Where next with Twitter/X?

ELIXIR Communications Group Meeting

Elaine Harrison, Zippy Tseng, Communications Officers

18 Sept 2023

www.elixir-europe.org

Agenda

1. Twitter/X - introduction and context - (Elaine - 5 mins)
2. ELIXIR/Node social media channels - a Hub perspective (Zippy - 5 mins)
1. Discussion - all (30 mins):
1. Node perspectives
2. Future solutions - pros and cons
3. Update on future comms activities - (Elaine 15 mins)
• Node and People Commissioned Services (part of new Scientific Programme, starting ~June 2024)
• ELIXIR-STEERS (son of CONVERGE, starting Feb 2024)
4. AOB

Where next with Twitter/X? | Introduction and context

Two separate discussions:

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Organisational accounts (Hub, Nodes)

• Each post is representation of organisation
• Focus on dissemination rather than discussion
• Non-technical language avoided
• Engagement with range of targeted users (organisational stakeholders)
• Timely response required to inquiries and comments
• Content aligns with other organisational communications
• Legal liability rests with institution
• Plan for crisis communication/engagement with media

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Personal accounts (individuals)

• Audience can be more specialised, posts more technical, scope for more discussion

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Discussion 1: Organisational accounts (Hub, Nodes)

• A Hub perspective (5 mins, Zippy)
• Discussion - all (20 mins):
• Node perspectives
• Future solutions - pros and cons

ELIXIR Hub social media use

Twitter/X

• Followers: 10.5 K
• Posts type: event information, Hub news, job vacancy, live-tweeting
• Followers: new followers per month dropped compared to last year
• Metrics: now difficult to analyse

LinkedIn

• Followers: 5,762
• Post type: event information, Hub news, job vacancy
• Followers: majority from research and academic
• Metrics: steady increase

Issues with Twitter/X

• Users leaving
• Difficult to monitor which ones
• Institutional accounts are staying so far
• Uncertain and unpredictable - difficult to plan
• Loss of free access to Tweetdeck, no plans to upgrade
• Many comms assets have Twitter bird (websites, printed material etc)
• Currently no clear alternative for organisational accounts (see next slide)
• Large resource cost in building new institutional account and high risk given fragmented landscape
• Twitter/X approach at odds with ELIXIR values, do we want to be associated?

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Twitter/X: Potential risks and mitigations

Risks

• Significant Hub comms resources:
• Posting to diminishing audience
• Changing Twitter logo on digital assets only to change again/remove
• Moving to different platform and building audience
• If stay too long - ELIXIR seen as out of touch
• If leave to soon - risk of missing out on posts from other organisational accounts
• Printed assets - rapidly become obsolete

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Approaches/mitigations

• Watch and wait
• Increase focus on LinkedIn
• Monitor alternatives - Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon
• Be prepared to leave if circumstances change

Update on future comms activities

ELIXIR Communications Group Meeting

Elaine Harrison, Communications Officer

18 Sept 2023

www.elixir-europe.org

Nodes/People Commissioned Service

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2024-28 Scientific Programme - 4 tiers:

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Communications falls under Nodes and People

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• Implementation through ELIXIR-funded Commissioned Services (CoS)
• Total budget (Nodes & People): €3.6M (includes ELEAD, industry events, staff exchanges, travel grants)
• First CoS - June 2024 - 2 years
• Working document - initial planning
• Nodes/People planning rolling meetings to be scheduled

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Nodes/People Commissioned Service - possible comms components

Building Node capacity in impact communications

• Proposed activities: Training session -> 2 mini hackathons -> showcase & rollout
• Proposed outputs: Training slide deck, showcase slide deck, examples for STEERS promotional videos
• Resources: Hub lead, Node participation via Comms Focus Group + Node PMs?

Timings TBD:

• Follow on from STEERS Comms Strategy Toolkit -> start Oct 2025
• Or sooner -> June 2024

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ELIXIR Navigator component: “Explaining ELIXIR - a practical guide to understanding the life science data research infrastructure”

• Possible activities: KO meeting -> asynchronous collaboration on document (practical guide) -> rollout
• Possible outputs: Collaborative document (practical guide)
• Resources: Hub lead, Node participation via Comms Focus Group + Node PMs?

Timelines to fit with ELIXIR Navigator

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Use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) in non-technical/scientific activities

• Details to be discussed

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Working document - initial planning, Nodes/People planning rolling meetings to be scheduled

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ELIXIR-STEERS - overview

Software management and workflows

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Start date: 1 Feb 2024, 36 months

Funding: €4M

PI: Andy Smith

Follow-on from CONVERGE, all ELIXIR Nodes

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T4.2 ELITMa – Comms module

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T 5.1 Main Comms WP

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ELIXIR-STEERS - Node communications involvement

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T5.1: Comms activities in WP5

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Year 1

• M1 - Kick-off comms (ELIXIR logo, webpage, social media)
• M6 - Communications, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan

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Year 2

• M20 - Node communication and dissemination strategy toolkit

Proposed plan:

• Kick-off & requirements gathering: Jan-March 2025
• First draft of toolkit: April-July 2025
• Node workshops and final draft - Sept-Nov 2025

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Year 3

• M30 - Series of short promotional videos showcasing impact of ELIXIR

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