Expanding B-RAd Lab's Online Presence

Author: Ashlan Cheever

At our recent lab meeting, we explored how social media can boost our lab’s visibility and ability to advocate for the populations we serve. Each member was tasked with sharing a social media advocacy post that resonated with them, revealing a variety of styles, content types, and hashtag strategies. This exercise highlighted key practices we could apply in our own outreach efforts. 
One of the main takeaways was the consistent use of hashtags, which increases discoverability and builds communities around shared interests. We also emphasized the importance of captions, as clear and engaging text can shape how people respond to our content.  
Another useful strategy is cross-platform sharing, which ensures we reach our wide age-demographic audiences by posting the same content across multiple channels. 
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Lastly, we noted that content can be tailored depending on the platform used. We recognized that certain content styles: informational, educational, humorous, or human-centered are best intended for certain platforms over others. 
At the B-RAD Lab, we aim to use social media to expand our reach both within the USC community and beyond.  
Our goals include: 

• sharing educational information about our research methods  

• highlighting our current research focuses  

• expanding recruitment for our projects  

• advocating for inclusion in the fields of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Experimental Research. 

We also discussed where to focus our efforts. Our intended audiences are fellow scientists and potential participants in our research. Facebook is valuable for reaching parents, while younger adults and students are more active on Instagram and TikTok. We’re considering whether LinkedIn would be a good platform for sharing scientific publications and project announcements, particularly for academic and professional audiences. 

Moving forward, we plan to refine our social media strategy to make our research more accessible, recruit participants, and advocate for important issues in our field.  
Keep an eye out as we roll out new content in the coming months! 

Instagram: @b_rad_lab 
Facebook: B-rad Lab 
X: @B_RADLAB