How Women PhD Influencers Use Instagram and TikTok

For many PhDs, the idea of sharing their research on TikTok is more daunting than defending their thesis. While academia thrives on written words, video platforms present a unique challenge for scientists and researchers.

Oddly enough, science communication – the art of explaining research to the public – isn’t always encouraged in higher education. It’s a bit of a paradox:

Groundbreaking discoveries are happening daily, yet most people outside academia never hear about them.

But four women scientists are changing this narrative:

Lindsay Ejoh | Tik Tok

Yasmin Meeda | Instagram

Ellie Hurer | Instagram

Ria Chopra | Instagram 

And here’s how. 

Their success stories were recently highlighted in Nature, showcasing how they’ve built substantial followings and even monetized their online presence through partnerships.

Intrigued by their success, we wanted to dig deeper. Using Creatrix, we analyzed their top-performing posts to uncover what makes their content so engaging.

In this post, we’ll explore:

1. The trends we spotted across these accounts

Next, we’ll explore:

2. Key takeaways for aspiring scientists, researchers, and science communicators

3. Practical tips for PhDs looking to make their mark on Instagram or TikTok

In: Social Media but make it Science.

Trends

To get to the heart of these scientists’ social media success, we employed Creatrix’s powerful analytics. Here’s how we approached our review:

1. We examined each scientist’s top 5 performing posts from their account inception up to September 12, 2024. Most accounts have existed since at least 2022. 
2. Three accounts were on Instagram and one was on TikTok. 
3. Posts are ranked by number of likes in Creatrix.
4. We utilized Creatrix’s content strategy feature, which provided:
   • Titles and descriptions of top posts
   • 2-3 creative insights per post
   • Suggested next steps for campaigns
5. We then conducted a thorough human-informed review, noting themes, trends, and standout elements within and across accounts.
6. Finally, we incorporated insights from the Nature article to understand each scientist’s approach and motivation for sharing their journeys and science on Instagram or Tiktok.

This comprehensive analysis revealed several intriguing trends that highlighted what made these scientists resonate on social media. Let’s dive into the findings.

Community Building

Our analysis revealed an intriguing diversity in audience appeal among the four scientists. Three of the four scientists primarily attracted PhD students and academics with “science insider” content. Lab-specific posts, jargon, and highly niche content led us to believe they were creating content primarily for PhD students and scientists. One stood out by appealing more to the general public. For example, she shared a vlog on ‘a day in the life’ and a post on going to the lab with her hair half done, clearly displaying content outside the purview of science and lab work. This was the lone TikTok account whereas the others were on Instagram. This variation in target audiences was clearly reflected in their top 5 posts, demonstrating how each scientist carved out their own niche.

Interestingly, we noticed the scientists’ focus wasn’t always consistent across all their posts. This inconsistency isn’t a drawback. Instead, it contributed to the authenticity of their content. It suggests these scientists are posting what feels genuine to them, allowing their community to form organically around their true interests and personalities. This approach aligns with their stated intentions in the Nature article to build communities. Posting content they knew would resonate with other students and academics clearly is a winning strategy for these scientists. 

Humor and Trends

​​Humor played a significant role in the success of most of the accounts. While not every scientist relied heavily on jokes or witty captions, humorous content was common across the top 5 posts for almost every account. This suggests that even in research, one should not take oneself so seriously. Humor captures the audience’s attention, makes complex topics or highly specific situations more accessible, or helps us connect to others experiencing a similar situation.

This also highlights how these scientists are skillfully blending their expertise with popular social media tactics like popular music or trending voice tracks to amplify their message and connect with a broader audience.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmdQyQOoxs4

Exclusive Knowledge Sharing

Interestingly, our analysis revealed that straightforward educational content wasn’t the primary focus of these scientists’ top posts. This makes sense, given their perceived audiences. Instead of direct science lessons, they found success through other means of knowledge sharing:

1. Behind-the-Scenes Glimpses: Posts showing scientists in the lab were particularly popular. Audiences seemed interested by the day-to-day realities of lab work.
2. Real Scientific Process: Content that highlighted the ups and downs of the scientific process resonated strongly. Mishaps, unexpected challenges, and the messy nature of scientific discovery proved to be captivating topics for the audience. 
3. Practical Tips: Posts offering practical advice gained a lot of traction. These tips included specialized jargon and were highly contextualized to specific research areas, appealing to the scientists’ core academics and PhD student audience.

By sharing insider knowledge and experiences rather than broad educational content, these scientists have found a unique way to build community and engage their peers through social media.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsIRqYdr3vM

Individuality & Personal Growth: The Human Side of Science

​​Our analysis revealed that these scientists are sharing more than just their lab experiences – they’re opening up about their journeys. This approach to creating relatable content resonates deeply with their audience. A few trends we saw: 

1. Work-Life Balance: Posts about self-care struck a chord with the audience, even when presented as funny or self-deprecating. 
2. Setting Boundaries: Content addressing how to navigate toxic work environments showed that these scientists aren’t afraid to talk about challenging topics and stay true to themselves and their experiences. 
3. Cultural Representation: Culturally-specific posts, like going to work with half-braided hair or incorporating Bollywood music, added a unique and personal value for the scientists. These posts can help diverse scientists connect with the scientists, authentically celebrate diversity in science, and help make underrepresented groups feel seen. 
4. Diverse Paths: Posts emphasizing that there’s no single “right way” to complete a PhD also resonated strongly with the audience. As someone who’s been through this journey, I can attest to how comforting this message can be, especially when seeing women of color share their stories.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVfqUNgFOy5

This focus on individuality and personal growth humanizes these scientists, making their content informative, relatable, and encouraging. It shows that success in science isn’t just about sharing research breakthroughs or teaching science – it’s also about personal resilience, cultural pride, and community.

Lessons in Social Media

Now put these lessons to the test in: Social Media but make it Science.

P.S: Recommended Reading

A Beginner’s Guide to Research Communication on Instagram and TikTok

Why Subject Matter Experts Are More Important Than Ever in the Age of AI