7 Communication Tips

Frame your message using the Message Box

The Message Box was developed by the American organisation COMPASS, which helps scientists communicate their research more effectively to society. The workbook with instructions can be downloaded free of charge from the COMPASS website.

In short, the Message Box works as follows: choose a target audience, then fill in five sections:

• Issue — what subject or theme do you want to communicate?
• Problems — which specific problems within that theme do you want to raise?
• So What — why should your target audience consider this important?
• Solutions — what solutions do you see for the problems?
• Benefits — what benefits will there be if your solutions are implemented?

Once completed, the Message Box provides a solid basis for formulating a consistent message to your target audience.

Relationships: build them, don't just broadcast

What is the context of your message, and what does it mean for your target audience? Many people and organisations tend to broadcast their own message, while interaction is often far more effective.

Not: “We do great research. Just so you know.” But: “We do fantastic research. We will solve a problem in your life. Come talk to us — or better still: help us do even better research.”

Think not only about your own message, but also about why your target audience should want to listen to it.

And, But, Therefore: capture attention with story

You increase the attention of your audience when you tell a story. One powerful tool is the And, But, Therefore structure, developed by filmmaker and marine biologist Randy Olson. He advocates using this dramatic scheme to make scientific — and other — texts more exciting and easier to read.

Olson describes this approach in his 2015 book Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story. A review with examples can be found on the SciComNL website.

News first: lead with what matters

The guiding principle of journalism is to answer the five W's: who, what, where, when, why — and how. Combined with a 'wow' moment that makes people sit up and take notice.

Don't start texts with a lengthy introduction. Be direct and answer as many of the W's as early as possible, so the reader can quickly decide whether it's worth reading on.

You can also use the five W's to build a solid content strategy.

Know your goal

Determine your goal, target audience, message and communication tools. These four ingredients are the foundation of any communication strategy — Communication 101. Without answers to these questions, you cannot begin.

• Objective — what do you want to achieve?
• Target audience — who exactly do you want to reach? Note: 'the general public' is not a helpful answer.
• Message — what exactly do you want to tell them, and how will they benefit?
• Communication tools — which means (social media, press release, infographic, opinion piece, personal meeting) are most suitable?

Never use jargon or hollow clichés

Jargon and meaningless clichés are best avoided. Take the classic example: “In our company, service and quality are of paramount importance.” There is hardly a company in the world that doesn't value service and quality. What actually makes you distinctive?

Every field has its own specialised terminology. Using it isn't always a problem — but ask yourself whether your audience is familiar with those terms. If not, explain what they mean.

Use visuals and metaphors

You bring a story to life by making it visual or by using metaphors. It may be a cliché, but it's no less true: a picture can say more than a thousand words.

The use of metaphors in science is centuries old. Galileo, Descartes, Boyle and Newton imagined the world as a predictable machine. Darwin and Einstein considered metaphors essential for developing scientific ideas.

Some examples: the brain can be imagined as a computer. The atom and its orbiting electrons resemble our solar system. Electricity is like water — current flows like water, voltage is the pressure on that water, and resistance is the thickness of the pipe it flows through.