Hi gang! How are you getting your research out in front of the people who need to see it?
This week saw one of our clients – the amazing Welfare at a Social Distance – land a spot in the Guardian newspaper. The subject? Their crucial research into welfare support for the unemployed during COVID19. Maybe you saw the article?
Welfare at a Social Distance is a partnership of teams from five different universities - Salford, Leeds, Deakin, Kent, and LSE. A high-powered coalition, but guess what? No matter who you are, the right people still need to know what you’ve done for your research to have any impact at all.
So why did the Guardian want to run an article? Welfare at a Social Distance got their visibility right. They communicated their message powerfully and reached the people they needed to reach. One of the catalysts for the Guardian’s interest was this new website built by (modest little bow) Nifty Fox Creative. We helped them showcase their latest findings, and share important updates, key events, and news. They can share compelling visuals and information across different networks, with the website as their hub.
A website does a lot of heavy lifting. It offers a bright, visual platform to share research clearly and engagingly in the policy making arena. In this case it got Welfare at a Social Distance noticed by major news organisations and also the policy makers themselves - the shoppers with the power, as it were.
Of course, this got us thinking. There’s been a lot of Nifty back-and-forth about the importance of a cracking research ‘shop window,’ and how to help you make the most of yours as a tool to engage with lay audiences and policy makers. Think of it as a glowing display of enticing information on a dark rainy afternoon – it pulls eyes your way, and makes people shake off their brollies and come in to find out more. It creates the interest you need and drives the impact of your research home.
So, what exactly is your shop window?
For researchers, it’s made up of anything in the public domain that shows who you are, what you stand for, and the research you’re doing. Your Twitter and other social media accounts, your website, institutional web pages, your blog – all these are the glittering displays in your window.
Why is it important? you ask. I’m a researcher, not a marketer!
Yes, you are. But this is how people get to know who you are and why they should care about your research. Without reaching the right people your research goes nowhere. And it doesn’t matter that you’re not a marketing whizz – all you need to do is follow a few guidelines.
So who is looking in at your shop window?
News outlets, fellow academics, policy makers, decision makers – they’re all out there in the rain. You need to decide who are the main influencers in your desired research/policy arena and target your messaging to help them. Always ask yourself, “Who is this FOR?” and focus your content to match their interest. They’ll be shaking off their brollies in no time.
How do I create a shop window?
You’re already on social media. Use it. Go on LinkedIn. Use your institutional profile. You might even want to create a short Vimeo or YouTube video, or a one page website that focuses just on a particular research project. To do that, hone in on:
the problem you are trying to solve and why your audience should care
how your research goes about solving that problem
why it is novel or interesting
why you are the authority on it
briefly what recommendations you would make and the impact they would have if implemented
how people can contact you. This is crucial! Make it easy for people to find you.
Keep it clear and uncluttered. White space is good. Meaningful visuals are good.
When and where should I post?
The important thing is that posts should be targeted to their audience, so keep your content interesting to the people you’re trying to attract. It should be snappy, relevant, and professional. No cat or Ru Paul memes! If the people you want to reach are on Twitter or LinkedIn, you need to be active on those platforms. What hashtags are relevant to you? Use them – they’ll help the right eyes find you.
It’s best to post as regularly as possible. Keep posts timely – if something happens that’s relevant to your work, jump on it while it’s fresh and vivid. Shop windows need refreshing! New content is the shiny thing that pulls the eyes your way.
For more tips and support, take a look at our social media guide, developed to help you with exactly this.
Want help creating your research ‘shop window’?
Get in touch – we’re very helpful people!
