Background: Facebook is Australia's most popular social media platform, with 78.2% of internet users aged 16-64 using it monthly. Facebook also accounts for 65% of all online traffic referrals to third-party websites (e.g., research websites) via user clicks on links shared on social media platforms. Results from the 2022 website evaluation study for Cracks in the Ice – an Australian website providing evidence-based information about crystal methamphetamine – demonstrate how Facebook advertising can be used as an effective and cost-efficient tool to target potential participants and boost study recruitment.
Methods: Quotas for distinct groups of eligible study participants were established to gain a diverse baseline sample for this study. Target groups included: 1) people who have used crystal methamphetamine, 2) affected family members/friends, and 3) health workers. Demographics such as age, gender and location were also considered. Eight (8) Facebook advertising campaigns were initially set up with ad text, imagery, and audience targeting tailored to each group. However, recruitment was slow and skewed towards older, female identifying participants. To rectify this, two additional campaigns targeting both male and female audiences aged 15-35, as well as two campaigns targeting only male audiences aged 15-45 were developed. We also leveraged Facebook’s detailed audience targeting capability to apply interest-based parameters.
Results: Following these adjustments, within two months our total baseline recruitment sample increased from 397 to 738 participants with all quotas for target groups met. Mean age of participants also dropped from 49 to 41 years old, and male-identifying participants increased from 25% to 33%.