Visibility to-do list
Step 2:
Invest time in your online visibility
By investing time in making a plan on how to make your output visible online, you actually save a lot of time in the long run and get better results in the end. Think strategically about your objectives in the long term, find your target audience and discover what the best lines of communication are. This will help you decide which platforms you want to join, which (social) media channels you need to use and which you can skip.
What kind of functionalities do these platforms and programs offer to disseminate your research online? What audiences do you want to reach? What kind of language, mediums and/or platforms are suited for your designated audience? Timing can also be important. Is your research associated with or relevant to the current affairs in the world? Is there a conference, a newspaper or journal article or an important news item that you can connect your work and research to?
By creating a plan on how to choose the right platform for your output, on how to reach the right audience and optimally use the functionalities of a specific platform, you can smoothly disseminate your work online, and in this way increase your visibility online and save time.
Step 3:
Create profile pages
Profile pages increase the visiblility of your academic work online. Besides, they prevent author misidentification.
No matter on which platform you create your profile page, always make sure that your page is up to date. In this way you not only show your most recent output, but you also share important articles from a later date.
The platforms listed below are only a selection. There are others which may be of importance to you or your discipline. Please note that one profile page that is regularly updated is often more effective than having several profile pages which are not kept up-to-date.
Step 4:
Join academic social networks
You can improve your online visibility by joining and engaging in several networks.
When choosing a platform you may take several things into account. For instance: is the network organised on a profit-making basis or how easy is it to transfer your details to another network? We recommend you to find out the position of the network, where exactly is the network active?
The academic social networks listed below are only a selection. There may be other platforms which may be of importance to you or your discipline.
Step 5:
Use social media, websites & blogs
Social media, websites & blogs are a great way to reach a broader audience. Sharing posts on social media contributes to: promoting your research, increasing he influence of your media appearances, and it draws attention to your participation in conferences etc.
Step 6:
Publish open access
It is important to share your research openly if possible. Please find more information about open access.