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.

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

6. What do you mean, “brand”?

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

10. www.michiganhealthlab.org
Facebook - Twitter - Email
Sister site for health stories:
www.michiganhealthblog.org

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

13. Engage directly:
Social media for academics
Facebook, Reddit, Wikipedia, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat…

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

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

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!

26. IHPI Communications Toolkit
https://ihpi.umich.edu/comm-guide
Social Media Integrity site - best practices
https://socialintegrity.umich.edu/
Navigating Social Media as a Scholar
http://michmed.org/Q2V81
U-M resources

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/

29. Send questions & ideas!
kegavin@umich.edu
@karag