Research Promotion: How to Promote Your Research Better

You’ve done the hard part—months of research, long nights, endless edits. But once that paper is published, what happens next is just as important. Getting your work in front of the right eyes can change everything: more readers, more citations, more real-world impact.

That’s where research promotion comes in. Let’s dig into a few ways you can get your research in front of the right eyes.

Understand your research promotion goals

Who needs to see your work?

Every paper has a potential audience. Some will be other researchers in your field. Others might be funders, journalists, or policymakers. Sometimes it’s the public—especially if your research touches on health, environment, education, or technology. Knowing who should see your work helps you decide how to present it and where to share it.

For example, if you’re writing about vaccine misinformation, you’re not just speaking to epidemiologists—you’re speaking to the public, journalists, and maybe even school boards. Each group needs a different kind of message, and sometimes a different tone.

What do you want them to do?

Think about what action you’re hoping for. Do you want them to:

• Cite your paper?
• Email you?
• Share your findings in a report or news article?
• Use your data to influence a policy decision?

You can’t ask for everything at once. When you’re clear on what you want your audience to do, you can nudge them in that direction with the way you communicate. 

For instance, if you want journalists to pick it up, write a short summary that highlights what’s new, why it matters, and how it connects to a current issue.

How this helps

When you know your audience and your goal, you stop throwing spaghetti at the wall. Research promotion becomes easier, less awkward, and more strategic.

Leverage visual formats for research promotion

Graphical abstract

Think of this as the movie poster for your paper. It’s a single visual that captures your key message, often required by journals, but underused by authors. 

A good graphical abstract helps readers instantly get what your study is about. It should be simple, clean, and focused—like a headline in image form. 

If your journal didn’t ask for one, make it anyway. You can use it on LinkedIn, ResearchGate, or in your email signature. Tools like BioRender or Canva make it easy to create one even if you don’t have design experience.

Research infographic

This is where you can zoom out a little. While the graphical abstract is for peers, the research infographic is for broader audiences. Use it for social media posts, poster sessions, grant summaries, or policy briefs. A well-made infographic turns your methods and results into a visual story.

For example, if your study is about urban noise and mental health, your research infographic could map key stats, show how data was collected, and highlight your big takeaway in one scrollable panel. Clear, visual storytelling sticks longer than text ever will.

Communicate your research for accessibility

Lay summaries

A lay summary is just a plain-English version of your paper. Keep the language simple. Avoid jargon or dense phrasing. Focus on the key idea, why it matters, and what someone without your training should understand from it. 

Think of your neighbor asking, “So what did you write about?” That’s your test. If they can follow it, you’re on the right track.

Research summaries are helpful for grant reviewers, journalists, and general readers. More journals are now requiring them, and some funders won’t look at your work without one.

Research impact summaries

This is where you connect the dots. Instead of just saying what you found, you talk about what it means out there in the world. If your research helps farmers grow more food or cities cut down on pollution, spell it out. These summaries are gold for media outreach and policy influence.

Here’s the key: people act on what they understand. If your work can help them solve a problem, your job is to make that clear without making them work for it.

Use multimedia for research promotion

Video abstract

A short video—just one or two minutes—can do what a thousand words can’t. You get to tell the story in your voice, with visuals that show what you actually did. People scroll fast. A video makes them stop, listen, and maybe even share.

Record it on your phone. Keep it natural. Start with the big idea, then talk about the problem you tackled, how you approached it, and what you found. Wrap up by saying why it matters. You’re aiming for something clear, human, and real—not a Hollywood production.

Once it’s ready, put it everywhere:

• Upload it to YouTube and link it in your paper or ORCID profile.
• Post it on LinkedIn with a short caption. 
• Drop it in a WhatsApp group or lab Slack channel. 
• Add it to your university profile.

We’re in a visual world. People remember faces and voices more than titles and abstracts. A video doesn’t replace your paper—it extends its reach.

Amplify your research across platforms

Start with your institution

Most universities have a comms team or press office. They can help you write a short news piece about your work or feature it in a campus newsletter. These institutional channels give your paper a sense of authority, so use them.

Use your personal platforms

As we’ve seen:

• Post a quick summary of your research on LinkedIn. 
• Add your video abstract or graphical summary. 
• Drop the paper’s link into your ResearchGate profile. 
• If you’ve got a YouTube or lab page, upload the video there too. 

This is you putting existing material in more places.

Lean on your network

Sometimes the most effective reach comes from someone else’s audience:

• Share your work with co-authors, collaborators, and research groups. 
• Ask them to share it in their circles. 

Treat each platform like a door. Knock gently, but knock often.

Engage with your audience

Respond to questions

If someone comments on your post or tags you in a question, take a minute to reply. That small act builds trust and shows you’re open to discussion. Engagement leads to more visibility.

Break it down

Some topics are too big for a single post. Break them into threads or short, focused updates. This gives people a reason to come back and keeps the conversation going without overwhelming your audience.

Think globally

Not everyone is in your time zone. If your audience is international, schedule your posts for when they’re most likely to see them. A simple tool like Buffer or even a spreadsheet reminder can help you stay consistent.

Track performance

You can’t improve what you don’t track. Tools like Altmetric, PlumX, and Google Scholar show how your paper is doing across journals, media, and online platforms. They give you a real-time snapshot of your visibility.

If you see traction on one channel, lean into it. If another is quiet, try a different format or post timing. Research promotion isn’t one-and-done—it’s something you tune over time.

Think about research promotion early

Promotion is part of the research process. When I sit down to write a paper, I already think about how I’m going to explain it to someone outside my field. That framing helps shape not just the abstract but how I collect images, draft key messages, and choose my words.

We all want our work to matter. So why wait until the end to tell people why it does?

I’ve seen researchers build brilliant projects, then run out of energy—or time—when it comes to sharing it. Don’t let that be you. If you’re writing a grant, include a line for visuals or a freelance video editor. If you’re not, at least block out an hour in your calendar post-submission to write a lay summary or record a video.

You’re not doing this for likes. You’re doing it so the right people see your work—and maybe use it. 

Final thoughts on research promotion

Promotion isn’t about showing off. It’s about making sure your research finds the people who can use it—whether that’s another scholar, a policymaker, or someone out in the world dealing with the issue you studied.

If we want our work to do more than sit in a database, we have to talk about it. Thoughtfully. Openly. Consistently.

It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and you don’t have to do it alone. If you’d like a hand turning your paper into something more shareable—video, summary, visuals—reach out. We’d be glad to help.