Sharing how we can communicate our science effectively, whether in posters, papers or on social media!
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SciCom – A Story to Prove That You Can Start Today
Published 26 days ago • 3 min read
Everyone Can Make It
Hi Reader, what do you need to become a successful science communicator?
I think many people never start because they doubt they have the special advantage they think is needed.
They are “just” a scientist or a student, without any special education or tools.
That’s a mistake because I would argue that you don’t need any of that!
No Secret Sauce
As I’m currently working on the course on how to do good science communication, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my own past.
For example, I really liked this video, but I can totally see why it didn’t reach many people. I don’t think I could have talked any faster in the beginning or butchered all the good storytelling opportunities any more than I did in the latter half… :D But well, that’s learning. The next story-driven posts got somewhat better, and they still make me happy when I think back on them. Watch it here on Instagram or YouTube.
I have been creating content for several years, from videos to articles, and it has brought me millions of views.
Naturally, I keep asking myself what the secret - or my secret - is.
Of course, there are a few principles worth knowing. Otherwise, I wouldn’t create a course.
However, there is no silver bullet. Similarly, no formal education or hack is necessary.
A Reminder for Me and You
A simple example from my own experience should drive this point home and hopefully encourage you.
Last week, I was a little behind schedule … but I still wanted to post.
As a result, I did three things others say you should always avoid.
I posted at a time I normally don’t post, chose a non-conventional thumbnail, and tried a fairly new post structure.
What I did therefore went against everything the gurus would suggest for making posts take off.
But I knew I had a good story at hand. Therefore, I decided to run the experiment.
About five hours later, the post already had 120 likes and a few thousand views - something many posts don’t achieve in their lifetime.
And by today, more than 100 000 views and people all around the world a little more inspired by how research develops.
How Could This Happen?
Certainly, no special technique for manipulating the algorithm that magically works every time made my post succeed.
I also didn’t use Adobe Illustrator for it - I never do. I’ve been using plain PowerPoint all along.
Everyone wants to create premium content but in reality you don’t need anything fancy – I took the picture on the left with my phone… The camera on your phone is probably better than what was used to make movies a few decades ago… In fact, these “amateurish” setups can feel much more relatable and approachable - you just need to lean into them. So whether it’s a day-in-the-life vlog or you scribbling on a piece of paper, just make sure it fits the overall feel your content conveys.
I also never took a course in science communication or journalism.
I didn’t spend hours searching for the latest trend …
I simply created an immersive, educational, yet entertaining post. How?
I made it immersive. I let the reader step into something interesting instead of just handing over facts.
I created a feeling of flow. There is progression and emotion in the post.
I wasn’t simply professional or colloquial. I chose the style of each sentence based on the feeling I wanted to create.
In other words, it is about following your passion and writing a great “story.”
P.S. As you know, I would be careful with the word “story,” since so many people use it so superficially.
What You Actually Need
Whether you put together a post, create a poster, or write a blog, you don’t need advanced software.
You don’t need a special degree or a secret tactic.
Instead, you need passion, an eye for the principles that draw attention and evoke emotion, as well as a little resilience.
You don’t need to be special; you only need to become a little better with every attempt.
The special hacks and qualifications can wait until you’ve started to follow your passion.
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