Science communication Space science Social media Branding Instagram
Abstract:
Science communication is a growing profession and research field. Historically, the field
and accompanying research focused on health and climate communication, leaving other areas —
such as space science communication — neglected. However, as America prepares to send
humanity back to the moon and onward to Mars, this deficit needs to be addressed. This
exploratory study investigates the timely intersection of space science communication and social
media to better understand how space science communicators can break through the noise online
to reach their audiences. In this study, a total of 300 Instagram posts from 30 space science
communicators were qualitatively analyzed to discover how space science communicators are
branding themselves on Instagram. Findings from this study show that communicators use visual
ties, keywords and credentials to build their brand through their Instagram profiles. Then through
post behavior, communicators maintain and further expand their brand using thought leadership,
activism, and consistency and repetition. These findings have important implications for advancing
space science communication online. This study addresses a gap in the research literature
pertaining to both space science communication and science communication on Instagram.
