Massive Social Media Guide
Last updated
November 24, 2020
Social media is one way we disseminate our articles. By writing compelling social media copy, we can increase engagement on our posts and increase the number of people clicking on the link to your article and reading it!
In your GatherContent story templates, you'll see a tab that says, "Audience & Sharing." We ask that you fill out four fields to help us create accurate and interesting social media posts that are relevant to your article. The fields are:
- Who are you talking to; who is your audience?
- Keywords and hashtags
- Three tweets
- One Facebook post
We also ask you to submit suggestions for social media posts with your lab notes, too. If you are unable to come up with a suggested post for your lab note, please write 1 or 2 two key takeaways from your article. This will be a big help to us when we share your lab notes on social media!
Back to GatherContent: what are we looking for in the Audience & Sharing tab?
Who are you talking to; who is your audience?
- Let us know who you want to read your article.
- Tell us who you mention in your article (anyone, any schools, institutions, lab groups, researchers, etc)
- Include any tags for the people you have mentioned.
What does this look like?
"I want recreational fishers and people who live in coastal regions or who eat seafood to read this article. People who live in @CoastalTown or who read @fakefishingmagazine might be interested in this article. Also, @seafoodgroup does relevant work.
I mention NOAA, @unnamedfishbiologist, and @MIT. Here is a link to the lab group mentioned: fakelinkdotcom."
Keywords and Hashtags
- List any keywords. These might be topics mentioned, words people might search for if they were looking for an article on a similar topic, or "buzzwords" that people use often.
- List any hashtags. Use hashtags that your target audience might be browsing and consider trending hashtags or news topics.
What does this look like?
Here's a good example. In this tweet, #phdChat and #AcademicChatter are great hashtags because they are used by the target audience, they are well-followed, and they promote discussion. A not-so-good hashtag for this tweet would be #academia because a lot of people use it but not many people search it!
Three Tweets
As the writer of your article, you can quickly find the three most relevant and interesting points in your story. A good tweet is clear, direct, has a "hook," and tells a mini-story.
What does a good tweet look like?
"While goats don’t have thumbs, they have advanced motor coordination and hooves that allow them to play DDR at a champion level—and beat every scientist in lab. LINK"
A not-so-good tweet lacks context, might be too formal or too informal, and doesn't give the reader a reason to click the link.
What does a not-so-good tweet look like?
"Goats, also known as Capra aegagrus hircus, are Herbivorous creatures that eat poaceae." [lacks a hook and context!]
One Facebook Post
The same principles apply to creating a Facebook post. However, you have more length to work with, and thus can add more context or more story. Our Facebook audience is generally a bit older (40+) and has fewer scientists than our Twitter or Instagram audiences.
What does a good Facebook post look like?
"Since the dawn of Atari, humans have flocked to gaming. Other species were left out completely until a rogue scientist decided to study the brain activity of goats playing MarioKart. In the newly released report from @MIT, the creatures are shown to have a natural aptitude for gaming — and brain patterning similar to ours — which could unlock keys to why humans find video games so addictive."
Having trouble writing a post? Try one of these formulas!
Problem-Agitate-Solve: Identify a problem... agitate the problem... solve the problem.
So What: Make a statement...then answer the question, so what?
The Fan Dancer: Spark curiosity by being specific without actually explaining anything.
A FOREST: Alliteration. Facts. Opinions. Repetition. Examples. Statistics. Threes. (Choose one)
Call-To-Action: Ask for engagement on the post or for your reader to take action.
Create a Cliffhanger: Leave the reader in suspense.
The 4 C's: Your post should be Clear, Concise, Compelling, and Credible.
A note on tone
It’s important to use your voice, and it’s just as important to make sure your voice is engaging. Your tone should be active, upbeat, and curious. The important thing to remember about tone is that it’s what is going to entice someone to keep reading. As you’re writing, ask yourself, “How would I like to be spoken to if someone was presenting me with new information?”
A note on context
While you understand the article and the topics you’ve explored, most readers are seeing these ideas for the first time. As you’re writing social copy, be descriptive, and focus on telling a short story. Without the context, readers might be confused or even pass over clicking on your article because it’s not clear — and clarity and context are key.
SEO Keywords + Tags
On certain platforms, Massive will use a keyword/tagging feature, which allows people interested in a particular topic to find your pieces quicker. Sticking with the gaming goats theme, you might add the following keywords: goat, science, neuroscience, Nintendo
More social media tips
Follow Massive on all the platforms you use
Don’t be shy about tagging the universities, people, or institutions you’ve mentioned in your piece — they will most likely be flattered and repost
Get creative! Ask us to create a gif (we have a Giphy account!) for you, or post in Instagram stories and use the sticker feature. There are so many ways to tell a visually engaging post on social media.