Notes for labs doing their own outreach.
Practical writing on social media, websites, and grant-season upkeep. Written for PIs and lab managers, not marketers.
How to Know It's Time to Redesign the Lab Website
Most labs either never redesign or do it too often. A few concrete signs tell you which situation you're actually in.
ReadSeptember 15, 2026Is Threads Worth Setting Up for a Lab?
Threads is easy to set up and easy to ignore afterward. Here's when it's actually worth the extra account.
ReadSeptember 14, 2026When a Null Result Is Still Worth Posting
Most labs only post about wins. A well-framed null result can build more trust with the right audience than another announcement.
ReadSeptember 13, 2026A Press Release Your Press Office Will Actually Use
Most lab-written press releases get rewritten from scratch or ignored. A few changes make a press officer's job easy enough to say yes.
ReadSeptember 12, 2026One Platform Done Well Beats Three Done Badly
Most labs spread thin across every platform at once and post well on none of them. Narrowing down usually works better.
ReadSeptember 11, 2026A Simple System for Lab Photos You'll Actually Use
Most labs have hundreds of photos scattered across phones and drives, and use none of them. A small system fixes that.
ReadSeptember 10, 2026Recruiting Undergrads Through Social Media
Most undergrad recruiting still runs through department fliers and cold emails. Social media reaches a lot of the students those miss.
ReadSeptember 9, 2026Preprint Announcement Posts, Done Right
Announcing a preprint is trickier than announcing a published paper. Here's how to do it without overclaiming or underselling.
ReadSeptember 8, 2026Which Website Metrics Actually Matter for a Lab
Most analytics dashboards show numbers that don't mean anything for a research lab. Here's what's worth actually checking.
ReadSeptember 7, 2026The Case for a Google Business Profile, Even for a Lab
Google Business Profiles are for restaurants and dentists, not labs — except they quietly help with a few things labs actually care about.
ReadSeptember 6, 2026What to Post From a Conference (Without Oversharing)
Conference posting is either silence or an overwhelming stream of every talk attended. There's a better middle path.
ReadSeptember 5, 2026Writing Lab Member Bios That Don't Read Like a CV
Most lab website bios are a pasted-in CV summary. A better format takes ten minutes and reads like an actual person.
ReadSeptember 4, 2026The Media Kit Every Lab Should Have Before a Paper Drops
When a journalist emails asking for a photo, most labs scramble. A five-minute media kit prevents that.
ReadSeptember 3, 2026A Lab Newsletter People Actually Open
Most lab newsletters go straight to the archive folder. Here's what separates the ones people read from the ones they don't.
ReadSeptember 2, 2026Should Your Lab Be on TikTok?
TikTok works for some labs and wastes time for most. A practical way to decide before you create the account.
ReadSeptember 1, 2026How to Repurpose One Paper Into a Month of Content
One paper holds more than one post. A practical way to spread a single result across weeks without repeating yourself.
ReadAugust 31, 2026What a Lab's About Page Should Actually Say
Most lab about pages restate the homepage in more words. A guide to what the page is for, and what belongs on it instead.
ReadAugust 30, 2026How to Write a Lab X Thread That Doesn't Flop
Most research threads on X lose readers by the third post. A practical structure for threads people finish.
ReadAugust 29, 2026LinkedIn: Company Page or a PI's Personal Profile?
Most labs default to a company page without deciding on purpose. A practical guide to choosing between the two.
ReadAugust 28, 2026What to Do When Your Paper Gets Media Attention
A journalist calls, or a result starts spreading online. A practical guide for a lab that wasn't expecting the attention.
ReadAugust 27, 2026Announcing a Grant Without the Press-Release Voice
A grant announcement doesn't need the university's press release voice. A plainer version reads better and takes less time to write.
ReadAugust 26, 2026Instagram for a Research Lab: What's Worth Posting
Instagram rewards visual material a lab already has lying around. A practical guide to what's worth posting and what to skip.
ReadAugust 25, 2026A Lab Recruiting Post That Attracts the Right Fit
Most 'join our lab' posts filter nobody. A practical guide to writing one that brings in fewer, better-matched applicants.
ReadAugust 24, 2026What's Safe to Let AI Draft for Your Lab, and What Isn't
A practical line between what an AI draft handles well for a research lab's content, and what still needs a person who understands the work.
ReadAugust 23, 2026Five Outreach Habits That Work for Research Labs
The habits that separate labs with an active public presence from labs that mean to have one. None of them require a marketing background.
ReadAugust 22, 2026How Often Should a Lab Website Get Updated?
Not a fixed schedule. A list of the specific events that should trigger an update, so nothing sits stale for a year.
ReadAugust 21, 2026Hire a Social Media Manager, or DIY It?
The real cost of running a lab's social accounts yourself, compared against a lab's discretionary budget, without the sales pitch.
ReadAugust 20, 2026Your Web Presence and Your Broader Impacts Case
NSF reviewers weigh broader impacts as its own criterion. A lab's website and social accounts are where that claim gets checked.
ReadAugust 19, 2026Why Nobody's Looking at Your Lab's X Account
The specific habits that make a research lab's X account invisible, and what to change about each one.
ReadAugust 18, 2026The Lab Website Checklist for Grant Renewal Season
What a reviewer checks on your lab's website before a renewal, and what to fix before they get there.
ReadAugust 17, 2026How to Turn a Paper Into a LinkedIn Post
The paper isn't the post. A short guide to writing about your own research without overclaiming or losing your co-authors' trust.
ReadAugust 16, 2026What Makes a Good Academic Lab Website
The traits that separate a lab website people use from one that sits there. No redesign required to fix most of them.
ReadAugust 15, 2026Does Your Research Lab Need a Social Media Strategy?
A practical answer for PIs: who looks at a lab's social accounts, and when the time investment pays off.
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