Maximize the Impact of Your Research: Top Tips for Promoting Your Published Article on Social Media

Your article has been accepted and published in an ACS journal—Congratulations!—but your work isn’t done yet. Now is the time to promote your research, and social media is a great tool to maximize the reach and impact of your work.

This is your opportunity to position yourself as a thought leader in your field. Using your social media presence to engage broader audiences can drive more views and citations to your article. And sharing your work on your platforms reinforces your voice and expertise, building credibility with your audience.

In This Article:
What Should I Post?
Which Social Media Platforms Should I Use?
When Should I Post About My Work?

Top Tips to Promote Your Work on Social Media

What Should I Post?

Posting your work on social media expands your audience beyond fellow chemists. Here are a few tips on what to include when sharing your scientific article:

• Include a quick summary and translate key takeaways into language that a non-expert can understand. Sharing this description of your work draws readers in and may encourage them to check out the full article.
• Start your post with a question or summation. For example: “Did you know?” or “Key Insight” posts will likely engage your audience more.
• Tagging others is an easy way to share your work with a broader audience. Consider tagging co-authors, your institution or research lab, and of course, ACS Publications.
• Have more time to spend on promotion? Consider creating a blog, infographic, or video discussing your research. These formats can effectively engage audiences by providing a way to quickly grasp key takeaways.

If you need support in creating the elements above, learn more about how ACS Authoring Services can help.

Which Social Media Platforms Should I Use?

There are many social media platforms where researchers regularly share their work. While you don’t need to post on all of them, it can be helpful to dedicate your attention to a chosen few.

Here’s how to choose where to post:

• Where do you most often come across new research?
• Where are the researchers you admire posting?
• Are there certain platforms that are more active in your country or region?

Here are some key platforms to consider:

• LinkedIn: Ideal for professional audiences, this platform allows you to share articles, engage in relevant groups, and connect with other professionals in the field. LinkedIn Groups are a great way of joining the conversation and can focus on a wide range of topics in Chemistry or Academic Research to network with. Share your findings and promote your article.
• Twitter/X: Great for sharing concise updates, opinions on recent trends, and tagging relevant researchers. Use relevant hashtags (#) to broaden your reach and Twitter Chats on topics like Chemistry or Science Communication can help engage your peers. Be sure to share your insights as well as promoting your article.
• Instagram: Use it to share visuals e.g. diagrams, infographics, and videos of your research and experiments – making complex concepts more accessible. You can also follow accounts from universities and fellow researchers for the latest trends and breakthroughs in your field and industry.
• Bluesky: This is a valuable up-and-coming tool for chemists to stay connected with the research community, share findings, and collaborate. Follow leading researchers, journals, and institutions to stay updated on the latest development in your field. By posting short updates, insights, and highlights from your paper or manuscript, you can spark conversations and encourage others to explore your findings. Use relevant hashtags to increase visibility, e.g. #ChemSky, engage in discussions, and ask or answer questions to gain insight.

These are just a few examples of platforms you can use to share your research. If you use other social networks regularly, posting your accomplishments there can help connect you to your community.

It’s also easy to share an ACS Journal article directly to your social media feed. Simply click the ‘share’ button to link to it on LinkedIn, or any other platform.

When Should I Post About My Work?

Kick off the promotion of your article with a “Just Published!” post. Your peers will be excited to share in your success and eager to read your research as soon as possible.

After this initial post, there a few other milestones worth celebrating with your followers:

• Article views and citation milestones: Keep an eye on the number of views and citations on your article and consider updating your followers as you hit milestone numbers, for example: 500 views or 5 citations.
• Presentations: If you’re presenting your work at a conference, share details about when you’re presenting and include a link to your research. You can also share recordings of that presentation, if available.

Ready to Get Your Research Noticed?

By using these strategies, you can help ensure your research has the broadest possible impact in the academic community and beyond.

Follow ACS Publications on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, and BlueSky to see the style of posts we share. And don’t forget to tag ACS Publications!