Social Media Guidance

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How to get the most out of social media

Social media is an excellent tool to promote your work and expertise among other scientists, journalists and the public. Social media also allows you to follow peers and relevant organisations, meaning you can keep up to date with current news and engage in ongoing conversations online. 

Social media is important for NCAS as it allows us to engage with others within the atmospheric science community, and raises the profile of NCAS with the public. 

This guide will help you get started with using social media. It covers: 

  • The key benefits of social media 
  • How to choosing the right social media platform 
  • How to understanding your audience 
  • Tips for starting a social media account 
  • How to create content for different social media platforms
  • Creating a social media account without posting 
  • Posting through NCAS social media accounts 
  • Contacts for social media help

Key benefits of social media

Reach: It provides a platform to connect with a wide demographic of people.

Raising awareness: It helps raise awareness of your research or projects with the public.

Immediacy: You can engage with social media whenever and wherever. You can even schedule posts, allowing you to post content without having to be online. 

Dialogue: You can open up conversations with others to better understand how they are making sense of your research. It also enables audience-led discussion and debate. 

Community-building: It can enable you to connect with communities who might be interested in your research, as well as new audiences who may not be familiar with your research. 

Sharing: You can share research, questions, events, jobs and other opportunities, as well as learning from others. 

Improving research: You can improve your research by collaborating, consulting, listening and learning from others.

Choosing the right social media platform 

Different social media platforms are suited to different types and styles of content. 

LinkedIn

  • Great for sharing long-form content like blog posts, or for updating your peers about your latest work-related activities/research.
  • Professional platform solely used for work-related content.
  • Allows you to repost posts from other users, meaning you don’t have to always be posting your own content to keep your feed active. You can also tag other accounts to increase engagement/reach.
  • Easy platform to build connections on and generate a large audience.
  • Follow, like, repost, comment on NCAS LinkedIn posts.

    • Bluesky

  • Bluesky is an alternative platform to X and works in a very similar way.
  • Great for sharing information about research projects and findings.
  • Bluesky is good for engaging with other researchers and journalists.
  • Follow, like, repost, comment on NCAS Bluesky posts.

    • Instagram

  • Good platform for visual content, for example photographs, infographics and videos.
  • Tends to be more casual in tone than LinkedIn and Bluesky.
  • Instagram is good for engaging a younger audience, including students and early career professionals.
  • Follow, like, repost, comment on NCAS Instagram posts.

    • Facebook

  • Good platform for long-form content, and for community building. Has the option to create groups and events to create smaller communities among your followers.
  • NCAS is no longer active on Facebook – similar content can be found on our LinkedIn and Instagram.

    • X (previously Twitter)

  • Good platform for short-form, text-based content.
  • NCAS is no longer active on X – similar content can be found on our Bluesky and Instagram.

    • TikTok

  • Primarily video platform, aimed at younger audiences.
  • NCAS doesn’t have a TikTok account – similar content can be found on our Instagram.

    • Threads

  • Primarily short-form, text-based platform, connected to Instagram.
  • NCAS doesn’t have a Threads account – similar content can be found on our Instagram and Bluesky.

    • Understanding your audience 

    It is important to understand your audience in order to communicate about your research effectively. Before sharing anything about your research online, it is important to consider who you are trying to engage, and what is the best way to do so.

    Things to consider

    Who: Who are your audience? 

    What: What topics interest them? What might they want more information on? 

    Why: Why will they care? 

    Where: What social media platforms will your audience be on? 

    How: How will you capture their attention? How will you explain your topic in an accessible way to your audience? 

