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Learn moreSocial Media for Research Study Recruitment
This page provides information and guidance for research teams at CU Anschutz wanting to use social media to recruit human participants into research studies.
Here's how to get started:
Review the Social Media Guidelines
Decide how you would like to promote your study through social media (options below)
If you wish to place paid ads through the CU Anschutz Research Studies Facebook account, fill out the Social Media Intake Form
Review the Social Media Dos and Don’ts
Launch your social media campaign
If you have questions, please contact researchstudies@cuanschutz.edu
Guidelines for Recruiting Research Subjects through Social Media
Study teams that wish to disseminate study recruitment content through social media must review and adhere to the following guidelines.
Note: These guidelines are intended to address the use of social media as a recruitment tool.
Social Media Options for Research Terms
Paid Options
Typically, the most effective way to reach targeted audiences on social media is through paid advertisements. Paid advertising campaigns use pre-determined demographics like age, gender, location and interests to reach a target population and display study ads in their social media newsfeeds. There are two ways to place paid research study ads: Through a third-party marketing agency or through the official CU Anschutz Research Studies Facebook page, which is managed by the Clinical Research Recruitment Program team in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. More information on these options is below.
Free Options
Researchers have the option to ask campus groups or third-party organizations to post study information to their respective social media pages on behalf of their team. Typical, this can be done free of charge. Using other groups' or organizations' social media pages can be a great way to engage with people with similar interests. You can find a comprehensive list on the official CU Anschutz-affiliated social media accounts. These accounts can be public or private, and social media users can follow or “like” the page/group/community to receive updates in their news feeds and interact with posted content.
Social Media Dos and Don'ts
We strongly recommend following these best practices when using social media for research study recruitment.
| DO | DON'T |
| DO use a university-approved platform or third-party vendor to advertise your recruitment ads. If you need help with paid advertisements, the Clinical Research Recruitment Program can help. Please fill out our Social Media Request form. | DON’T create a separate social media account just for your study or use your personal social media account to purchase or place recruitment ads for your research study. Research teams wishing to advertise a research study must go through an official university social media account or third-party agency, as outlined in the options above. Personal accounts may only be used to contact account/group/page/community moderators to request they post IRB-approved study content on behalf of the research team. |
| DO align all study advertisements and materials with CU Anschutz brand guidelines. Using the university’s approved brand for your ads helps to convey a sense of credibility and trustworthiness to potential participants while building recognition of research efforts. You can find branded templates in the CU Anschutz template library. | DON’T use your lab or study logo in your recruitment ads as they are not recognized by the public, can be misleading, and can cause confusion. Limit the use of non-CU brand colors, DON’T use study acronyms, and DON’T use clipart, cartoons, and graphics. |
| DO create a clear and concise study screener using a HIPAA-compliant, University affiliated platform such as REDCap or Qualtrics. It is recommended to briefly introduce your study prior to having no more than 10-15 eligibility questions. DO ask for the interested person's contact information at the beginning of the study screener. Social media campaigns will link directly to your study screener to streamline your recruitment process. | DON’T create a lengthy study screener that outlines all participant eligibility and disqualification criteria. The longer your study screener is the less likely a potential participant will complete it. DON’T provide study team members’ direct contact information to avoid spam and security breaches. DON’T use complicated, scientific terminology without providing definitions. |
| DO respond to interested individuals via private messaging by providing them with the contact details of the study team and directing the communication about the study to a secure, HIPAA-compliant approved platform such as University email or phone. | DON’T publicly message, tag or proactively reach out to potential participants through social media. DON’T engage in arguments or negative dialogue related to your ad or post. Depending on the nature of the negative comment or message, you can either ignore it or refer the commenter to an offline forum where their questions/concerns can be addressed. |
| DO submit several variations of social media content (e.g., alternate images or text) for IRB approval. This allows you to make real-time adjustments to optimize campaign engagement. When writing ad text variations, consider the target audience. Concise language is best for social media to optimize the user experience. | DON’T use lengthy, complex, scientific terminology as this will not be understood by the general public. Use plain language that is at or close to an 8th grade reading level. |