In order for research to be impactful, your findings and their significance must be understood. Such communications can take a variety of forms, some traditional and some more unusual. 

Traditional Channels

Peer-reviewed publications

Peer-reviewed publications are a non-negotiable component of running a successful research program. Research findings must be published regularly. Do not allow a giant backlog of unpublished data to accumulate. Consider putting out preprints on servers like BioRxiv.  Most faculty publish within a minimal set of journals that focus on the type of research they perform, with occasional papers going to more impactful journals. Also, don’t be an impact factor snob. Some research, particularly studies that you have no intention of following up on, can be sent to lower impact journals to make them available.

Scientific talks

Scientific talks include formal presentations at conferences, invitations to speak as part of university seminar series, and also smaller department retreats and similar events. Your talk will have the most impact if you carefully think through what your goal is in giving that particular talk, who your audience is, and what information is essential to convey to that audience to achieve your goal. This often means that you have to dramatically simplify a talk for a more general audience, or include more experimental details for a highly technical one. Don't just have one talk that you give regardless of circumstance.

Posters

Posters are a great mechanism for conveying preliminary findings. Again, think about the audience and message. Minimize details and emphasize the big picture.

University Press Releases

Most universities have a university press office that both writes stories for university publications and newsletters and interacts with the greater media. Often they'll contact you after a major publication comes out, but don't hesitate to contact them, particularly if this is one of the first major publications coming out from your group. Establishing relationships with the writers housed in these offices is helpful. Also, always request to see a draft of a press release or article about your work so you can verify that everything is accurate and significance is appropriately described.

Lab webpage and/or department profile

Keep these updated, including a list of publications or other deliverables coming out of your lab. Some people write brief explanations of their publications, and use their website as a way to direct others to associated resources like plasmids available on AddGene, instructions on how to request model organisms, links to GitHub or data repositories, and/or links to press releases or other info about the paper. 

Elevator pitch

Think about how to quickly describe your research program to someone new. Have a different pitch for the different people you might interact with. Colleagues in your field, colleagues not in your field, the general public - each group needs a talk with a different focus and depth. Practice your new pitch.

Biosketch and CV

Update your biosketch and CV every time you publish or give a talk so it is always current. 

Non-Traditional Channels

These forms of communication can bring new audiences to your research. They also are excellent tools to use to hone your message.

Social media

Social media includes Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, etc. Not everybody uses social media, however many people enjoy the discussion it can spark, and use it to keep their finger on the pulse of their broader field. If this sounds appealing, check out colleagues' accounts to see what has been working for them and what feels right to adopt.

Podcasts

Occasionally you may be asked to appear on a podcast to discuss your research. Some invitations will come from established individuals or groups (a University podcast, for example, or one associated with a scientific organization) while others may be more up and coming efforts by students or local groups. Make sure you understand what the purpose of the podcast is, what the style of the host is, and what you will be talking about. If you're unfamiliar with someone, it is worth listening to an episode or two of their work before committing.

Wikipedia

If your work represents a new area of research, or a significant development in an established field,, you should update Wikipedia. Be sure to reference your finding and its impact on existing pages. If you make a major finding, consider writing a full new page on your discovery. Wikipedia is a common source of information, so it is worth making sure it is updated regularly.

Conclusion

Different people gravitate towards different modes of communication. No matter how you choose to share your research findings, make sure you do share them and that you share them regularly.