    Likely NCAS audiences

    • Universities worldwide (mainly UK) – researchers, departments, research groups, students
    • Government departments 
    • Atmospheric science community (scientists, industry professionals and public)
    • Environmental science community (scientists, industry professionals and public)
    • Technology, engineering and health communities (industry professionals and public)
    • Funders e.g. NERC, UKRI
    • Stakeholders e.g. NCAS, FAAM, AMOF, NERC centres, Met Office
    • Members of the public with an interest in environmental science and issues 

    Tips for starting a social media account

    Follow other accounts
    • Following other accounts can be a great way to get inspiration for the type of content to post. It also allows you to curate a feed of content that is relevant to you, and build an online community.  Remember to like, repost and comment on other people’s content. 
    Audience 
    • Think about the type of audiences you would like to reach. Who will be engaging with your content on each platform? Which audiences might be harder to engage? 
    Content 
    • Think about the content of each post and whether it is suited to the audience on a particular platform. Are the posts engaging and accessible? 
    Reviewing posts 
    • Take the time to review posts before posting them. Does the post communicate what you are trying to say well? 
    Followers 
    • Build your followers over time, they won’t increase immediately. If there are any accounts that post similar content to you try following some of their followers as they may follow you back. 
    • Promote your social media within work – tell other NCAS Comms and NCAS staff members about your social media accounts! 
    • Tag and engage with other accounts. Acknowledge funders, partners and collaborators in your own posts as this can help build connections and followers. 

    General social media content tips

    Keep it short: you need to grab people’s attention on social media. Keep posts short, clear and to the point. 

    Keep it simple: try to avoid using complex terminology. If sharing the same content across multiple platforms, keep posts accessible to engage as many different audiences as possible. 

    Lead with a key message: don’t leave the take-away message of your post until the end. Start with what you want your audience to know.

    Use pictures or videos: most platforms prioritise content that has a visual element. Try to include a picture or short video clip to engage your audience with your post. 

    Creating content for LinkedIn

  • Content can be longer on LinkedIn but it should still be succinct, easy to follow, and ideally free from jargon (or at least well-explained). Share interesting research updates or showcase ongoing campaigns.

  • Be topical – is there something of interest to your followers, or to the general public at the moment, and does it relate to a project you are doing or have done?

  • Content should stimulate curiosity or action, for example clicking through to a news article or webpage for more information.

  • Visual assets are important in LinkedIn posts as they will make your post stand out on people’s feeds. Sharing pictures, graphics and videos are great for increasing engagement.

  • Connect with others on LinkedIn, tag relevant people and organisations in your posts to encourage engagement with your post.

  • Engage with other people’s content. For example you can comment on a post, or reshare a post to your page. Make sure to check the credibility of the source before reposting.

  • Don’t forget to be social – be active regularly to be part of the community and comment/like/share other people’s posts.

  • Avoid information or images that might be a risk to the reputation of the organisation, for example health and safety issues, delays and mishaps.

    • Basic LinkedIn tips

  • LinkedIn basics

  • How to make a post on LinkedIn

  • How to share content on LinkedIn

  • How to find followers on LinkedIn

    • Creating content for Bluesky

  • Bluesky posts have a character limit so content should be to the point and clear to understand, but a thread of posts can help expand on posts and allow you to add more detail.

  • What is of interest to your followers? How can you relate to something topical, or in the news, or meaningful to fellow Bluesky users?/li>

  • Make it easy to track content using hashtags. Using a hashtag makes it easier for your followers to find and follow a ‘conversation’ on Bluesky. Hashtags can be used within a sentence or listed at the end of a post.

  • People are more likely to engage with your post if visual assets are included, for example pictures, diagrams, videos, GIFs.

  • Connect with others in your posts. Tag relevant people and organisations in your posts and pictures to encourage engagement with your post.

  • Engage with other people’s content. For example you can comment on a post, or reshare a post to your page. Make sure to check the credibility of the source before reposting.

  • Don’t forget to be social – be active regularly to be part of the community and comment/like/share other people’s posts.

  • Avoid information or images that might be a risk to the reputation of the organisation, for example health and safety issues, delays and mishaps.

    • Basic Bluesky tips

  • How to get started on Bluesky

    • Creating content for Instagram

  • Instagram is a visual platform, so you can share your photos and videos here. Followers enjoy seeing a personal, relatable side to those they follow, so the photos and videos can be candid and capture you in the moment.

  • For photos and videos, a portrait (vertical) orientation is preferred.

