Advertising the Data Help Desk

• Advertising Materials and Branding
• Steps to Advertise a Data Help Desk
• Media Plan
• Advertising Resources

Advertising Materials and Branding

Promotional Materials

1. Signage:
   • Clear and attractive signage is crucial for a physical data help desk to indicate its location and purpose. This signage can include prompts to encourage questions, such as “Ask us how you can Cite Your Data Like a Pro” or “What makes data #FAIR?”. Aim for having a clear presence on the main meeting websiten.
2. Website/Webpage:
   • A dedicated website or webpage is essential to provide information about the data help desk, including its description, sponsor/organizer acknowledgement, and how to participate. Consider using a shortened link (e.g., bit.ly) for easier sharing.
3. Handouts and Flyers:
   • For physical events, handouts and flyers can be useful to provide brief information about the data help desk, key topics covered, and related resources.
4. Rotating Slide Deck:
   • A rotating slide deck displayed on a monitor at a physical desk can attract attention and present useful prompts or information about common topics.
5. Social Media Posts:
   • Active engagement on social media platforms, particularly Twitter (using the hashtag #DataHelpDesk and the relevant conference hashtag). Consider developing a Twitter plan with scheduled tweets advertising the event, example questions, and featured resources. Nowadays, consider other platforms like BlueSky as well.
6. Email Advertisements:
   • Include information about the data help desk in email advertisements sent to meeting participants.
7. Meeting Website Promotion:
   • Ensure the data help desk has a prominent presence on the main meeting website, including its description and how to participate.
8. Inclusion in Daily Emails:
   • Request that the meeting host include information about the data help desk in any daily email reminders sent to meeting attendees.
9. Ambassador Outreach:
   • Encourage section chairs, scientific session presenters, and other key individuals to act as ambassadors by mentioning the data help desk in their presentations, posters, and social media.
10. Blog Posts:
    • Creating blog posts can provide more in-depth information about the data help desk, its themes, and how it can benefit researchers.
11. Postcards:
    • Postcards can be a tangible way to share information about the data help desk, especially at physical events. They can include the booth number and a QR code linking to the website.
12. QR Codes:
    • Using QR codes on signage and promotional materials can provide quick access to the data help desk website or specific resources.

Branding Elements

1. Naming and Language:
   • The language used to name the data help desk is important (e.g., “Data Help Desk at AGU” vs. “AGU Data Help Desk”) as it can imply different associations. Choose a name that clearly conveys the purpose.
2. Logos:
   • Use relevant logos of organizing and sponsoring entities on signage, websites, and other materials to clearly indicate the collaboration and support behind the data help desk. Make the logo obvious at a physical desk.
3. Tagline:
   • Develop a clear and concise tagline that explains the purpose of the data help desk. Examples could include phrases like “Got data? Ask us!”.
4. Consistent Messaging:
   • Ensure consistent messaging across all advertising materials to clearly communicate the value proposition of the data help desk and the types of assistance available.
5. Swag:
   • Use swag to attract attention.

Steps to Advertise a Data Help Desk

1. Name and Affiliation
   • Clearly state the name of the help desk, for example, “Open Science & Data Help Desk”. Also, mention the organizing bodies, such as “a program of AGU, ESIP, and their partners”. If it’s associated with a specific event, like “during AGU24” or “at EGU25”, make this prominent.
2. When and Where
   • Specify the dates and times of the help desk. For in-person events, mention the exact location, such as “Visit our booth at the Open Science Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall A” or “Exhibit Hall Booth #1423 within the Open Science Pavilion” for AGU, or “[Exhibit Booth #X208]{.mark}” for EGU. Provide the online platform or link where users can ask questions, if this is used, such as “Ask questions online here: https://esipfed.org/datahelp”.
3. What Users Can Get Help With
   • Clearly articulate the types of questions and assistance users can expect. Use phrases like “Bring your questions for our experts!”. Provide specific examples of topics, such as:
     • How and where to publish data or software.
     • Where to find specific types of data.
     • Understanding FAIR and open data principles.
     • Writing a good data management plan.
     • Complying with funder and publisher requirements for data and software.
     • General data management, information management, metadata, data repositories, programming, data publication, data visualization, and data analysis. Highlight that attendees can “Engage with Informatics Experts” and “Learn Skills and Techniques” to “Make your Data Open and FAIR”.
4. Presentations/Demos
   • If there will be scheduled demos or tutorials, advertise these in advance. Mention that attendees can “see demonstrations of relevant tools and platforms”. If a schedule of experts and demos is available, post it online for easy access. Encourage volunteers giving demos to have “visually intriguing” slides to attract attention.
5. Topic Areas and Expertise of Volunteers
   • If possible, highlight the diversity of expertise available at the help desk. You could mention general topic areas that volunteers can provide advice on. For in-person events, volunteers can even say “Ask me about [fill in your data expertise]”.
6. Multiple Phases of Communication
   • Implement a communication plan before and during the event.
     • Well in Advance (2+ months): Start planning and advertising early.
     • Leading up to the Event:
       • Presence on Meeting Website: Ensure the help desk is prominently featured on the main meeting website with clear deadlines.
       • Email Announcements: Utilize email lists and newsletters to share information about the help desk and encourage attendance. Consider asking the meeting host to include information in daily emails to participants.
       • Social Media: Develop a social media plan, including suggested posts and relevant hashtags (e.g., #DataHelpDesk, #AGU24, #EGU25). Encourage volunteers to share on social media. Consider using scheduling software for posts.
       • Ambassadors: Enlist section chairs and scientific session presenters to advocate for the help desk.
       • Short Recordings: Encourage short video recordings from volunteers sharing their excitement and expertise to be shared on social media before the event.
     • During the Event:
       • Clear Signage: For physical locations, use clear and attractive signage to draw attention.
       • Social Media Updates: Continue active posting on social media to remind attendees about the help desk and highlight ongoing activities.
       • Announcements: Explore opportunities to have the help desk mentioned during scientific sessions.
7. Targeted Outreach
   • Consider reaching out to specific groups, such as early career professionals and students, as they tend to be active users of the Data Help Desk. You might tailor content to their interests and concerns. Consider contacting program managers at funding agencies to encourage their PIs and students to visit.
8. Asynchronous Content
   • Promote the availability of asynchronous content like recorded demos and tutorials that can be accessed at any time, especially for those who are busy during the meeting.
9. Collaboration
   • Highlight the collaborative nature of the Data Help Desk by mentioning participating organizations.

