Increasingly, research institutions and faculty are using multiple forms of communication to engage broader audiences with their research. Although the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University was nearing its 60th anniversary, as a center it had not yet started using social media channels to promote its scholarship.
The new faculty director, eager to expand global awareness of WCFIA research, wrote in a letter to the community: “The communications team is investing resources to help publicize the cutting-edge research done by our affiliates. We are developing a strong social media strategy and have recently launched a Twitter account (@HarvardWCFIA) to readily promote research findings and pertinent events. Many of our faculty and student affiliates are on Twitter, and rich academic discussions abound here. We are thrilled to jump in and take part in these conversations.”
Key accomplishments:
- achieved 1,000 new followers
- live-tweeted high-profile event
- created analytics reports to measure engagement and inform content strategy
- helped brainstorm ideas for visual content and topics to foster conversation and increase engagement with target audiences to help maximize visibility, reach, and impact
@HarvardWCFIA can be found here.