Developing a Unique Voice in Science Writing

Most of the content I see on the timeline sounds generic, corporate, or AI-generated. It gives me the ick. If you want your content to actually sound like you, good news! I've developed a 4-part framework to literally fool-proof your content from sounding completely sterile. 1. Find your personal brand differentiator(s) Just like you know your product needs clear differentiation you can lean into, your personal brand needs to have unique credibility, too. What's your hero story? What credibility levers can you showcase? Austin Hughes 🤝 does this really well. His hero story is simple: From sales rep frustrated with sales tools to CEO of the best GTM tool on the market (Unify). He built the product he always wished he had as a seller.  2. Have a STRONG POV I'm begging you not to be afraid of being polarizing. Say it with me: If you don't stand up, you won't stand out. If you try to please everyone, you actually lose trust. Plus, you never become known as a thought leader. Spooky stuff, right? Notice the founders you follow and trust, are they posting lukewarm takes with weak stances or are they talking passionately about the way they think about things? Something to consider. 3. Infuse your personality Here's an experiment: if I were to take out any reference to you, your company, or anything else that can identify you and read your posts, would I know it was from you? Or could it come from anyone? When I read drafts from my writers, I always know which client the post is for because their tone is captured perfectly. Infusing your real personality into your content will make a world of difference. If you're sassy, be sassy. If you have catch phrases, bring those into your content. Use emojis if you want, speak in a way you speak in everyday life, and most of all, DON'T try to sound like anyone else. And remember to infuse references to personal hobbies or interests. I talk about music a lot and spirituality in my content because it's a big part of my life. 4. Add the ADE Non-sterile content usually has at least one of these 3 things: Anecdotes, Data, Examples. You can make your posts far more compelling by adding • Anecdotes and stories from your unique experiences • Data points specific to your industry or the topic at hand • Concrete examples that illustrate your points Try this framework for a few weeks and see how quickly your content starts to feel less sterile. ✨

For 14 months, my LinkedIn posts received 0 views. I was posting into the void. No engagement. No feedback. Self-doubt & fear locked me in a cage. • Why would anyone care what I have to say? • No one around me writes, so why do I? • I'm not a good writer. • I should quit. I tried learning from other creators. Following what they said was good writing. But I wasn't getting anywhere. It wasn't clicking with me. Until one day, I wrote a post my way. I shared a perspective & it blew up. People engaged saying it was something new on LinkedIn. And that's when it hit me. To stand out as a writer: Use what interests you as Fuel. Don't listen to creators telling you what good writing is. Instead, learn writing your way. Craft your own voice. I spent 1 month learning how to write my way. I studied what interested me: • Screenwriters • Comedians • Journalists I found out what makes good writing. And I arrived at the same conclusion as those creators. But I earned the wisdom instead of copying it. If you consume the same content as others, you'll think the same way. You won't have a unique writing voice. If you learn for yourself & craft your own voice, You won't sound like anyone else. You'll sound like yourself. And that's what makes you stand out. PS: Do you agree? How do you stand out with your writing?

I’m 39. 3 years ago, I felt lost about how to pursue my purpose: bridging science with the world. Then I found Eve Arnold from “The Part-Time Creator Club” and built my own science communication business. Here are 4 insights that transformed my approach (and could help you too): 1. Write for ONE, not many. Thinking about “the public” feels overwhelming. Instead, picture one person—your colleague, a curious student, or a policymaker—and write directly to them. ✅ It feels manageable and natural. ✅ People connect more when your content feels personal. What’s one science concept you’d explain to a friend? Start there. 2. Write down your fears. Fear of judgment is the biggest block for scientists going online. “What will my peers think?” “What if I get it wrong?” Here’s how to tackle it: ✅ Name your fear: “I’m worried my coworkers will judge my posts.” ✅ Challenge it: “Is this likely? And if so, does it matter?” ✅ Zoom out: Will you care in 5 years? Probably not. Articulating fears shrinks them. 3. Content is an evolution. Science evolves—and so does your content. No post has to be “final.” It’s okay to grow, rethink, and refine over time. ✅ Publish imperfect work—it builds confidence. ✅ Use past posts to inspire new ideas. ✅ Revisit and rewrite as your perspective evolves. Your audience values your process, not just the polished product. 4. Focus on controllable wins. You can’t control how many people see or share your posts, but you can control your habits. ✅ Write for 20 minutes a day. ✅ Publish a post weekly. ✅ Share a “behind-the-scenes” moment from your research. Small, consistent actions compound into big results. Building confidence online as a scientist is hard at first. You’ll question yourself, worry about criticism, and doubt the value of your work. But every post you write helps amplify your voice. Over time, the fear fades—and your impact grows. Are you a scientist ready to amplify your voice and share your work with the world? Join my newsletter for actionable tips to grow your online presence and bridge science with the public (link under my name above) - ♻️ Share with anyone you think may find this insightful. Follow Silvia Pineda-Munoz, PhD (she/her) for more.