Using Social Media for Survey Notifications: Considerations from STREAMS

This brief highlights six considerations for using social media in research study outreach and tracking. Although the considerations stem from the specific experience with Instagram, they likely apply to other, similar social media platforms. The considerations might be particularly relevant to researchers who need innovative methods to contact populations that might be difficult to reach through more traditional notification methods. Mathematica conducted the pilot as part of the Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

• Start with a clear purpose. A study team might consider using social media in several ways, such as keeping sample members engaged with the study or contacting them through direct messages. Deciding on the purpose of social media outreach is important because the logistics, considerations, and time required for each purpose differ.
• Determine the best platform to use. There are several social media platforms, each with varying features and evolving levels of popularity. In deciding which platform is the best fit for a study’s needs, the study team must consider security and privacy requirements, desired messaging capabilities, ability to interact with other accounts or users, and expected popularity of the platform among the study’s intended population.
• Seek institutional review board (IRB) approval. As with any survey outreach method, the use of social media in survey data collection is subject to IRB approval and the study team must consult with and defer to the determination of its IRB.
• Take precautions when setting up the account. Social media platforms use multiple screening tools and methods to assess the legitimacy of user accounts and restrict those that present a risk to other users. When setting up a social media account for a research study, the study team must take steps to ensure the account complies with platform requirements and can remain active.
• If sending direct messages, be prepared for a lot of work. One way to use social media is to send direct messages to study participants when they are due for a follow-up survey. The direct messages may include links to individualized surveys and the same types of personalized messages often used in email or text message reminders. Sending direct messages through social media requires labor-intensive processes to verify user handles and send the messages to individual user accounts.
• Develop a process for measuring success. Because of the effort required to send direct messages, it is important to track the results of these efforts and how they contribute to data collection. It is also useful to compare how direct messages perform against other notification efforts used during the study, such as text messages or email notifications.

The considerations presented in this brief draw on Mathematica’s experience with administering a survey to high-school-age youth. Given the age of the sample members (youth in their last years of high school or recent high school graduates), the study team anticipated that many were likely active on social media platforms, such as Instagram. Anticipating the use of social media to locate sample members for future survey efforts, the study team collected Instagram handles during the study’s baseline survey. The study team monitored Instagram outreach attempts and outcomes to collect data on the effectiveness of the effort.

Brittany Tabora and Alicia Harrington (2022). Data Collection Brief. Using Social Media for Survey Notifications: Considerations from STREAMS. OPRE Report #2022-32. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.