1
Why is building your profile important for academics?
Every working professional benefits from having a profile, but what that means differs for everyone. For academics, it builds understanding of you and your work, and can drive inbound opportunities such as jobs, collaboration, support and grants.
It can have a tangible impact on your career. When considering candidates for senior roles, universities are increasingly looking for evidence of external engagement and impact. A profile makes you more visible to selection panels and recruiters. It may lead to an approach for a role you didn't know existed, or mean a panel already knows your work before your application lands on their desk.
It also benefits your work. Research funding is highly competitive, and reaching the right audiences can improve your chances of getting a project off the ground, and boost its impact once it's done.
2
Where should they start?
Before you do anything, build a narrative that is unique to you and your work. What is your area of expertise, and what are you spending most of your time on? Your narrative should be grounded in the topics you're genuinely passionate about and enjoy debating.
Then look at where your interests align with what's newsworthy. Unless it's truly groundbreaking, research rarely catches attention on its own. It needs to add a fresh take to a conversation already happening.
Keep your narrative clear and jargon-free, so anyone can understand it, and bring in colour from the real world that helps people relate to it.
3
What tools and methods can you use to raise your profile?
We're lucky to have so many ways to get a story out into the world, from conferences and events to mainstream and social media, though competition for eyeballs has never been more fierce. When it comes to media and content, there are three channels worth considering.
Mainstream media
I have a bit of a bias here, partly because of my background in journalism, but also because mainstream media remains a credible and trusted source of information for many people.
A journalist is an incredible litmus test for whether your story is compelling, which can be hard to see objectively when it's your profession and your passion. If you can't get a journalist interested, it's time to return to the drawing board. Believe me, this happens more often than it doesn't. For Australian academics, The Conversation is a natural place to start, but widen the net and consider other outlets too.
Something academics often undervalue is their inherent credibility. Journalists are rightly sceptical of the stories companies pitch, but academics don't have that baggage. They're seen as credible, largely neutral experts who can add colour and context to a journalist's reporting. Preparation is still critical, so if your university has a communications team, talk to them. They can also walk you through your university's media policy.
Next-generation media
Independent journalists and specialists with podcasts, newsletters and Substacks often have highly engaged audiences and real influence. Get to know who's active in your field, and read or listen to their content before making an approach.
Social media
From long-form articles on LinkedIn to video reels on Instagram and TikTok, social media is where many people, particularly younger audiences, now get their news and views. It's also brilliant for connecting with other academics, journalists and the community, and every comment and reaction brings your content to more people. Go in with your eyes open, though: a public profile can attract criticism and sometimes abuse, particularly for women and people working in contested areas.
Whatever the channel, everything should tie back to your narrative.
4
Given the rise of AI, can it be leveraged in profile building? What are the benefits and pitfalls of using AI?
In short, yes! AI is brilliant at distilling large volumes of information, which makes it a useful research partner as you shape your narrative and work out where your audiences are. It can also be a helpful sounding board, telling you if your writing is too flat or verbose, and helping you make necessary cuts.
When it comes to writing, though, I'd be wary. As an academic, you already know how to write. The shift is learning to write for a different audience, and that's a skill worth building yourself. Your content should carry your voice, and AI-generated writing has a sameness that's never as compelling.
Be careful about what you share, too. Uploading unpublished research or confidential data could breach ethics approvals, IP agreements or university policy. And AI can be confidently wrong, so check anything before you rely on it.
5
What's one thing an academic could do this week to get started?
Start writing your narrative. It will be messy at first, so get it all down, then refine. Begin with three questions: what is the focus of my work, why does it matter now, and who needs to hear it? A narrative isn't a static document. Your story will evolve over time, and this is just the first step.
About Stephanie Aye
Stephanie Aye is the founder of Hum Communications, an independent consulting business focused on strategic communications for leaders.
She has spent the majority of her career in big tech corporate communications, leading Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific programs at companies such as Salesforce, Slack, HP and Oracle. A significant part of her work has been helping leaders and executives develop, build and tell their stories to a range of audiences, an area she is now specialising in for her clients.
Stephanie has a background and a degree in journalism, starting her career as a producer at ABC Radio National Breakfast, so she understands what makes a good story, how to land it, and why it's important that you do.
