Using social media

About social media

When you think of social media, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Family and friends? Ads and influencers? Or dance videos and memes?  Social media provides a range of valuable tools for networking with fellow researchers, gaining attention for valuable work, and compiling a record or an ‘online resume’ you can refer back to. As a bonus, social media is free, so it can be used as often or as little as you would like.

Why get involved on social media?

A social media presence allows you to:

  • create your own web space and profile for you to manage, on your terms
  • connect with peers, other researchers, potential employees and the interested public
  • inspire others to become interested and involved in science
  • get feedback in a public forum
  • source, share and securely archive content that interests you
  • improve your communication skills

Social media can have other rewards too; those in the public eye are often invited to speak at conferences and as experts in the media because they have learnt to communicate their science clearly and concisely.

Finding a platform that works for you...

Social media combines images, videos, sound, and text in various forms. Each platform has a unique audience, use and focus. Effectively communicating scientific research on social media requires an understanding of these features, as it changes how, when and what to post.

The most important thing about running a successful social media page is to use a platform that you enjoy. This will allow you to think about how you like to use the platform, form more meaningful connections and create effective content that you and others will enjoy.

Some, such as Facebook and X, provide spaces for communities to share and discuss ideas.  TikTok encourages creativity and collaboration in the form of short videos. Instagram creates opportunities to share pictures and videos, and interact with followers through disappearing ‘stories’. LinkedIn provides an opportunity to showcase a kind of 'online resume' and network with others in your industry.

Think while you scroll

The algorithms that affect what you see on social media are constantly changing. So being mindful of your social media use is a great way to understand the inner workings of the platforms. It also helps to understand what makes a good or bad post. So when you're using social media, always ask yourself why you're seeing what you see. Here are a few other questions to help guide your social media use:

When do you use the platform?

  • In the morning, on public transport while commuting? Scrolling while lying in bed? Browsing on your lunchbreak? Is it with headphones?

If you’re using a particular platform at a certain time of day, it’s likely others are too. Knowing how and when you use the platforms can help you understand how focused and engaged people are when they read your posts. For example, someone scrolling social media while watching TV might be less focused on their phone than someone scrolling while lying in bed.

How do you use the platform?

  • Where do you get your news? How do you keep in touch with friends vs industry peers? What makes you follow people you don’t know?

Knowing where you go to seek information, and how you search for it, can help you understand how to create better posts, and how to help people find your profile more easily. Think about what makes you like a post, or what makes you comment and replicate those qualities.

Why do you use the platform?

  • Do you like aesthetic pictures? Are you interested in ongoing discussions? Do you prefer short-form content (like TikTok, X/Twitter and Instagram) or long-form content (like blogs or YouTube)?

Capture attention

When posting about science on social media, you are competing for attention. People are on social media to be entertained, so make sure your posts are interesting, vibrant, funny, or capture attention, so that people stop scrolling to look.

Writing for social media...

Here are some extra tips for creating a good social media presence:

  • Write as if you are writing a newspaper headline. You want to grab people’s attention. Use strong, colourful, everyday nouns and verbs. People will be more inclined to read, like, or share your post if it is superbly written and grabs attention.
  • Ask questions and encourage interaction. A post that asks a question or encourages action will invite others to interact, and drive engagement for you and your profile.
  • Keep it simple. Text on social media can be conversational. It's ok to communicate science with a sprinkle of humour, emojis and slang. Reducing academic tone, including metaphors and jokes, and communicating your excitement about your work can make your work more accessible to a broader audience. Delete redundant words and try to limit your text, especially scientific jargon, so people can understand your point quickly.
  • Speak the language of social media. The Internet is constantly evolving our language. It's not a bad thing - Shakespeare made up words too. Try not to resist new words and concepts if they can help you get your message across, or invite new audiences. Google new terms you don't know. Get familiar with some online lingo here and using this handy dictionary
  • Rewrite and add context. If you’re linking to a blog post or an article that is not your own, add some context or meaning about why you're reposting it.
  • Proofread before publishing. No matter how experienced you are in writing, mistakes often slip through. Always read your post once or twice before publishing. The incorrect placement of an apostrophe, or a ‘their’ instead of ‘there’ can become the focus of your post if you're not careful.
  • ... But don't stress if mistakes do slip through. If you do post an error that needs correcting, don't brush it under the rug. Use it as an opportunity for a lighthearted joke, a correction, or an apology, depending on the context and severity of the mistake.
  • Make it personal - write in the first person. The web is a one-to-one medium, so get personal and say ‘you’ and ‘I’. People want to know how what you are saying is relevant to them. Use active rather than passive voice:
    • I found…
    • We have …..

