An author's guide to social media

Social media tools and platforms have become an essential part of how we share information and ideas around the world. Over the last decade, OUP has established a dynamic and influential presence across many social media channels.

There’s a lot that you can do as an author to support the visibility of your work online, especially through social media and specially-created content. We hope that these guidelines will help you to make the most of any social media channels you currently use and to find out more about other channels.

For you as an author and researcher, social media offers many opportunities to disseminate your work in new ways, including:

  • Reaching a wider audience, both within and outside your field.
  • Opening up further opportunities for disseminating your research.
  • Increasing the visibility, downloads, and citations of your work.
  • Sharing ideas with other researchers, general readers, and policy-makers
  • Building up your professional network.
  • Taking part in scholarly conversations online.
  • Communicating your ideas in different forms.
  • Discovering papers and other resources for research and teaching.

How do I know which social media channel to use?

While you don’t have to use every available channel, we recommend you start with one or two social media accounts. Before deciding which you want to be active on, consider why you want to use social media for your research. Different social channels have different strengths; you’ll find that what works on one channel doesn’t work elsewhere. You can use our at-a-glance guide to help narrow your options.

 

Social media What do you want to do? An example post
Twitter
  • I want to talk to and connect with other people in my field as well as non-specialists.
  • I want to engage in conversations across my discipline.
  • I want to find speaking and conference opportunities.
 “I’m talking about #skyscrapers and #architecture in my latest blog post for Oxford Bibliographies - read it here!"
Facebook
  • I want to keep my family, colleagues, and friends up-to-date with my work and publications.
  • I want to share things informally with people I already know.
 “Out now: my latest entry for Oxford Bibliographies on the U.S. Mexican War! Thanks for all the moral support over the years!”
Goodreads
  •  I want to connect with a network of passionate readers.

You might post a list of your favourite Oxford Bibliographies entries.
Instagram
  • I want to share pictures of my work, my lab, or my library.
  • I want a platform to promote events I’m attending or speaking at.

You might post a picture of your lab, office, or coffee shop, with some text and hashtags:

“Prepping for my upcoming publication on #Islam in the modern world!

#islamicstudies #modernislam”
LinkedIn
  • I want my publications to be easily accessible on my online professional resumé.
  • I want to expand my professional network and connect with those in my field.

“My publications include:

'The Persian Period', Oxford Bibliographies.”
Pinterest
  • I want to share materials and build a personal portfolio of my recent work.
  • I want to collect lots of visual resources on a research or teaching topic.

You might share an infographic.
Reddit
  • I want to engage with a wide audience by taking questions from the public.
  • I want to post interesting links relevant to my research.
 “I am an ecologist and author of the entry on Rachel Carson for Oxford Bibliographies… AMA (ask me anything)!”
Tumblr
  • I want to experiment with short-form blogging, and incorporate non-text posts as well (images, gifs, and videos).
  • I want a highly customizable platform that allows me to express myself in a unique way.

You might find a great quote to repost and share with your followers.
YouTube
  • I want to tell people about my work in a video rather than text.
  • I’m comfortable speaking to camera or doing voiceovers.

You might make a video about your work:

“I’m an established scholar within the science field. In this video I’ll be discussing why climate change is such a problem. Subscribe to keep up to date on my other videos.”