So some scientists mapped thousands of brain cells....why should you care? Rachel and Jenny tell the crazy cool stories behind the complicated science of the Allen Institute. In this session, you’ll learn marketing, communications, and SEO tips to promote complex topics to your audience. From building relationships with subject matter experts to finding surprising angles that make technical topics approachable, you’ll walk away with new ideas to make any tricky topic shine and to grow your audience beyond just the experts.

1. Communicating
Clickable
Complexities
J enny Bur ns and
R ac hel Tompa, Ph.D .

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Challenge:
Science is often choked in
jargon. The process is
mysterious to the public.
How do we make science engaging?
This robot that helped our scientists section brain tissue into
~27,000 ultra-thin slices — enabling efforts to map brain circuitry.
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Solution:
Focus on the how, focus on
the scale, focus on
the promise.

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Talk overview
• Intros
• Why communicate complex
topics?
• How to get started
• Case studies and in-depth
advice on:
o Audience
o Format
o Approach
o Finding cool nuggets
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Photos by Erik Dinnel / Allen Institute

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big science
team science
open science
data
knowledge
tools
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hard problems
complexity
foundational biology

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About Rachel Tompa
• Senior Editor at Allen Institute
• Translating science
• Former scientist, career as a
science writer for 14 years
• Why science communication?
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Photo by Bo Jungmayer / Fred Hutch

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About Jenny Burns
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• Digital Content Manager at
Allen Institute (5 years)
• Former preschool teacher –
always loved teaching &
sharing info
• CommLead - UW

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Why communicate
complex topics?
Diffic ult? Yes . Worthwhile? Als o yes .
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Communicating complex topics...
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...builds credibility with target
audience while growing community
• Fans / followers appreciate deep dives
• Niche complexities could draw in more
followers / customers

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Communicating complex topics...
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...expands storytelling and
engagement opportunities
• New content: How it's made
/ why it works / what makes
it special
• Dive deeper into product,
mission etc.
Time lapse video showing microscope construction

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Communicating complex topics...
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...showcases value and impact
• Your tax dollars / donations
at work
• See what makes this
organization, product or
service worth following

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Communicating complex topics...
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… has SEO benefits
• More key terms
• Varied content
Patient story from 2019
within top ten pages
(YTD) acquired through
Google Search
Specific query example:
• how much do we know
about the brain?

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How to get started
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...setting up standing
meetings with SMEs
How to get started:
Build relationships with the experts by...
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• Scientists, project leads,
product team, technical
• Learn what is important to
them
• Discover story leads
& celebrate the wins
• Find who to connect with to
learn more

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• Chat at the watercooler or
lunch room
• Lurk in Slack Channels
• Joining interest groups
(knitting! Bike club!) –
attend social functions
• Show general interest
How to get started:
Build relationships with the experts by...
human stem cell from the Allen Cell Collection with heart structure
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...finding other ways in

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How to get started: The premise
• Your audience needs to
understand you
• Technical experts sometimes call
this “dumbing it down”
• Speaking a shared language
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https://xkcd.com/2501/

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How to get started: The premise
• Jargon is your enemy
• Remember: You are the stand-in
for your audience
• Mantra: “My job is not to know
things, but to find things out.” –
Jacqui Banaszynski
• Tip: Ask your experts questions
using tone, language & body
language you want them to match
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How to get started: Finding the story
• Work those relationships with your
SMEs
o Ask what’s upcoming
o Keep tabs and follow up
o Ask questions from genuine
interest
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How to get started: Finding the story
• Sometimes the “how” is even more
interesting than the “what”
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Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch

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Case Studies, Tools, Tips
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Some news needs time
& space to unpack
• Podcast
• Longform story
• Video / series
Case Studies, Tools, Tips:
The right content for the right channel
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Not every idea lends itself to
longform story
• Twitter
• Reddit
• Short snippets
• Short videos
Case Studies, Tools, Tips:
The right content for the right channel
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Not every idea lends itself to
longform story

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• Track down high-res
technical figure or image?
• Robots? Gear?
• Story Art
• HQ images
• People working
Case Studies, Tools, Tips:
Stir up the visuals
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Facebook 360

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Spinning cells, listicles, and other ways to draw
the audience in
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Spinning brains, listicles, and other ways to
draw the audience in
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Case Studies, Tools, Tips:
What’s in it for me?
• Be realistic about what your
audience wants
• What’s in it for them?
• Real progress in a common
disease >> a new scientific
technique
• So play it up!
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Case study: Progress in understanding
Alzheimer’s disease
• Allen Institute scientists have been working
for years to understand cells of “normal”
human brain
• Framed stories around ‘laying groundwork’
to better treat disease
• But the connection is somewhat distant…
• We don’t want to overpromise
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Case study: Progress in understanding
Alzheimer’s disease
• In 2020, the scientists launched a project
to understand brain cells in Alzheimer’s
• Project builds directly off research in
normal brains
• Delivering on original promise: Building
disease research on top of basic
foundations
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Case study: Progress in understanding
Alzheimer’s disease
• This summer, first data from that project
came out
• Real results about a common disease
• Highlights new targets for much-needed
treatment
• Still really science-y – needs unpacking
• (Still) just the beginning… science can be a
long game
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Tips: Sometimes it’s just about cool stuff
• 2012 UPenn study on viral sharing
found most emailed NYTimes
stories those that invoke awe
• Science stories overrepresented in
most-shared NYT articles
• 2022 survey by Science Counts:
Science-interested public cites
curiosity as top motivator for
engagement
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“Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula by NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
Berger & Milkman, 2012
https://sciencecounts.org/research/

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Case study: The rosehip neuron
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Case study: The rosehip neuron
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• Scientists discovered a new kind
of human neuron and gave it a
cute name
• That’s it, that’s the story
• Best performing article on
alleninstitute.org in 2018 (3x more
clicks than #2)
• Most media coverage of any Allen
Institute study to date
Spinning neuron! (Not a rosehip cell unfortunately)

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Case study: Following your curiosity
• Science is about the search for
answers
• Media often only covers the
answers, sometimes overplays
• What if we focus on what we
don’t know?
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Case study: Following your curiosity
• Story series about unanswered
questions in science
• Different topics: brain, cells,
immune system, COVID
• Asked scientists: What do we not
know that we really should know?
• What would the public be
surprised to realize is still
unknown?
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THANK YOU