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Research recruitment using Facebook advertising: big potential, big challenges
Julie M Kapp1, Colleen Peters, Debra Parker Oliver
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. kappj@umsl.edu
Summary
This study explored using Facebook ads for health research recruitment in US women aged 35-49. Few women clicked ads or completed the survey, indicating recruitment challenges.
Area of Science:
- Health Research
- Social Media Recruitment
- Digital Health
Background:
- Recruiting participants for health research is challenging.
- Social media platforms offer potential for participant recruitment.
- Targeted advertising may increase reach for research studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Facebook advertising as the sole method for recruiting US women aged 35-49 for a health study.
- To assess the effectiveness of Facebook ads in participant recruitment.
Main Methods:
- Facebook advertisements were used to recruit women aged 35-49 in the USA for a health-related survey.
- The study targeted 20,568,960 eligible women on Facebook.
- Ad performance metrics (impressions, reach, clicks, completion rates) were tracked.
Main Results:
- Three Facebook ads generated 899,998 impressions and reached 374,225 women.
- Only 280 women (0.075%) clicked the ads.
- Nine women (3.2%) completed the survey after clicking the ad.
Conclusions:
- Facebook advertising can be an innovative tool for recruiting research participants.
- Developing engaging ads and motivating participants to complete surveys are key challenges.
- Further research is needed to optimize social media recruitment strategies.
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