Social Media for Scientists

Social media has transformed the way people learn about science and interact with scientists. This has changed the landscape of science from something done behind closed laboratory doors to something that the average person can learn about and even participate in. However, unlike peer-reviewed publications, the content on social media is not screened or vetted by anyone, making the potential for false or misleading information to be spread just as easily as accurate information.

All social media has the potential for being used for public outreach, scientific and policy discussion, and link sharing. But which one(s) should you use and how do you publicize your content to get the most reach? Here, we discuss the most popular social media platforms and how scientists can use them for public engagement and disseminating science news.

X (Formerly Twitter)
X is the most popular social media platform for scientists to share “posts”; i.e. brief updates, links, multimedia (images, short videos, live streaming), and participate in real-time discussion, all within 280 characters. Accounts can be held by individuals or groups, such as universities, labs/research groups, and businesses, but tends to attract more users who are public figures or companies that are developing a brand voice. Content can be searched easily and related content can be tied together using hashtags such as #scicomm,  #publicengagement, and #cellbiology. Content is easily reshared and can be commented on or liked. Mentions (e.g. @ASCBiology) increase visibility and can be used to network. Unless a Twitter feed is set to private, any user may follow any other user on Twitter. You must follow each other to send and receive direct messages.

Facebook
Facebook has the largest user base, being one of the first to connect friends and families. Accounts have “pages” where content can be generated and shared. Users must sign up as individuals, and manage content and privacy on their own page, but then can create and manage content on public facing “pages” for their teams/organizations and businesses. Users can also create special interest “groups” that allow all users in the group to post. Like X, users can post updates, multimedia, links, and have real-time discussion, but without the 280 character restriction. Hashtags and mentions (@ASCBiology) are also used to increase visibility and networking, posts can be liked and shared, and pages can be followed. Facebook tends to be used by middle age and older demographics, and is better for in-depth engagement and content-sharing. 

Instagram
Instagram is a visual platform where users can post photos and videos and short captions. Extensive photo editing functionality allows for optimal image sharing. These features make Instagram ideal for artists like jkxcomics to share creative ideas and visually stunning images, such as #microscopeart, and is an ideal outlet for public engagement of science through art. Images and videos are stored within a feed/profile and are shown in chronological order. Instagram also has the option to create “Stories” that only appear on a user’s profile for 24 hours. Live video is possible, but is only visible to followers while livestreaming. You must follow each other to send and receive direct messages.

LinkedIn
While X, Facebook, and Instagram can be used for personal or professional purposes, LinkedIn markets itself solely as a professional social networking platform. Many people use LinkedIn when they are job hunting. But a LinkedIn profile can do much more and can build your professional brand and network. It has similar features as Facebook, and you can promote your research, explain science, meet collaborators, and get the word out about you and your work to the public through posts that can be liked, shared, and commented on. A key feature of LinkedIn is that it shows not only the people you are connected to, but their networks, how you connect to them, and degrees of separation. 

YouTube
YouTube is one of the oldest video-based platforms that allows individuals and organizations to upload, view, rate, share, add to favorites, report, and comment on videos. Users can create channels like  @AmericanSocietyforCellBiology  and playlists on their channels like ASCB’s I am ASCB Videos.  Content includes video clips, TV shows, music videos, short and documentary films, audio recording, educational videos, etc. Universities and other research institutions often use YouTube for educational and/or PR purposes. Although there is a pay version of YouTube, the free version contains advertisements. Search on YouTube is based on channel, username, video name, topic, and general search terms.

TikTok
TikTok is a short video platform that tends to be very popular among younger users. Videos are short, usually less than 60 seconds but some as short as a few seconds , and can be edited with filters, effects, and sounds. Live streaming is also possible. Hashtags and mentions are used to search for content and you can comment on content using a TikTok video. In recent years, the use of TikTok as a news outlet, especially for younger users, has increased dramatically making it one of the best ways to reach a younger audience with science news. However, because of the younger demographic, content is curated and privacy controls for users under 16 restrict posting, commenting, and sending direct messages.

Other Social Media Platforms

There’s no shortage of platforms for which to share your science content. Although X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube remain the most popular there are many others. Flickr is an image- and video-hosting website that allows users to share professional photography, art, and videos (Example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihgov/albums). Vimeo is another  video-based platform that provides high-quality tools for hosting, sharing, and streaming videos. Unlike YouTube, Vimeo attracts more users producing professional quality video and videos are not interrupted by advertisements. Videos are free to watch, but payment is required if you wish to upload more than 5GB of video per week. Vimeo also contains a library of high-quality stock video for purchase. Traditional Blogs are also an outlet for public outreach, lab news, and comments allowing users, including lab/research groups, a platform for long-form writing and content sharing.. Some of the top free blogging platforms include Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, and Medium. Reddit is a huge discussion forum platform with as many topics as you can imagine. While there are some dark and creepy corners on Reddit, the science topic “subreddit” known as r/Science is well moderated. There are many people interested in science engaging on Reddit and it might be worth your while to see what they are talking about.

How to Not Lose Your Mind Posting and Keeping Up with Posts
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with how many platforms there are, and posting to one, let alone more than one platform, can easily take over one’s time. However, most people tend to stick with just a few platforms, and some use them only for specific purposes. But if you do want to post to multiple platforms, you can link your accounts together, so that, for example, a post on Instagram will instantly also be posted to Facebook. This is useful when the content you want to share is similar across those platforms. Third party apps, such Hootsuite, can be used to post and monitor more than two platforms simultaneously. These apps are also great for managing social media posts, allowing you to create and schedule their release, and keeping up with posts. Many of these apps though require a subscription for full functionality. 

How to be a Good Social Media Citizen
Navigating the world of social media can be tricky, and  whether you like it or not, what you put out there to the public, in a personal or professional capacity, may be shared and scrutinized. Although it should go without saying, avoid sharing unverified information or news to prevent the spread of misinformation. It’s okay to engage or discuss controversial topics but always do so in a respectful way; bad behavior even from scientists respected in their fields can quickly snowball and derail your efforts at effective public engagement. Use the platforms for their purpose, which is to be part of a productive and interactive social network; don’t over-promote yourself. At the same time, avoid excessive use of mentions and hashtags. Finally, make sure you protect yourself by using privacy controls and not sharing intimate personal information. 

The Future of Social Media for Public Engagement of Science
Social media is a great tool to connect, share, and initiate collaboration with scientists and non-scientists alike. As more and more people are connected through social media, we have a unique opportunity to establish safe spaces for public engagement of science and to reach audiences that we can’t otherwise reach. By using social media, and being a good social media citizen, we can help others, especially those that have historically left out, feel included in the process and impact of science.