A presentation for the University of Michigan Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine/Claude Pepper Center, given Jan. 21, 2021. Includes information about working with institutional communicators, using social media as a researcher, and writing commentary pieces for the general public.
Creating your personal brand and communicating work geriatrics
1. Creating
your personal
“brand”
Kara Gavin, M.S.
Lead Public Relations Representative,
Michigan Medicine Dept. of Communication
Policy & Research Media Relations, U-M IHPI
Communicating your work
as a Geriatrics researcher
2. Who am I?
• Michigan Medicine Department of
Communication & IHPI Communication team
• Trained in biology, science writing & journalism
• 20+ years’ experience communicating about
research at U-M & Brookhaven
National Lab
3. • Find & tell stories
• Handle news media inquiries
• Push stories & info out any way I can
(including IHPI & MichMed social channels)
• Help researchers understand/use
communication channels
What do I do?
4. Why does U-M* have staff like me?
• our institution’s work should reach people who care
• U-M expertise can have impact
• taxpayers & policymakers who fund research
need to know what they’re paying for
• most Americans need science/medicine translated
• it’s easier than ever
*and lots of other places too
Because…
5. IHPI has invested in even MORE
• Staff: Communication manager, Government/external Policy Relations (2), Media
Relations, Writer, Designer, Event/membership manager, Communication specialist
• Channels: Website, member profiles, news & feature articles, issue briefs, Twitter,
LinkedIn, internal & external newsletters, videos, infographics, digital signs
• Training: Twitter, LinkedIn, Government Relations, opinion/commentary
7. Your personal brand…
• NOT a logo
• Must be built, over time
• Comes from the ways you present yourself to
the world…and what people can find about you
• Affects how people will interact with
you & your work
8. A new era of
communication
• Traditional news media’s gatekeeper role is
eroding
• Big institutions = trustworthy news sources
• Everyone’s a publisher
9. Who needs
reporters anyway?
• Social media & search
• Institutions & individuals create &
share directly
• Visuals are vital
• Fast response to
questions & controversy
11. • 1-2 stories a day
• 200,000 pageviews/month
• Easily shareable
• Custom graphics
• Email newsletter
• Search engine optimization
• Open copyright
• Always looking for timely
& timeless ideas!
12. • 1-2 stories a day – “content marketing”
for areas with clinical capacity
• 400,000 pageviews/month
• A way to share tips and “things you
wish patients/families would know or do”
• Easily shareable
• Custom graphics/patient photos
• Search engine optimization
• Open copyright
• Email newsletter
14. Why do it?
• Connect with others in your field & beyond
• Raise the visibility of your work
• Share new findings, publications, news items, observations, timely links
• Engage with individuals & institutions around the world & next door
• Get the most out of conferences & events
• Raise awareness of YOU for career purposes
15. Why else? Altmetrics!
• Aggregating activity around journal articles:
• media coverage
• blog posts
• social media activity
• policy documents
• Traces links to papers & DOI mentions
• Assigns a score & percentile
• Not perfect! But getting better
16.
17. Your essentials
• A robust, updated professional web profile
• Basic LinkedIn profile, updated as needed
• Google yourself/set up Google alert
• Know your PR person &
when you should contact me
18. “Laying low”
• Start by “lurking” – follow individuals,
institutions, organizations, news media
• Monitor Twitter traffic at conferences
via hashtags (& use them!)
• Subscribe to lists of Twitter users compiled by
others in your field
• See who’s posting about your papers via Altmetrics
• Join LinkedIn groups for professional societies
19. Take it to the next level
• Claim Twitter handle, add bio & link
• Share links & posts about your work, talks,
professional activities, etc.
• Tell me about upcoming papers & timely
expertise
• Write & share “plain English” blurbs on your work
• Be a “Social Media Ambassador”
for Michigan Medicine
20. Engage more fully
• Make Visual Abstracts for your papers
• Share links to interesting articles,
and salute the work/achievements of others
• Use LinkedIn’s “Write an Article” feature
• Post slide sets on your site or SlideShare
• Take part in tweet chats, Reddit AMAs, virtual journal clubs, etc.
• On your personal social media,
educate friends by sharing news/observations
21. Join
• Platform to reach the public on timely topics
• Articles created by academics, aided by professional editors
• Open copyright for republishing
• Routinely republished by major media outlets, from the
Washington Post to IFL Science
• Easily shared via social media and the web
• Authors can see data on views & republishing
22.
23. What could happen?
• Connect with others
• Spread knowledge
• Amplify your impact
• Keep up with new ideas &
opportunities
• Lend your voice
• Get more from
your work
24. Be careful of…
• Connecting with patients on social platforms
• Being too political/personal –
but DO cite published research
• Engaging in debates/advocacy without
understanding the platform you’re on
25. I challenge you…
• Venture onto social platforms
& web publishing
• Learn from others
• See it as part of your career
• Build your brand so
it doesn’t get built for you!
27. More Resources
My handouts on social media, news media, etc.
https://www.slideshare.net/KaraGavin
Joyce Lee, M.D.’s Slideshares on social media:
http://www.slideshare.net/joyclee/presentations
Andrew Ibrahim, M.D.’s Visual Abstract Primer
https://www.surgeryredesign.com/resources
IHPI members who tweet – follow them & learn!
http://michmed.org/e0Zgg
28. Still More Resources!
NIH Checklist for Communicating Science
and Health Research to the Public:
http://michmed.org/EzD1O
AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science:
http://www.aaas.org/pes
Health News Review:
Toolkit for communicating about health research:
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/toolkit/
