Authors: Eseosa Edokpayi, Gracious Jackson, Vien Hairan, Zeynep Öztürk
What is the value of an excellent scientific project if nobody outside the classroom ever
hears about it?
This question was the starting point of our science communication project. While many teams
at NudgeNight 2026 focused on developing their own nudges, our role was different but just
as important: making the event visible on LinkedIn.
Our goal was to showcase the ideas, projects, and people behind NudgeNight 2026 in a
professional, engaging, and accessible way. Rather than simply promoting the event, we
wanted to explain why nudging matters, highlight this year’s focus on artificial intelligence,
and encourage people to become part of the NudgeNight experience.
LinkedIn was the ideal platform for this purpose. It brings together students, researchers,
alumni, companies, and professionals from fields such as marketing, human resources,
healthcare, communication, and innovation. At the same time, it provides an excellent
opportunity to present scientific topics in a way that is clear and easy for a broad audience to
understand.
From the very beginning, one key question guided our work:
How can scientific content on LinkedIn capture attention, remain easy to understand,
and encourage people to learn more about NudgeNight?
To answer this question, we developed a communication strategy that combined principles of
science communication with proven social media practices. Instead of presenting information
in a purely academic way, we used storytelling, visual design, curiosity-driven headlines, calls
to action, social proof, and expert knowledge to make complex topics more engaging and
accessible.
A key part of our work was translating scientific concepts into practical, real-life examples.
Rather than explaining topics such as artificial intelligence, bias, or nudging only in theory,
we connected them to situations that people encounter in everyday life and the workplace.
Our posts explored topics such as gender bias in AI, AI-assisted recruiting, prompt quality,
and the question of whether artificial intelligence can ever be truly neutral. This helped
readers understand why these issues are relevant not only in research but also in everyday
decisions and professional practice.
Visual storytelling also played an important role. Many of our posts were designed as carousel
posts, graphics, or short visual stories to make complex information easier to understand.
Headlines such as “Can an Emoji Cost a Million-Dollar Deal?” and “What Is Your Recruiting
AI Really Filtering?” were deliberately chosen to spark curiosity and encourage readers to
continue exploring the topic.
To strengthen the credibility of our content, we based our posts on established research in
science communication, storytelling, social media, and cognitive biases. We also referred to
experts such as Cass Sunstein to demonstrate that nudging is not only relevant to NudgeNight
but also to many areas of society and everyday decision-making.
In addition to educational content, we introduced selected topics from NudgeNight 2026.
Instead of revealing complete project outcomes, we shared key questions and ideas to spark
interest while leaving the full experience for the event itself.
Another important part of our project was community management. Rather than responding
with standard replies, we engaged individually with comments and encouraged meaningful
discussions. This helped turn LinkedIn from a one-way communication platform into a space
for dialogue and exchange.
Our communication strategy proved to be successful. During the project, the LinkedIn
account published 24 posts, attracted more than 424 page views, generated 53,446
impressions, gained 38 new followers, and received 883 interactions, including likes,
comments, and shares. These results show that scientific content can successfully reach
audiences beyond the university when it is communicated in a clear, engaging, and accessible
way.
One particularly successful example was our post about the Intercultural Emoji Code. It
demonstrated how emojis can have different meanings across cultures and how these
differences may lead to misunderstandings in professional communication. Because the topic
was relatable, surprising, and easy to understand, it generated particularly high engagement.
Our project shows that science communication on LinkedIn can be both informative and
engaging when content is presented clearly, supported by strong visuals, and tailored to the
target audience. High-quality research deserves visibility, and our goal was to help make
NudgeNight 2026 more visible to a wider audience.
We are proud that our LinkedIn project helped increase awareness of the event and connected
scientific ideas with people beyond the university. It demonstrated that effective science
communication can make research more accessible, encourage dialogue, and inspire curiosity
among diverse audiences.
The LinkedIn Team of NudgeNight 2026
