on a mobile device (41 percent) than a desktop email service or webmail, according to Campaign Monitor. That means your ad should be designed with mobile viewing in mind. A bulleted list of data points in an ad tucked into an e-newsletter or an e-TOCS will appear pretty small on even the largest of smart phone screens, making your ad look more “jumbled mess” than “streamlined presentation.” Less is more here, so save explanatory content for your ad’s landing page.

2. Showcase compelling visuals. Your target audience knows better than anyone how beautiful science can be. From a microscopic, multi-colored view of the eye of a fruit fly to a virus that looks like modern art, breathtaking views abound in both the natural world and the laboratory, as these images from Popular Science and C&EN’s Chemistry In Pictures show.

Whether it’s an impressive picture of your technology at work, a striking visual your product generated — like this cat photo created with a new kind of camera — or a captivating stock shot of a particularly picturesque cell type your target audience works with, chances are, there’s an image you can buy or craft that will turn some heads.

Let this image and your hard-hitting statistic from our previous tip be your ad’s starring duo.

3. Appeal to the bottom line. Though your primary strategy should be grabbing the attention of the scientists who will use your product, you must also earn the approval of any budgetary gatekeepers who may have a say in purchasing.

Showing how your product can streamline processes, significantly save employee time or reduce demands on equipment can show an office manager or CFO the value in what you’re selling, even if the scientists they oversee are more jazzed about its cell-sorting capabilities. Offering a discount in your ad or corresponding materials can also be a simple and effective way to capture the attention of your business-focused customers.

These steps, paired with the specificity of e-newsletters and e-TOCS, will help ensure your message reaches the scientists who stand to benefit from your products.

How do eNewsletter ads fit into your marketing strategy? And what tactics have you employed to drive results? Leave your replies in the comments section below.