Successful science communication in social media: important tips
Science communication on social media is becoming increasingly important for researchers, especially for economists whose findings have political and social implications. Spontaneous posts often do not achieve the desired effect. The guidelines of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) offer structured orientation for targeted online communication.
Start with the basics: What do you want to achieve?
Ask yourself the following questions before getting started:
- What is the purpose of my online communication?
- Which target group do I want to address?
- On which platform is my target group active?
- What expertise do I need for the respective channel?
- How much time do I want to invest to achieve my goal?
- How can the impact of my communication be successfully measured?
Key recommendations for planning and preparation
Here are the most important recommendations for good preparation:
Whilst the set-up costs may be small, the time investment can be large depending on your goals – so consider how you want to build your social media activity into your existing routine.
- Posting on social media doesn’t mean you’ll get access to the groups you want to connect with – you need to be strategic about making connections and getting noticed.
- Not everyone will welcome your content, so make sure you have a strategy for dealing with negative feedback.
- Make a social media plan: How often do you want to post? What topics do you want to cover? Which discussions do you want to actively participate in with comments?
Possible communication goals
Social media can serve many functions. Choose your goals carefully – often, less is more. Examples include:
- I want to inspire people with my work, build understanding and arouse curiosity.
- I want to find cooperation partners outside of science. I also want to recognise requests from society and identify which aspects of my field of research interest them.
- I want to conduct collaborative research with other scientists to find out what can be created together.
- I want to learn from others and be able to put myself in their shoes to see the world through their eyes. I want to understand what values guide others.
- I want to support others in making decisions in their lives. I want to positively influence their attitudes or behaviour.
- I want to be present within my professional community to support my career.
- I want to engage in scientific debates and actively participate in the discourse.
Further Resources
Link tip (1): https://open-science-future.zbw.eu/en/science-communication-with-social-media-preparation/
Link tip (2): https://open-science-future.zbw.eu/en/science-communication-with-social-media-evaluation-and-impact/