Starting a Scientific Research Blog in 2023
Thanksgiving has just passed and the New Year is quickly approaching. As we have discussed in previous blogs, fundraising is only going to become more difficult in 2023. Content marketing is a great way to improve funding opportunities by reaching a larger audience while improving search engine rank. This, in turn, makes your website more user-friendly and positions a researcher as an industry expert. As mentioned in our last blog, blogging is a cost-effective way to enable your researchers to expand their reach and develop topic authority. Not only has business blogging been shown to lead to 55% more website views, but also adding a blog to your current website can increase traffic by up to 430%. In 2023, scientific researchers will be in a unique position to enter the blogging space:
1. As highly educated and professionally recognized, researchers hold unparalleled legitimacy in comparison to most other bloggers. With the mass amount of information online, readers are looking to find trustworthy sources to follow.
2. Scientists garner large amounts of original data from their research that most other bloggers do not have access to. With data continuously becoming more of a priority in our society, uniqueness and originality to support researchers' arguments in their blogs will make them stand out.
3. Researchers often have expertise and knowledge on very specific topics. In 2023, one of the best ways to build a personal following is to consistently speak on a specific and original niche topic as it will build authority within a specific audience.
To launch a successful blog in 2023 researchers should take the following steps to build their following and topic authority:
1. Determine your topic & target audience: As a first step, researchers should consider which topic of their research they would like to focus on in their blogging. They should also think about who their target audience is and evaluate what type of knowledge this audience may already have on the topic. If their target audience is not well versed on the topic, the blog should begin by explaining and covering more basic principles to build a common understanding.
2. Select a few content pillars: After determining a general blog topic, a few content pillars should be selected to guide the general direction of the blog. Content pillars are typically 3-5 general topics a brand will cover across its content marketing strategy including in their blog. For example, a researcher looking at Alzheimer's disease prevention through natural intervention may have diet, physical exercise, and cognitive challenges as their 3 content pillars.
3. Brainstorm blog ideas with a few peers: Before diving into writing the first blog, it is valuable to create a list of 5+ blog ideas. After developing these ideas, consult trusted colleagues to get their opinions and to further brainstorm. If possible, run these ideas by a person that is in the blog’s target demographic to get their feedback.
4. Determine a blogging cadence and post time: When it comes to blogging, it is important to be consistent so the audience can know when to regularly expect and check for content. Pick a blogging schedule that is manageable, such as once a week or once a month. Select to post blogs at a consistent time when the target audience is most active online. In addition to posting the blog on a website, utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to share the blog content.
5. Write your first blog: When it comes to writing a blog there are specific strategies that can be used to improve performance. Here are a few tips to help optimize the content of the first blog:
Make it relevant: By paying attention to the current trends and news occurring in a researcher’s niche, and then integrating these topics into a blog, will make it more relevant and captivating for readers.
Utilize original data: As mentioned above, original data is a unique advantage scientific researchers can utilize to support their claims to build trust and topic authority.
Include Imagery: Utilize graphs, photos, and videos to make blog content more engaging. Blog articles with photos get 94% more views than blogs that do not have images.
Include a call to action: In every blog, include one strategic call to action for the audience; this could be a link to more research, job opportunities, or the researcher’s funding page.
Blogging has the ability to strategically help researchers build online followings and improve funding opportunities. Therefore, 2023 is an optimal time for researchers to launch and build their blogs.
OpenScholar provides universities and medical centers with an easy-to-use and individual researchers’ website-building infrastructure that empowers researchers to upload, update, and optimize their content marketing like blogging to immediately improve and expand your research funding opportunities.
When you use OpenScholar to show your work, share your work, and collaborate on research, magic happens: science advances and outcomes are accelerated.
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