So you want to learn about #scicomm?? For this workshop I'll do my best to pass along some of the lessons I've learned about why it's worth bothering with scicomm on twitter &how you can do it well
Thanks @UofG_SES & #SESVirtualConference2020 for the opportunity to share! 1/16

First off, why should you bother sharing your #science on twitter?

Like any social media, twitter can be toxic af, but with some skill you can bend its power to use for good! Twitter will let you share your dope science to an audience that wouldn't normally hear about it
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My best success story with scicomm on twitter was a twitter thread explaining a paper I had published in @Science earlier this year. The thread blew up on #sciencetwitter and the 1st tweet alone reached >115 THOUSAND people
3/16 https://twitter.com/PeterSoroye/status/1225499278396862466?s=20

This twitter thread was so popular that CBS News (and probably others) made entire news articles based entirely off the thread! So never doubt the power and reach of good twitter #scicomm
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-is-killing-the-bumble-bees-study-says/
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Hopefully that convinced you of why it's worthwhile to spend time on a little twitter #scicomm. So now let me drop some gems that I've learned, that will hopefully help you make your own twitter threads.
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First, when is it worth making a twitter thread?

Explaining a new paper or a new project is great content for a thread bcuz you can tell a story and give more details than a single tweet. Exploring a new field site/method is also great, esp when you can share pics or video
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Not every bit of #scicomm is worth a whole thread. Some things work better as single tweets, where readers don't have to expand the thread to read the whole thing.

If you want people to read a multi-tweet thread, you'll need to catch their attention.
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Using gifs &pics is a great trick to catch people attention, bump you up in the twitter priority algorithm, and add some character and life to your thread. Use them to your advantage, but make sure gifs &pics you use are relevant to the text in the tweet to avoid cringiness
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Each tweet in your thread should have a single idea or message. This helps the thread flow better, means that each tweet can work as a stand-alone piece, and makes it easier to punctuate each idea with an impactfull gif or pic
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I like to finish every tweet in a thread with a "page number" that signifies the end of the tweet, its placement in the thread, &ideally how many tweets are left to go.
Without page numbers, it can sometimes be confusing where you are in a thread, esp if it's >5 tweets long
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Crafting tweets w/<280 characters is tough, but not too different from editing an abstract to a set # of words. I start by writing the message I want to get across, then editing as necessary

Just like scientific writing, conciseness is! Use emojis &shorthand to your adv.
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But just like scientific writing, concise twitter threads take time! This thread took me ~3 hours from start to finish, including finding gifs and links.

Also never underestimate the time it might take to find good gifs!

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Because scientific threads can take so much time to write, I recommend making them ahead of time when possible. I usually write mine in a notepad, where I can check the length and the spelling of each tweet before posting

Then you can post the whole thread at once
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Timing is everything on social media, so think about when is the best time to post your thread.

If it's a paper, the best time is probably the day/time when the paper is set to be published. Otherwise, consider when your followers/audience are likely to be active.
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Finally, remember to shout out your homies! Tag people who are relevant to the tweets, especially co-authors. They can help spread the reach of your tweets, and it's always good to say thank you :)

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I hope you've enjoyed this virtual workshop and that it's helpful for y'all!! This is what has helped me but your mileage might very, so don't be afraid to blaze your own path!

Tag me or reply with your own #scicomm tips and suggestions!

#SESVirtualConference2020
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