Tips for successful study recruitment using social media
Social media is a confusing landscape for researchers and lab groups attempting to recruit participants for studies. While best practices for social media channels change from year to year, good design choices and accessibility don't go out of style. If you want your lab group to succeed with recruiting people for studies via social media, follow these tips for study recruitment.
Don’t post a flyer as your social media post.
Digital media require a different approach that works with the platform and won’t make a reader squint. Your recruitment flyer is not the right size, it has too much detail and it won’t be accessible content, among other reasons.
Don’t use a QR code in your social media image.
QR codes are for print or physical media to drive a viewer to online information. It’s a multi-step process to get to the code’s embedded link when using a mobile device, rendering them less accessible (and a lot more work than a simple link).
Make text readable.
Just because you can read it on your laptop or desktop monitor when you create the post does not mean that it will be readable on a mobile device. Aim for headlines that are 90-150 and body text that is 36-60 for a standard Instagram 1080x1080 or a LinkedIn 1080x1350 post.
Design for someone to scroll.
That means bigger headlines and breaking up text into smaller bites. Save the details for the caption or text post.
Related to that, simplify what the viewer consumes by dividing information into more than one image as a carousel-style post. IRB approved the language that you use, but you do not have to use every word on one image or post.
When possible, use a design program such as Adobe Express (available to all at KU) or Canva.
Design for accessibility.
Here’s a handy checklist from Utah State University. For some users, reels and stories are more difficult ways to access a link to a study screener and may not be the best place for a recruitment related post.
Posts with links might get overlooked.
Be aware that organic posts – posts that you create that are not paid advertisements – may not be seen because they link out to your screener or website. Posts with links on Meta platforms are viewed less as Meta deprioritizes them and amid a push toward paid tiers that do allow links. Meta reported that in the first quarter of 2026, 98.7% of post views in the U.S. for that period did not include a link to a source outside of Facebook.
Do not “boost” a post on Meta platforms (Instagram or Facebook).
It may get likes or comments, but you are unlikely to get people to click on your link because of the ways that Meta prioritizes content.
For Meta platforms, use the Ads Manager tool, and get familiar with Business Suite. Ads Manager allows refined targeting for your ad, whereas Business Suite gives you a bigger picture of your account's performance metrics and analytics.
And finally, if you need help, contact LSI Strategic Communications staff members Jen Humphrey at jenhumphrey@ku.edu or Christina Knott christinaknott@ku.edu. Paid services include developing recruitment ads, and consultations are free.
Artwork credit: Adobe Stock