Media Plan

1. Generating a robust plan, including a schedule of tweets to advertise that the event is happening, along with example questions, and featured resources is key. The use of scheduling software like Tweetdeck or Buffer can be extremely helpful. Having key hashtags that are used in each Tweet is important.
2. At a minimum, these have so far been #DataHelpDesk and the hashtag for the associated conference (e.g., #AGU21). At some point, it may be better to have a main Twitter account associated with the event, so that hashtags cannot be confused with or commandeered to promote other activities and resources. This account would need to be a shared resource amongst all Data Help Desk organizers.
3. Having a twitter plan that includes numerous tweets each day drawing attention both to the broader event and to specific topics & resources can help with this.
4. Tweets (and retweets) coming from numerous people and organizations using #DataHelpDesk can be very effective and help show that the Data Help Desk is a truly collaborative effort. Having a contact at the meeting host organization (AGU, EGU, etc.) who is willing to retweet anything you send out can also help reach more people.

At the conference

1. Advertising not just on the meeting website, but in a prominent place.
2. Ambassadors – section chairs, scientific session presenters, etc., who actively talk to others about the event during the meeting in as many places as possible by tweeting, by sharing email advertisements, by mentioning the event in their posters and oral presentations, town halls, and more.

With organizations

1. Establish key contacts to work with advertising data help desk presence
2. Beyond what each organization will contribute, it is important to establish key contacts at those organizations to work with.
3. If society Y is hosting a meeting, it is important to establish who at society Y can help with ensuring that the Data Help Desk receives prominent placement in any digital materials, including the main meeting website.
4. You might also arrange with the host to have a blog post published about the event and/or ask that they include information about the Help Desk in any daily email reminders sent to meeting attendees.
5. Another key role is someone at the meeting host organization who can help with social media coverage of your event, actively re-tweeting as you put out info.
6. Caution should be exercised, however, when considering this option because it creates a private space that only meeting attendees can access and it also creates another place that data expert volunteers have to monitor.

Advertising Resources

1. Email templates
   • See example email templates Email templates
2. Social media plan
   • See example media messages Example media messages
3. Postcards
   • See an example postcard Open Science Help Desk Postcards - AGU24
4. Blog Post
   • See an example blog post Open Science & Data Help Desk at EGU24 Advertisement

Example advertisement for a data help desk at a conference

Do you have data and software-related questions? Are you looking to make your data and/or software open and FAIR? Are you interested in tools and resources for working with your data or for finding data to reuse? The Open Science & Data Help Desk is here for you!

The Open Science & Data Help Desk, a program of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), along with their respective partners, provides researchers with opportunities to engage with informatics experts in their domains. Through the Help Desk, researchers can learn about skills and techniques that help further their research and make their data and software more open and FAIR. The Open Science & Data Help Desk is staffed with experts from the Earth science informatics community to answer data-related questions and to demo useful resources.

When: 27 April–2 May during #EGU25

Where: In-person and online.

We are located in Hall X2 at booth #X208. Or you can submit a question through our online form here. Learn more: https://bit.ly/ESIPDataHelpDesk.

YOU can:

Ask Data Questions: Share your questions any time during the event at Hall X2, Booth #X208 or submit your question via the form HERE. Our team of Earth science data professionals has decades of experience in informatics and in many scientific domains and specializes in topics like finding, sharing, analyzing, publishing, and citing data.

The Data Help Desk has been held in the past at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, the Geological Society of America, the Ocean Sciences Meeting, and the European Geosciences Union General Assembly. This event represents another exciting opportunity for anyone to jump in and ask questions, regardless of geographic location. Join us to improve your skills and practices!

Questions? Contact datahelpdesk@esipfed.org.