In a crowded communication environment, most people don’t need to read or listen to content that is not immediately compelling to them. To capture their attention, start with the bottom line in a way that is relevant to the audience and then share more details. Being proactive about the way you phrase your key ideas to speak directly to an audience’s interests, or even embedding a discussion of science in places where less motivated audiences might discover them accidentally, will help you more deeply engage with that audience, which will likely increase the odds of achieving your engagement goal. You should also consider tactics like removing jargon, and weighing the need for precise language with what is most relevant to your audience and will engage them.

When thinking about how to communicate, even before designing tactics, consider why you are communicating. What is your communication goal? From there, you can identify appropriate audience(s), and then the words or messages you’ll use to engage that audience with your key ideas. This framework can be applied across communication channels, audiences, and goals.

This AAAS Communication Toolkit provides guidance for scientists to build skills to more effectively communicate and engage with public audiences, including ways to apply the fundamentals of communication to scientific topics.

The Toolkit covers:

• Communication Fundamentals
• Communicating Science Online
• Working with Journalists
• In-Person Engagement
• Using Multimedia & Visuals
• Mini Workshops

Source: https://www.aaas.org/resources/communication-toolkit