Case study: SEO, content marketing and opportunistic earned media delivers year-over-year growth in a constrictive medtech environment

The Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI), an affiliate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, helps direct the development, testing, training, and commercialization of innovative medical products. They have been a Write2Market client since 2015. 

As a customer focused entity with innovative technologies at stake with countless stakeholders and an associated brand cultivated over more than a decade (T3 Labs), GCMI requires all content to undergo intensive administrative review. Maintaining a healthy, high-quality content pipeline is a top marketing challenge.

GCMI’s customers are also limited in their ability to speak publicly. Once GCMI’s work for its customers is complete, customers are unable to speak about their technology or experience pending regulatory decisions. Approval and commercialization are never certain. Sharing valuable customer feedback, case studies and testimonials is a difficult hurdle to jump.

From Evan Goldberg, Director of Scientific Affairs for GCMI,

• “Write2Market’s strategic engagement and awareness program generates content that resonates strongly with our constituents, existing and prospective clients.
• “That steady cadence of content that engages, conceived in collaboration, delivered on deadline and smartly distributed, underpins almost every facet of our marketing and business development efforts. It includes high rankings for key search phrases we know generates new leads and revenue, both new revenue and recurring revenue since at least 75% of our clients choose us again and again for their life science innovation development needs including preclinical work.
• “We had 141 email requests for proposals to our website in 2021 with 20 deals closed. Additionally, the number of requests we have gotten has definitely gone up substantially. The seriousness of the requests has improved (getting quote for budgeting purposes vs. getting quote with imminent study to perform). The scope of work has also increased over the years (small non-GLP studies vs. large GLP studies).
• “This [is due at least in part, possibly as much as 40-50%] to the content W2M generates to demonstrate to our sponsors all of the great work that we perform.”

How has Write2Market overcome these challenges for GCMI? Below, we’ll break down the nitty-gritty of how we created year-over-year traffic gains, case studies, earned media and revenue growth for GCMI.

SEO for GCMI means identifying and nurturing keywords for which queries are highly—if not exclusively—generated by existing or target customers. With medtech innovation, these queries are very specific. For example, “preclinical CRO” yields fewer than 200 queries per month, yet every one of them represents a prospect, partner or customer. In 2016, GCMI assumed responsibility for T3 Labs, a preclinical CRO in Midtown Atlanta. 

Qualified leads, RFPs, and eventual customers for queries like “preclinical CRO” usually involve five to six-figure revenue-generating projects, not including subsequent projects with repeat customers. 

While pushing a priority cornerstone page to a page 1 search result is great, there’s no guarantee it will stay there long. Due to algorithmic changes and a constant need for fresh content, consistent keyword monitoring and support are necessary for continuous high rankings, click-throughs and lead generation. Write2Market delivers just that for GCMI.

GCMI has seen 100% organic growth in website traffic since May 2018. GCMI topped 10,000 sessions from search in the past 12 months, an increase of 26% from the previous year. Visits averaged 2.92 pages per session, with an average duration of 2 minutes and 4 seconds. All website sessions exceeded 20,000 in the same period and generated 186 forms submitted, an increase of 148% from the previous period.

Hubspot also reports 158 new contacts entered GCMI’s CRM via search in the past 12 months.

Due to the sensitive nature of GCMI’s work, we use media relations carefully, pitching only when an opportunity presents itself to deliver a winning message that reaches high-value audiences. We make sure every earned media opportunity does not require the inclusion of sensitive subject matter related to design, development and preclinical testing of innovative medical technologies.

Despite the constraints, we have secured GCMI media wins in The New York Times, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Georgia Tech Research Horizons, Jewish News Syndicate, and industry-specific outlets including MassDevice and Medical Design & Outsourcing. Each of these media wins means reaching hundreds of prospective customers, as well as boosting awareness of GCMI among institutional leadership, researchers, medtech innovators and industry leaders.

GCMI’s expertise has contributed to product development and commercialization success for innovators and patients around the globe. As such, their insight is of high value to the medtech innovation and healthcare industry. We help them share those insights and connect with industry leaders and prospects by securing speaking opportunities at high-profile conferences. 

The AdvaMed MedTech Conference is the largest medtech conference in the United States and draws the world’s top medtech executives from 39 countries. Write2Market’s 2019 session submission on behalf of GCMI won a coveted spot on the program. GCMI CEO Tiffany Wilson and Write2Market’s VP of Healthcare Paul Snyder spoke on a panel before more than 150 prospects, customers, and industry partners.

When GCMI’s customers and sponsors achieve meaningful milestones like regulatory approval, funding or successful exit, they are often willing to be part of a spotlight or case study. When this happens, it’s time to cash in. Evergreen peer-to-peer story opportunities aimed directly at the next generation of GCMI customers are marketing gold.

From scheduling, to backgrounders, to interview efficiency and quality content that’s easily edited and approved by all parties, Write2Market does the heavy lifting that creates stories GCMI and their customers love.

• “Salvage and spike it: what to do when your GLP preclinical study raises questions” – with Innoblative Technologies
• “Jackson Medical leads the way in making ‘never events’ obsolete in the operating room”
• “Vesalio finds an unprecedented preclinical partner in T3 Labs” 
• “Selecting the right preclinical partner: why Cell Constructs utilizes T3 Labs as their trusted preclinical CRO”

Weekly team sharing of educational content builds loyal followers and enables GCMI to generate new business directly through their social channels. GCMI’s LinkedIn page has seen a 39% increase in followers in the past 12 months, with a total of 1,305 followers today.

CRM systems, Hubspot and email marketing opportunities allow GCMI to converse directly with known targets and customers across the cardiothoracic, orthopedic, and regenerative product segments, among others. Write2Market helps GCMI deliver on-topic, high-value content for email contacts in the CRM that generates new site traffic, positive form fills and ultimately new engagements every month. In 2018, 880 new visitors to GCMI’s website entered through email (937 total sessions). LinkedIn and Twitter generated nearly 1,400 total sessions.

Write2Market specializes in metrics-driven healthcare marketing and public relations campaigns for top of the funnel lead generation. With all of the tools and tactics available, we always strive to do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t. We keep a close eye on analytics, goals, results and the associated value we provide for our clients’ investment in our efforts. 

Our clients not only maintain an active, engaged presence in their blogs and social channels. They enjoy increases in high quality traffic, time onsite, pages viewed and requests for more information or proposals as a result. GCMI is a strong example of results we deliver.

Write2Market drives quality leads by creating engaging content that educates, sparks interest and creates awareness. Contact us today and see how your brand can benefit from a focused content marketing and PR program with us.