Practical Guidance for Sharing Work Online |
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Rhien Hare, MPH
Account Executive
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Spring is in full swing, and with it often comes an urge to clean things up — closets, inboxes, and maybe even that camera roll with 300 slightly different photos of your dog (guilty!). Lately, our team has been thinking about how that same “spring cleaning” energy can be directed towards our online presence, especially when it comes to social media.
Just like organizing your physical space can bring a sense of clarity, refreshing your social presence—or even starting a new one—can help you reconnect with your goals and engage more meaningfully with your audiences.
Social media can move fast. Between changing algorithms, new platforms, and evolving audience expectations, it can feel like the goalposts are always moving, but it doesn’t have to be scary!
With a little intention and consistency, social media can be a powerful tool to:
🤝 Network with peers and collaborators
🌎 Share the impact of your work with the world
💼 Explore new opportunities for growth and connection
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This month, we want to share a few reminders our team has been coming back to lately — simple, practical ways to keep your content grounded, thoughtful, and effective. Whether you're posting for your lab, your organization, or yourself, we hope these tips help you feel a little more confident about how and why you’re showing up online.
📆 Tip #1 – Stay Current
Posting regularly is one of the simplest ways to stay visible and relevant. You don’t need to post every day, but a consistent cadence (even once a month) is a great place to start. The more often you check in, the easier it is to see what others are sharing, what’s getting attention, and how your own content can fit into broader conversations.
Part of staying relevant isn’t just what you post—it’s also where you post it. Newer platforms like Bluesky are gaining traction among communities of scientists looking for more open, dialogue-driven spaces. At the same time, long-standing platforms like LinkedIn are shifting too, with content becoming more personal, reflective, and story-driven. Considering a presence on different platforms can help expand your reach and find the spaces that best align with your goals.
🗣️ Tip #2 – Consider Your Audience
Every good post starts with a clear sense of who it's for. Are you a new PI trying to recruit students to your lab? Or maybe a comms director trying to catch the attention of potential donors or partners? When you know what you’re hoping to accomplish and who you want to reach, it becomes much easier to shape your content in a way that feels clear and relevant.
💁🏼♀️ Tip #3 – Establish Your Presence
While reaching the right audience is key, how you show up matters just as much. People connect most with content that feels genuine. For individuals, that might mean sharing beyond your latest paper. A glimpse into your daily work, lab culture, or even your personal interests can help others connect with you on a human level. For organizations, a consistent tone helps build trust. Defining a clear voice— friendly, bold, playful, or otherwise—ensures your content feels cohesive and genuine, no matter who’s posting.
🤩 Tip #4 – Make it Engaging
The best posts lead with something people can see, feel, or respond to. When crafting a post, ask yourself: If I saw this in my feed, would I care enough to pause? If not, your audience probably won’t either.
Posts with visual assets receive 1.5 to 2.3 times more engagement than those without. Adding a visual, link, or clear call to action (something that tells your audience what step they want to take next) can go a long way in grabbing your audience's attention and keeping them engaged over time.
💬 Tip #5 – Social Media is SOCIAL
At its core, social media is about sharing and connection, not broadcasting information. A thoughtful comment or reply, or amplifying posts from others in your field, can be just as impactful as posting your own content. Following and engaging with relevant peers, collaborators, or organizations also helps you stay connected and visible in the spaces that matter most to you.
Whether you’re looking to build a strategy from the ground up or just need help refining your approach, our team supports investigators, research teams, and organizations looking to strengthen their social media presence. Reach out at inquiries@stellatecomms.com to learn more and discuss how we can work together to reach your social media goals.
And don’t forget to follow us for more communications best practices:
Happy posting!
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Rhien Hare, MPH
Account Executive
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Stellate is a full-service communications firm for scientists, by scientists. We are strategic scientific partners to individual investigators, academic institutions, and science-driven organizations and nonprofits.
We offer tailored support including strategy, technical and grant writing, media relations, brand building, social media, website design, and more to help clients reach their professional and personal goals.