Post-publication guide: spread the word

Unfortunately, a lot of researchers are uneasy about self-promotion or aren’t sure of the best way to go about it. Luckily, everything you need to know is right here.

Tip 1: Be sociable

When it comes to finding and building your audience, social media is one of the most valuable tools at your fingertips.

Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn let you communicate directly and quickly with a vast network of potential readers. Many of these people are eager to champion your work… they just don’t know it yet.

So how do you gain followers who turn into advocates?

Use social media right.

• Include hashtags to link your work with popular topics so that more people can find your articles.
• Be friendly: follow and interact with others in your field, comment on their posts and start conversations.
• Build a community by responding to tweets, comments and questions.
• Add images to draw attention to your posts.
• Consider time zones: if you want your post to be read by people in the US, Europe or Asia (for example), time your post to coincide with their tea breaks and lunches, or schedule multiple posts to maximise the likelihood of more people seeing your research
• Tag the journal you’re published in so we can retweet you!

Tip 2: Share more, share often

Sharing your work is not pushy or egotistical. Sharing your work is helpful and professional.

A lot of people in your existing network will be interested in your research. They just need a reminder that it’s out there.

Share with your email contacts

Add a link in your email signature to make it easy for your contacts to click through to your article. You can also include links to your website, LinkedIn page or other social media accounts.

Share with your colleagues

When you publish with the Royal Society of Chemistry, you get free eprints. You can also choose to order professionally printed colour copies of your article. Sharing them with your colleagues is an easy way to foster relationships and generate interest.

Share with your social media followers

Once again, social media is your friend. But don’t just post links to your own work. Show your followers that all the content you share is valuable by sprinkling links to your articles amongst other stories that people in your field will find interesting. 

Tip 3: Speak up

Take any and every opportunity to talk about your publication.

When you go to an event where you know there’ll be people with an interest in your area of research, take some flyers and hand out them out to everyone you talk to. And don’t be afraid to be creative. For example, your flyer could be a summary of a talk you’ve given on the subject or a mini version of your poster.

When poster or oral abstracts are called for, submit your research ahead of events for a chance to present alongside leaders in the field.

Whenever you give a speech about your research, reach an even wider audience by making your presentation available online afterwards with a platform like SlideShare.

Tip 4: Work with what you’ve got

You might be surprised by how many tools you already have in your toolkit.

For example, make full use of your institution's communications channels:

• Is there an internal newsletter you could make an announcement in?
• Are there screens you could promote your work on?
• Does your institution or department have social media accounts that could share a link to your work?
• Is there a press department that could help you with a press release?
• Does your institution have a subscription to the journal you're published in?

If your institution does not yet have a subscription to the journal you're published in, speak to your librarian and recommend it for the next subscription year.

Tip 5: Think analytically

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for promotion. A lot depends on you, your audience, the topic of your article and the field you’re working in.

Identify which methods of communication generate the most attention.

Use trackable links to find out where your readers are coming from, and keep an eye on your articles’ views, downloads and citations. Altmetrics are also extremely useful in tracking the immediate and uncited impact of your work based on the attention your article receives from blogs, tweets, news articles and other media.

Not sure how to generate trackable links or analyse altmetrics? Kudos can help. Find out how to easily measure, monitor and maximise the impact of your published work.

Keep checking on how well your articles are performing and be prepared to adjust and finesse your strategy, perhaps by using different channels. Once you know which communication tactics are working (and which aren’t) you can use your time and energy in the most effective way.

Tip 6: Speak to the press

If you can answer ‘yes, yes and yes’ to the next three questions, it would definitely be worth creating a press release to shine a spotlight on your work.

1. Is my research something the general public would be interested in?
2. Have I reached conclusions that are applicable for a non-scientific audience?
3. Would my research change anything in people’s everyday lives?

Tips for writing an attention-grabbing press release

• Use an eye-catching heading
• Open with the most intriguing aspect of your findings
• Focus on the practical applications of how your research will change the world
• Give the journalist enough information to understand the mechanics
• Use plain English and err on the side of ‘over-explaining’
• Include images of your work or your team.
• Weave in quotes from other people involved in the research
• Make it personal: explain why you’re so excited about this research

If you decide that a press release is appropriate, contact your institution’s press office and make the most of the expertise of your press officers to help you craft a press release you can share with the most relevant outlets.

And finally… don’t forget to let us know if you're planning to press release your work so we can help you get the word out.