Social Media Overview

Science Chicago implemented a broad-reaching social media strategy to help drive attendance to the thousands of dynamic Science Chicago and partner events and elevate Chicago’s profile as a science-rich city.

The goal was to give Science Chicago a recognizable online identity and create opportunities for discussions with science enthusiasts across the globe in which they could share their real-life science experiences. Science Chicago’s online community included a popular blog at sciencechicagoblog.com, a robust Facebook presence with hundreds of fans, a dedicated Flickr group where science enthusiasts shared their photos, a Twitter account that streamed the latest happenings and a YouTube channel that featured videos from a range of Science Chicago events.

By diversifying its online presence across a variety of social media networks, Science Chicago engaged multiple target audiences within the community, including students, parents, science experts, journalists and bloggers.

Through this comprehensive and viral social media presence, Science Chicago was able to augment traditional earned media coverage, generate significant buzz about events and drive traffic to the Science Chicago website. In fact, the blog, Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel were all among the top 20 key referrers to sciencechicago.com.

Under the guidance of Science Chicago’s public relations firm, Carolyn Grisko & Associates, social media efforts resulted in scores of Science Chicago placements in influential science, education, news and culture blogs.

Social media efforts also included the following highlights :

• Science Chicago was listed among the 100 Top Science Education Twitterers on Onlinecourses.org, an educational website providing information for students completing online degree or online coursework.
• The Science Chicago Flickr group engaged nearly 200 photography and science enthusiasts in the U.S. and overseas. They contributed more than 1,300 photos capturing the science happening around them, including glimpses of thriving backyard wildlife, hands-on science experiments conducted at home, science museum exhibits and the world under the microscope lens. Compelling photos from this group were regularly featured on the Science Chicago Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as used in some printed marketing materials.
• The Science Chicago YouTube channel features a wide array of videos highlighting LabFest!, Bioblitz, various Science Conversations and scientist interviews, and kids talking about and doing science. Science Chicago YouTube subscribers and friends include WGN, PBS, the Discovery Channel, NASA and the World Wildlife Fund.