Creating a good social media presence

  • Don’t just post to promote yourself. Posting about your own work is great, but constantly overselling yourself will turn people off, and you will become invisible to them. Be sure to share things you're interested in, uplift others, and share in the enthusiasm and excitement for science.
  • Engage in conversation: Social media is just that: it's social. The conversation you have with others is just as important as the posts you create, so don’t be afraid to @mention others on relevant topics, like and comment on others' posts, and to respond to people who interact with you.
  • Share and re-post with careful consideration. You are displaying your editorial judgement to the world, and what you share reflects on you. Keep in mind when you share things, you are attracting attention to them. So before posting, ask yourself if the post you're sharing deserves further attention.
  • Credit others. If you’re sharing someone else's work or ideas, credit them by including their name, link, or @handle—it’s common courtesy and can help expand your network.
  • Watch your tone. It's easy to misread something on social media, and not everyone is in a good mood when they're reading what you post. The best way to stop arguments before they start is to be positive, constructive, empathetic, and good-natured in your social media presence, posts, and responses to comments.
  • Use images, video and sound. Breaking up your text with images and video can attract and keep attention. Creating infographics with free tools such as Canva is a great way to turn a simple concept into a striking post.
  • Post regularly. Keep a constant presence on social media. But don't just post for the sake of it, still make sure you have something meaningful to say.
  • Make sure each post can stand alone. People can stumble across your profile or post without any context. Don’t assume that they have seen any earlier posts (although you can link to earlier posts). You may also have to re-explain abbreviations, jargon, or concepts.
  • Get an unbiased opinion. If you're unsure, ask someone objective to read your post for content before you publish it. Once it’s out there it’s difficult to completely remove, and comments you might regret can be reposted elsewhere.

For more advice on social media, consider registering for an AusSMC social media training workshop through your organisation.

To sum it up...

✘ Don’t just talk at people – aim to actively engage with them.
✔ Ask questions to encourage interaction and discussion.
✔ Interact with other pages / people (comment, share, retweet).
✔ Respond politely and respectfully to comments. Sometimes it is best to just ignore the trolls.
✔ Maintain your professionalism. Don’t let your emotions rule when posting or responding to comments.
✔ Use spell check – it only takes a minute.
✔ Be consistent: check your site regularly and build a cohesive social media presence.
✘ Don’t post sensitive or confidential information – if in doubt, leave it out.

Using hashtags

A hashtag is a word, or string of words, prefixed with the hash symbol ‘#’; e.g. #HurricaneSandy.

Social media sites use hashtags to categorise posts. People can use the search function, or click on hashtags to see a list of all posts that include that particular hashtag. It's like a filter. Hashtags can be used:

  • If your post is related to an event or a conference; e.g. #iwa2023busan
  • If your post is related to a disaster or a natural phenomenon; e.g. #HurricaneSandy,  #TotalSolarEclipse
  • to give context; e.g. #coalseamgas
  • as a meme (a common idea, behaviour, or style that spreads from person to person); e.g. #TGIF, #fail, #IKYK.

Reposts, reactions, and trending

Trending topics and sounds are features that are repeatedly used and viewed by social media users. Tapping into the trending features of an app can help people find you easily and keep your content relevant.

  • Video platforms such as Instagram and TikTok allow you to share and respond to other users' posts. Using this feature is a great way to piggyback off other topics and posts. It also allows you to include your voice in the conversation.
  • Using trending music and sounds in your videos can prioritise your posts in social media algorithms.
  • Keeping up with trending topics and sounds can also help you think of new things to post, as you can cater your content to include them.

Measure your results

After posting, make sure you keep an eye on what's working and what isn't. If you're using a business page, profile analytics can tell you how many people visit your profile vs. how many engage with your content, for how long, and other useful information.

If you don't have access to analytics, it's still useful to simply keep an eye on the number of likes and quality of comments you receive. You may notice some posts or features work better than others, as well as what time of day your followers are most likely to interact. This information can help guide and optimise your social media presence.

Keep up with the latest features

Don't be afraid to test and experiment with new features as they're introduced. Social media platforms tend to prioritise new features in newsfeeds to encourage people to use them. Take advantage of this, and use new features as they're introduced to reach a broader audience and stay ahead of the game.