  • Try to keep the videos short. It is suggested to keep them under 1 minute long.

  • Instagram Stories are a great way to share a glimpse of your day. These posts disappear after 24h, unless you save them to your highlights.

  • Instagram Reels are what Instagram calls video content. They appear on a separate tab, and you can choose if you want them to appear on your front page, also known as your Feed.

  • Instagram posts are the posts that appear on your Feed – primarily static photo or infographic content.

  • Visit Instagram guidelines for more information.

    • Creating content for X (formerly Twitter)

  • X posts have a character limit so you need to be concise or get creative with a thread of posts to explain your work further.

  • Be relevant – is there something of interest to your followers, or to the general public at the moment, and does it relate to a project you are doing or have done?

  • Make it easy to track content using hashtags. Using a hashtag makes it easier for your followers to find and follow a ‘conversation’ on X. Hashtags can be used within a sentence or listed at the end of a post.

  • People are more likely to engage with your post if visual assets are included, for example pictures, diagrams, videos, GIFs.

  • Connect with others in your posts. Tag relevant people and organisations in your posts and pictures to encourage engagement with your post.

  • Engage with other people’s content. For example you can comment on a post, or reshare a post to your page. Make sure to check the credibility of the source before reposting.

  • Don’t forget to be social – be active regularly to be part of the community and comment/like/share other people’s posts.

  • Avoid information or images that might be a risk to the reputation of the organisation, for example health and safety issues, delays and mishaps.

    • Basic X tips

  • How to tweet

  • How to create a thread

  • How to retweet, delete, like, and use hashtags

  • How to add photos or gifs, and post links

  • How to follow and unfollow people

    • Creating a social media account without posting

    A good way to introduce yourself to social media is to create an account and follow other accounts that are of interest to you and see their posts. What style of content are they posting? What conversations are they engaging in? Which audiences are they addressing? 

    This allows you to see what conversations are taking place online without actually having to post anything yourself. It also allows you to build up your own following before you start posting if you choose to do so in the future. 

    Engaging with others is just as important as posting your own content. For example, if you repost a NCAS LinkedIn post to your feed, you are potentially reaching new audiences that NCAS currently does not have access to. This may prompt someone to follow the NCAS LinkedIn and start regularly engaging with our content.

    Posting through NCAS social media accounts

    If you are still apprehensive about starting a social media account, you can post content through our NCAS social media channels. 

    Social media platforms NCAS is currently on: 

    Instagram: @ncas.uk

    LinkedIn: National Centre for Atmospheric Science

    Bluesky: @ncas-uk.bsky.social

    We also regularly post news articles to our website.

    Online safety 

    Personal information, privacy settings and digital footprint 
    • Do not share personal information online, e.g. address. 
    • Think about what you are posting online. Your digital footprint can be permanent, it includes what you’ve said, what was said about you, posts you’ve liked or reposted. Think about who may see your posts and how they might react. 
    • Adjust your privacy settings to control who can view your account and posts. 
    • Use 2-step verification to protect your accounts from being hacked.

    Scams, trolls and online abuse

    • Stay alert for scammers operating online. 
    • Do not engage with trolls. Mute or block accounts, if needed report accounts. 
    • Try to only accept follow requests from accounts that you know, verified accounts or reputable people and organisations. 
    • On platforms such as X where it is difficult to monitor your followers, be careful with responding to any direct messages. Some scammers may also pose as people you know, if anything seems suspicious or unusual stop interacting with the account and contact the person on a different platform to verify the messages. 

    Safety and security across social media platforms

    Safety and security across social media platforms

  • LinkedIn

  • X

  • Instagram

  • Facebook

    • Contacts for help with social media 

    The NCAS Communications team is always available to help with any social media questions you may have. 

    Contact details 

    Harriett Richardson (NCAS Communications Manager) – harriett.richardson@ncas.ac.uk 

    Ilze Millere (NCAS Digital Communications Coordinator) –  ilze.millere@ncas.ac.uk 

    NCAS Communications Team – comms@ncas.ac.uk