communications strategy and social media for reseachers
DESCRIPTION
A brief guide to building a communications strategy and using social media for development researchersTRANSCRIPT
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James Georgalakis
Head of Communications
IDS
Building a communications strategy and the use of social media
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Session objectives
Basic introduction to research communication skills
Understand key steps to building a communication
strategy
Learn how to deliver your messages
Understand the use of blogs and social media
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Why does research communication matter?
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Factors affecting research uptake
Research uptake and changes in
people’s lives
Effective research communication
Southern research capacity
Political context and power relationships
Gaps between researchers and research users
Character and credibility of evidence
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What is research communications?
Research communication is defined as the ability to interpret or translate complex research findings into language, format and context that non experts can understand.
It is not just about dissemination of research results and is unlike marketing that simply promotes a product. Research communications must address the needs of those who will use the research or benefit from it.
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Communication not as Dissemination…
but as engagement
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Research Communications – a Network of Participants and Beneficiaries
Researchers JournalistsDonorsNGOs and practitionersCivil society organisationsPolicy makersGovernmentsIndividual beneficiaries
All have different communication needs!
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Effective research communications
Distillation of research findings
Use of plain language
Making information accessible
Tailored communications for different audiences
Identification of the needs of the target groups
Consider technical barriers, language and cultural factors etc
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Three ingredients of effective communication
Effective communication
Channel
Message
Audience
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Main delivery channels
Publications Online
Media Events
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‘Communication’ throughout research project Informing:
Research agendaMethodological choices
Comms strategy
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Five key questions that your communications strategy should answer:
1. Objectives: What are the desirable outcomes from our comms activity
2. Audiences: Who do we want to influence and inform and what do we
know about them?
3. Communications pathways: Who is best placed to communicate with
each of our audiences and what are the best ways to reach them?
4. Timescales: When will be the best times to communicate?
5. Resources: What do we need - what might we have?
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1. Communication objectives
What will success look like for the project?
What do you want individuals/institutions to do as a result of your communications with them: Act differently; Think differently; Design or implement policies differently?
How realistic are your objectives – what are the main barriers to your success?
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2. Audiences
Who are you trying to reach?
Why should they listen to you or care?
Will they agree with you? Are they potential partners or opponents?
What role might they play in the reearch’s design, delivery or uptake?
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3. Communications Pathways
Who is best placed to communicate with each of your target audiences? Who has the skills, knowledge, contacts, legitimacy, networks?
How do your audiences access information and what/who influences them?
What kind of communication outputs/activities will be most effective in reaching your audiences? Blog, policy brief, workshop, report, media, journal?
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4. Timescale
When will be the best time to influence policy or practice?
What are the planned events and processes where you could present your research?
Particular opportunities to collaborate with others?
Are you tracking policy environment to support planning?
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5. Resources
Have you already mapped out the activities you plan to undertake?
What are the major resource implications – time, materials, skills?
Will resource limitations or capability issues mean making any hard choices – how will you prioritise between desirable communications activities?
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Choosing your communications outputs and pathways
When Outputs and pathways
Resources Audience(s) Expected outcomes
Launch of project
•Press release to national media and networks
•Launch Website
Project comms officer Policy makers, Civil society orgs
Researchers, funders
Awareness of project and interest in collaboration
Year 1 •Launch Blog•Project e-newsletter
•Working Papers online
Researchers time and support from comms officer
All
Academics
Inform policy debate
Grow credibility of project
Year 2 •Workshops•Policy briefings
•Working papers
$$$ Policy makers, civil society orgs
academics
Research design and uptake
Year 3 High level roundtablePolicy briefingsFinal reportPress conferenceJournal articles
$$$Comms officer
Researcher’s time
Policy makersNGOs, funders, decision makersPractitionersacademics
Policy/practice changes
Influence research agendas
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Developing your messages
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How to make messages stick
– Simple– Unexpected– Concrete– Credible– Emotional– Stories
Chip and Dan Heath (2006) Made to Stick
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Framing your message
You need to knowWhy should they listen?Why should they take action?What actions do you want them to take?
Then tailor your core message? What you say – theories and argumentsHow you say it – language, style and formatWho says it – appropriate messengersWhen, where and how you deliver
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The analysis The recommendations
What is the key issue?
What is the key learning?
How does it affect people?
How will it benefit people?
What is the evidence?
What is the evidence for the solution?
An example or killer fact?
Who/What needs to change?
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Elevator pitch
Statement
Evidence
Example
Call to action
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Social media
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Social networking
Applications which enable users to connect by creating personal profiles and inviting ‘friends’
Friends can access each others profiles and other information and interact through message exchanges
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How the internet has changed
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Internet access in Africa
Cheap
Convenient
Work
Mobile
CyberCafé
Fixed Internet
Expensive
Inconvenient
College
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What’s in it for researchers?
Quick and easy way to publish
Raises researcher profiles more rapidly
Ability to reach a larger audience
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Blogging
Short, crisp writing with a point to make from a provocative angle.
A blog should invite thought, response, and dialogue.
Questions, even rhetorical ones, are a good idea; they invite dialogue and comment.
Links to other blogs, articles, (3 or 4 minimum) etc. are good
Use quotes from other good articles and give credit. Especially reference & link to important bloggers, journalists
A picture or a video embedded in the blog is great. For a picture, there must be copyright permission.
Source: Planet Under Pressure email to bloggers
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A micro-blogging site launched in 2006
500 million active users worldwide
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What haven’t we covered!
Tips for managing media interviews
Writing policy briefs
The theories behind research uptake
M+E