The impact of using images on CSIC's Twitter profile

Abstract

Science is one of the most important fields of knowledge to people and communication has one of the main strengths to disseminate their discoveries, news, current events and outstanding events. This scientific communication has in the image a support through which to show concepts in a visual way that can sometimes be difficult to explain only by words. Internet first and social media then have changed the communication schemes as they were known until they appeared. Facebook, Twitter or Instagram have hundreds of millions of users, which has been valued by institutions and organizations, including scientific ones. These social media, especially Twitter, have emerged as a new communication channel more accessible than traditional media, with a greater number of potential recipients, especially for organizations without the resources to obtain a presence in those traditional media. This work analyzes the Twitter profile of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) to see how the institution uses images in the messages that sends on Twitter. According to the results, the CSIC makes a majority use of the image, especially of illustrations or photographs that show what is presented in the text of the message. Thanks to this use of images, CSIC increases its impact on the social network, with a greater number of interactions by users.