Technology startups can learn a lot about communication and marketing strategy from think tanks – organizations that share their complex research with a wide audience.

Though it is well over my head, I love to read about the research being done at the Santa Fe Institute, an intellectual powerhouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Institute studies large systems like the economy, genetics, quantum physics, and computer networks, looking for the unique, emergent patterns that arise from the many small interactions at work.

Promoting and selling a high tech product, process, or service similarly involves explicating a very complicated idea to consumers and decision-makers who are smart, but unfamiliar with and maybe even uninterested in, the technology itself.

So what can a technology startup learn from a think tank like the Santa Fe Institute? For starters, be bold about your identity and reinforce it with creative, compelling content: “A sort of Justice League of renegade geeks, where teams of scientists from disparate fields study the Big Questions.” This quote is from Santa Fe’s home page, and expresses the ethos that underpins everything they do, from publishing working papers for scientists to developing online tutorials for curious students to hosting movie nights for the community, where a Santa Fe researcher engages the audience in a talk about the science that inspired her favorite horror flick.

Using evocative, educational, and entertaining communication strategies encourage shared communication around your business and builds a community centered not just on your work, but on your brand identity.

Technology startups have more than just products or services to sell; they also have stories to tell. And, like a think tank, your technology business is built around unique intellectual property that defines your brand. Educate and entertain your customers by sharing your story – what’s unique about your company, your staff, and your product? Imbue your Web content, videos, and blogs with surprises about your path to success – what was it like to go from an idea to a marketable product or service? Engage your diverse audience with savvy social media outlets to build a community around your history, your trials and triumphs, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way to building your business and your brand.