Science communication tips for marketers

Given the years of study and expertise scientists have under their belts, expressing research and innovations clearly to their peers can be relatively simple. However, presenting work to the general public is more challenging. To engage their interest, higher education marketers must present the research in an accessible way and relate the findings to issues they face in everyday life.

In addition to boosting an institution’s brand and reputation, presenting research and innovation in an engaging way to a broader audience significantly enhances its potential impact. Scientific and technological knowledge can then reach a wider audience, foster greater understanding and gain wider recognition of its significance. Furthermore, it helps to develop a scientifically literate society, encouraging public engagement and awareness of innovation and scientific matters. But, most importantly, it motivates researchers and their young research fellows to remain dedicated to their work, knowing their findings can have a meaningful effect on daily life.

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But promoting academic research can present a dilemma for marketing professionals. You want to publicise your team’s ground-breaking discoveries and innovations to the public, but in order to capture the interest of the media, you have to find a compelling perspective on their work. Other educational and research institutions are competing for the same space. Presenting research from a layman’s point of view is an art in itself, requiring communication and coordination skills. It can be a time-consuming, demanding process, involving developing and drafting key messages and then delivering and pitching those messages to the media and the public.

Plan for success

It’s crucial to develop a strategic plan for research marketing and communication. You must develop a comprehensive understanding of the university departments, areas of research expertise, academic journals, research funding grants, ongoing research projects and the researchers involved. Keep updated on the latest research developments and journal publications by using internal communication platforms, announcements, referrals and social media posts.

Manage your message

Maintain consistency in managing your message. Working with the principal investigators, identify a specific topic to focus on together. To do so, conduct a comprehensive study and review of the researchers’ published journals, thoroughly checking scientific terms and concepts. Conducting interviews with researchers is not only essential for zeroing in on an impactful research angle, it will also help you to gain a better understanding of their work and get direct clarification of any issues or confusions that emerge.

Of course, you might be sharing research content in multiple languages. For example, if producing research stories and news releases in both English and Chinese, accurate translation is required for absolute precision, especially when using scientific and technical terminology.

Spread the word

Employ diverse promotional platforms to convey research outcomes and innovations to the general public. Use various forms, such as feature stories, news releases, social media posts, videos and newsletters. This will help to communicate the message in a manner that facilitates broader understanding and information dissemination.

A photograph can convey a wealth of information. For example, a feature story highlighting ground-breaking solar energy technology accompanied by an image of the researcher holding a piece of solar panel under the sunlight can hook the media’s attention. Using visual representation in this way presents an interesting angle on innovation technology in this field and how it applies to sustainable environment development.

Find the perfect writer

For written communication, appoint a professional and experienced scientific and technical writer. This is especially important when dealing with a range of topics. A knowledge of the fields related to research and innovation, such as computing, construction and environment, engineering, healthcare and life science, as well as design and humanities, is invaluable.

Iris Lai is research marketing and promotion manager at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

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