Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Feb 28, 2024)
Date Submitted: Jun 26, 2023
Open Peer Review Period: Jun 26, 2023 - Aug 21, 2023
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
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Use of Facebook Campaigns to Reach Diverse Populations
ABSTRACT
Background:
Previous studies report that recruiting diverse populations, such as African American/Black (Black) women, is “difficult,” yet some investigators may not have considered alternative recruiting methods for different groups. In contrast, other studies have reported success in reaching targeted groups through Facebook campaigns.
Objective:
To describe the development and implementation of a Facebook campaign to recruit Black women with hypertension for health research.
Methods:
We created a Facebook campaign to recruit Black women. First, we searched for images we deemed appropriate and visually appealing for our population. Next, we developed captions to correspond with each image we selected. The images and text together formed our advertisements. Then, we uploaded our advertisements to the campaign. Lastly, we developed a study description and screening survey. When individuals clicked on an advertisement, they reviewed study-specific information and responded to eligibility questions.
Results:
We launched our campaign with four advertisement sets in June 2020. By December 2020, the campaign generated 186,751 impressions, reached 66,880 users, and lead to 1,694 clicks on our advertisements. The cost ranged from $.40-$.94 per click. Of 214 individuals who responded to the screener, 137 were eligible to participate in our study.
Conclusions:
We used a Facebook campaign with representational images to recruit Black women for our research study on self-management and blood pressure control. Monitoring our advertisements' performance frequently helped us budget and determine if changes were needed. The strategies outlined in this report can guide scientists in using Facebook to recruit other diverse populations for health research.
Citation
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