The use of social media marketing for communication has gained traction over the years. The total number of social media users in the world has crossed the 3.5 billion mark.
Organizations, entrepreneurs, lobby groups, and other professionals worldwide are using social media to drive their agenda. Without a doubt, researchers can leverage the high number of social media users to disseminate their research.
How do you communicate your research to the masses on social media?
1. Audience Understanding
You need to understand your audience. Once you figure out what excites them, you can develop conversations that will trigger engagement and intrigue. Your topic is unlikely to capture the audience’s interest if it doesn’t resonate well with them or they don’t understand. If your research seems too complex or boring, you can focus on just the most exciting aspects of your research.
2. Language is Simple
Being tempted to prove your academic prowess by using technical terminologies may cripple engagement. Reserve the use of complex terminologies to science and other academic forums. To lighten up conversations on social media, use simple and clear language that everyone can understand.
3. Data Visualizations
Infographics and Visualizations will be effective in sharing various aspects of your research. This makes it easier for the audience to understand the contents of your study. For instance, you can creatively present your research findings as a short story that will capture the attention of social media users.
To enhance quality in designing your visuals. You can consider hiring a professional designer to create eye-catching social media visuals for your research. In that regard, ensure the visuals present accurate facts without distortion. Remember, false information may spark debate about your credentials, thwarting the intentions you intend to achieve. Such a scenario can quickly shift the conversation from the significance of your research to its credibility.
4. Interactive videos
Videos are ideal for giving life to your study. Sharing video content focusing on your research has a high chance of inducing engagement and sparking interest on social networking platforms. For instance, you can create a video showing your research problem and the significance of your findings in addressing the issue. Alternatively, you can choose to boost your video post on social media to reach a wider audience. Different social media platforms have options to promote your social media posts to reach a bigger audience.
5. Share a Link to an Accessible Version of Your Research
It is always frustrating to come across some interesting research online, only to be denied access. Avoid sharing links that require subscription to read your research. You can choose to use open access options available online. All you need to do is publish your research project in an open-access journal or submit a copy of your research to an institutional repository. When discussing and sharing on social media platforms, ensure you provide a link to the full copy of your study.
6. Share Exciting Aspects of the Research
Interesting facts are ideal for capturing the attention of social media users. To ignite engagement, you can share exciting findings of your study. You can post about how you came up with the research content and point up the exciting titbits discovered. That way, you are likely to invoke curiosity, and people will be interested in reading your research.
7. Write Only about What You Know or Understand
Using social media for promoting your research can seem daunting, especially without a clear framework. The simplest way to navigate this is by writing about what you already know. To drive an informed conversation, you can choose to summarize the research. Focus on telling social media users about your interests in the study. Social media marketing is full of people who might be well familiar with a topic than you are. So, tell your audience only about the research aspects you are well acquainted with and avoid talking about what you are unsure of.
