This document analyzes the effectiveness of using social media and short messages to promote science communication. It details the annual growth of visitors, researchers involved, and media coverage of the European Researchers' Night event from 2006-2016. Surveys found the organization very effective and the event useful for promoting researchers. Social media like Facebook, blogs, and YouTube were highly effective at spreading awareness, with some science-themed video pills reaching millions of views. While an accessible way to promote science, creating high-quality, engaging content that avoids oversimplification is challenging but critical for maximum impact.

1. T H E S C I E N C E P I L L S
S H O R T M E S S A G E S T H R O U G H S O C I A L
M E D I A A R E R E A L LY E F F I C I E N T ?
G . M A Z Z I T E L L I
L A B O R AT O R I N A Z I O N A L I D I F R A S C AT I – I S T I T U T O N A Z I O N A L E D I F I S I C A N U C L E A R E
F R A S C AT I S C I E N Z A ( I TA LY )
H T T P : / / G I O VA N N I M A Z Z I T E L L I . B L O G
O N B E H A L F O F M O R E T H A N 1 0 0 0 R E S E A R C H E R S T H AT E A C H Y E A R P R O M O T E A N D O R G A N I S E T H E
F R A S C AT I S C I E N Z A A C T I V I T I E S A N D T H E E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H E R S ’ N I G H T

2. 2 0 0 6 — > 2 0 1 7 - PA R T N E R ( R ) E V O L U T I O N
http://www.frascatiscienza.it/pagine/notte-europea-dei-ricercatori-2016/partner/

3. # E R N N U M B E R S
In 2016: 39.948 visitors were counted,
more then 800 researchers were
involved, 20.3 millions people were
aware about ERN messages, 371 press/
tv/web outcome.
0
17500
35000
52500
70000
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Visitors Web Users
0
55
110
165
220
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
press/tv/radio
web outcome
CERN, EMC
0
20
40
60
80
100
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Excellent Good Enough
how much the organisation was efficient?
0
20
40
60
80
100
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
very much useful enough useful a few useful
how useful is ERN to promote
researcher's image/work?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
No Ans.
Other
Friends Partners
Press
Press adver:sing
Printed adver:sing
Other adver:sing Radio+TV W
eb site
Social netw
ork
55%
16%
32%

4. A WA R E N E S S C A M PA I G N 2 0 1 0

5. B L O G G E R S , R E P O RT E R S , S O C I A L M E D I A M A N A G E R S

6. @ F R A S C AT I S C I E N Z A
# E R N # H U M A N S O F E R N
#hum
ansofERN

7. F R A S C AT I S C I E N Z A . I T M A G A Z I N E
Sessions
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
40,00040,00040,000
80,00080,00080,000
Sessions
496,731
Users
335,558
Pageviews
1,689,756
Pages / Session
3.40
Avg. Session Duration
00:03:04
Bounce Rate
52.31%
% New Sessions
67.55%
New Visitor Returning Visitor
32.4%
67.6%
Web site:
• 261.000 unique visits in 2016
• 356.000 pages viewed in 2016
• 3 editorials/week + events
• 1 newsletter/month + specials (night)
Social (FB & TW): 1 post/day
Youtube: 1/2 video/month
2015 2017
magazine impact
science pills
post impact

8. N I G H T V S O F F N I G H T
0
125
250
375
500
407
168
332
58
2015
2016
0
7.5
15
22.5
30
likes - offnight likes - nigt
28
14 15
3
2015
2016
average daily number of likes
average daily number of people who engaged
with page (any click or story created)
(*)120 days in the next year Jan-Apr
(**) 21 days before night
off-night(*) night(**)
off-night(*) night(**)
off-night
night

9. R A D I O S C I E N Z A . I T - F I S I C A S T
Sessions
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
1,5001,5001,500
3,0003,0003,000
Sessions
91,034
Users
56,338
Pageviews
223,870
Pages / Session
2.46
Avg. Session Duration
00:02:39
Bounce Rate
61.08%
% New Sessions
61.89%
New Visitor Returning Visitor
38%
62%
http://www.radioscienza.it/fisicast/chi-siamo-fisicast/

10. S O C I A L C O N T E N T S : T H E J O K E S …

11. B AY E R P R I Z E AT C O R I N A S H O RT M O V I E F E S T I VA L &
S A N B E R N A R D I N O P R I Z E F O R T H E B E S T N O P R O F I T AWA R E N E S S C A PA I N
DirectedbyAlessioLauriaeFrancescoLettieri,writtenbyMirkoCetrangolo,AlessioLauriaeFrancescoLettieri
andwithGianlucaMusiuandthevoceofChiaraColizzi

12. “ S O C I A L ” I M PA C T O F P I L L S
• Frascati Scienza Facebook
• pills 1 —> 250.000 visualisations
• pills 2 —> 133.000 visualisations
• pills 3 —> 13.000 visualisations
• last 4 months 65.000 visualisations (34.000
minutes)
• from other Facebook pages up to January 2017
• 6.000.000 visualisations
• Repubblica.it 40.000 visualisations
• TG5 2.500.000 visualisations
• corriere.it, GAZEBO, La7, WhatsApp…
unknown…
• Frascati Scienza Youtube channel
• pills 1 —> 67.000 visualisations
• pills 2 —> 40.000 visualisations
• pills 3 —> 30.000 visualisations
many thousands of comments, about 3 negative, but…

13. C O N C L U S I O N
• social media are a great opportunity compared to conventional awareness campaign
(number of contacts, low costs, easy diffusion at national level, activation of
discussions…) but:
• contents can be mystify (in science communication this is a a real issue)
• contents can remain restricted to a close community, typically already aware about
the message (echo chamber)
• create the right content to produce a large impact on social network is not easy:
• the pills have been realized by professional writers and video makers, and awarded
for the quality of the message, not for the virality. The use of professional and
external (not scientists) point of view can help you to make the right contents.
• the virality is unpredictable, the real success arrived about 1 month later the
night, manly due to re-posting on social channels different from frascati scienza

14. T H A N K Y O U …
A C O C K TA I L
E X C U S E M E ,
W H AT A R E Y O U
D O I N G ?
M A D E I N S C I E N C E
C R E D I T S : W W W. F R A S C AT I S C I E N Z A . I T / PA G I N E / N O T T E - E U R O P E A - D E I - R I C E R C AT O R I - 2 0 1 6 / C R E D I T S /
H T T P : / / W W W. F R A S C AT I S C I E N Z A . I T / PA R T N E R /