There is some anecdotal evidence suggesting that a customer needs to be exposed to our message between 5 and 7 times before they reach out to ask for an offer.

Considering the four levels of awareness in marketing, it seems like a sensible number. It also helps us understand what activities we can perform that will increase the number of contact points with our offering.

Probably you are already aware that if you search for a product on Amazon, you'll start seeing advertisements all over the internet. It does not really matter if you click on it or not, just the mere exposure to a brand in different contexts helps steer you into the purchasing decision.

For more complex products, like the ones probably targeted by Scipreneurs, we can't rely on the traditional digital marketing strategies. But there is still plenty we can do to increase the number of contact points of customers with our product.

The first contact point most scipreneurs will attempt is cold emailing. When people belong to our own network, scheduling meetings will not be a problem. When we reach out to people who are hearing about us for the very first time, the success rate in getting an answer can be much lower. It is important not to despair. That first contact point won't be easily forgotten.

If we are lucky enough to have published papers using our devices, that would become a natural second contact point for many scientists (both senior and junior). Publishing papers with early adopters, and supporting them in getting the data they need, for example, is a very rewarding activity, also from the perspective of product development.

Social media has a somewhat ambiguous impact, but a non-negligible one. Especially if founders are active, showcasing achievements will likely have a broad reach. We can use social media to increase the chances of exposure, but it's harder to control the audience that receives it. Nonetheless, the chances of our customers spending a healthy amount of time on social media means we should pay attention to it.

Showing up at a conference is a great chance to expose ourselves, our company, and our products. It allows us to engage in conversations with customers and partners. The audience is highly targeted. However, conferences are time-consuming and expensive, which limits the amount in which we can participate. It is a very valuable contact point because the barrier to interaction is low.

In conferences, having brochures people can take with them, or even adding them to the goodie bags, increases the chances of more people getting exposed to our brand. For example, a PhD goes back to the lab and shares the brochure with a senior colleague to see what they think. In many conferences, I have seen people roaming around after hours, when there's no one in the booths, just to collect brochures and avoid unnecessary sales pitches.

Every activity we perform should be built around our focal point which is the company website. If people want to get more information, they should be able to find it without hassle. And that's something many marketers get wrong regarding "inbound marketing" for sci-tech. The people we target at the beginning are those who already interacted with us, and want to know more.

Everything we have developed as a brochure, white paper, results from partnerships, or even publications by others, should be easily accessible. And, more importantly, a quick way of reaching out or scheduling a meeting.

This brings us to the last and most valuable contact point we can generate: a demo.

Once someone has gone through the awareness stages and several contact points, they'll naturally request to see our solution. That should be the golden standard for measuring a successful marketing campaign, and when the sales cycle begins.